Q & A with Spiritual Yoga Instructor

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/answers-from-a-yoga-instructor-part-3/

Following is the third and final set of responses from Bryn Chrisman, a vinyasa flow yoga teacher and kirtan leader in New York City.

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Question:

I have been practicing for almost 10 years now, one or two times per week, and have been fortunate to find wonderful teachers.

Last week I took my third class with a teacher who I liked at first, but this time she really turned me off with her approach. She was talking about arm binds and basically saying that you were copping out if you didn’t attempt them; that they’re supposed to be painful because there’s “so much friggin’ pain in the world” and this lets you experience that. Aside from taking offense at her use of a mild expletive, I thought it was dangerous to tell students that they should be binding if their bodies are telling them that it’s wrong.

I have partially dislocated both of my shoulders (one while ice skating, the other falling during a hike), and I can no longer bind or do poses such as side plank. I’ve been practicing long enough that I know how to modify and what not to do. Should I just avoid that teacher’s classes in the future, or should I inform the studio of how I felt about her teaching that day? How do you feel about pain in yoga practice? I thought that an asana should never be painful, or it means you’re doing something wrong.

— Posted by sweetclafoutis

Answer:

I would agree that it seems careless and inappropriate for a teacher to use language that would imply such negativity. One of the most basic principles in yoga is a practice called ahimsa, which basically means nonviolence or ‘do no harm.’ The concept is deep and full of meaning, but basically the idea is that if we do not emit violence we will receive peace from others. When we act, speak and think violence, the cycle of harm continues and grows stronger. I would not want to take class from a teacher who suggests it’s a good idea to create pain in us since there is pain in the world. What sense does it make to add to the pain in the world? I would hope the opposite is happening in yoga classes around the globe! Experiencing joy and freedom in the body so that we may bring this positive energy into the world to heal it! From the compassionate perspective I would think your teacher must be experiencing his or her own pain in a major way if they are brought to say this in class. Having compassion for them will give you permission to respect your own boundaries with clarity.

Interestingly enough, many successful teachers are known for strongly criticizing their students through harsh words and physical adjustments, so it seems there are plenty of students that respond to that kind of negative reinforcement. It is unfortunate that the cycle of violence in yoga continues, but since humans practice and teach yoga, human qualities come through. My teacher Jai Uttal was telling us a great story about how a spectacular monkey god named Hanuman came to be. The story started with this one yogic master who had meditated for thousands of years, accrued powers unimaginable, but in one moment of anger lost it all. The sage had worked so hard on all these skills, but never did anything to soften his heart. The story ends well but highlights the need to include a practice of softening your heart or nothing else really matters and can be lost.

There is a huge difference between pain that will cause an injury and a challenge that is just muscle fatigue or mental struggle. Pain is your body telling you to BACK off, and I would only encourage people to listen to the messages of their body. It is awesome that you are comfortable making your own modifications and that you know how!

I think the most appropriate thing you can do if you want to keep taking this teacher’s class is to ask them to clarify what they meant when they said what they said. This approach is inquisitive and gives them a chance to explain themselves. The teacher may have realized right away their comment was totally out of place, incorrect and inappropriate. Give them another chance, they are human and therefore subject to human error.