Warning: I’m Unyogic… Apparently.
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Apparently, a recent Yoga business decision I made was tacky, immoral, unethical and, the worst part, truly unyogic!
Yep. According to this particular Yoga teacher, I was as low as you could get!
To top it off, I was warned by this individual that if I were to proceed, there would be consequences. Sounds a bit revengy, doesn’t it?
My crime: Daring to agree to hold a regular outdoor, waterfront Yoga class, as requested by my existing students, very closely located to another Yoga school.
Silly me. After years of watching fitness boot camps run by separate companies, sharing the same waterfront, the same time, same space, who was I to think I could do the same with my fellow Yoga teachers? They, so Yogic and pure, would be more than willing to share, right?
Now if you think this would be an article on how to be more yogic, you’re wrong. This article is about the questions I struggled with:
What exactly is ‘yogic’ behavior?
How do we know if we are being yogic?
… and who gets to decide?
Being accused of being unyogic was a surreal, deeply hurtful and confusing experience. I was taken aback by the sheer vitriolic, ferocious manner with which it was hurled at me.
My first response was to doubt my decision. However, after much soul-searching and consultation with fellow Yoga teachers, I realized that my decision was exactly as I felt — intuitive, conscious and with my integrity intact… phew!
So why such a vicious yogi attack? Who did these people think they were anyway?
It took a long time to realize that it came from an individual very fearful and afraid for their existing business. Maybe I could have been more consultative with them, perhaps changed the time slot so the classes didn’t overlap, who knows? One thing is for sure — they used the most insidious insult available. I felt like I had a bucket of red paint thrown over me and it felt just plain wrong.
The teacher in question came from a very monastic, devotional Yoga tradition. They chant, pray and worship Indian deities, which I have no problem with. It’s a very important expression of Yoga, but it’s just not for me.
I’m a little more self-effacing, as I fill my classes with humor and great music. At times I’m overly irreverent, yet am constantly reminding my students of just how important Yoga is. Many would argue that, due to their more traditional Yoga style, they are somehow more authentic, but does that give them the moral authority or right to accuse me of being unyogic?
I thought to be yogic was to be human. To admit when you’re afraid, to be honest when you’re not feeling so confident in your practice or in life, to accept that as humans we are a true paradox of light and dark and to be brutally honest about that.
Sometimes we make choices that affect others seemingly negatively but intuition says it is the right thing to do. Is that unyogic? Sometimes we don’t like others choices that may affect us, but isn’t it more yogic to accept that they have that right to express their conscious choice and not accuse them of being underhanded, cruel or unyogic?
Sometimes students want to practice with me and not you… is it unyogic to accept them?
The only way I truly know if I’m making a yogic choice is that I feel at peace with it. That it comes from a place of conscious intuition, instinct and that it feels right. This has become my foundation and center-point in all my decisions, even if others don’t like it.
This situation was a gift because I learned never to allow anyone to come between me and my students. I also now know the warning signs of an imminent yogi attack, and have worked hard to always question my decisions, but never doubt myself.
As usual with all life lessons, my resolve was tested after I consciously ended a 10-year friendship with another Yoga teacher. I had become distrustful and wary of this particular individual. My reasons were justified and explained in an email to them personally. No hard feelings, it was just time to part.
It wasn’t long before fellow Yoga teachers suggested that perhaps I should be more yogic (there it is again) and forgive (like I hadn’t already?). Another blow from the same insidious Yoga sword of accusation! This is where I learnt that Yoga teachers all too quickly will often use this sword on situations they simply don’t understand or are afraid of.
Instead of trusting me to be able to make my own decisions, they accuse me to avoid their own feelings of discomfort.
How did we get here?
It seems to have striking similarities to many religions. Religions tend to need an enemy or a bad guy to forever be wary of. As soon as you do something that some devotee doesn’t understand, is afraid of or affected by, you become the bad guy. We just love a bad guy, don’t we? They are the good guy until proven otherwise. We seem to do this to our fellow yogis, and worse, our students!
I have witnessed many situations where Yoga teachers have pronounced to their students, subtly or blatantly, that they are somehow more yogic, authentic or conscious than their counterparts (usually the competition). Or students have questioned the authenticity of another Yoga teacher and their teacher agreed. It’s just got to stop!
Now that this has all passed, I’ve caught myself debating whether the behavior of these yogis is actually unyogic in itself. Yikes, now I’m waving the sword.
I have come to the conclusion that no one person gets to decide who is more or less yogic. No single person has the moral authority to lay claim to what is and what isn’t.
Sure, as Yoga teachers we get to decide for ourselves what values and ethics we hold. We make mistakes, and sometimes our decisions are based on fear or doubt. Sometimes we are impatient or insecure. It would help if we just accept that part of ourselves and stop pretending.
I’m happy to say that despite this branding I feel much admiration, support and love from my students. I’m clumsy, forget poses and muddle my words but they seem to still come back and support me. I believe it’s because I’m not afraid to be honest with myself and others. It’s true I don’t like to chant and I don’t stretch enough, but I’m not afraid to question and check in.
Sounds kinda yogic, doesn’t it?
Many people leave religions to avoid the judgment and persecution so prevalent in these institutions. This would explain why branding someone under the Yoga banner makes it so much more shocking, painful and devastating.
Who are these people to suggest that somehow they are privy to some secret power or moral compass that isn’t available to me? What bullshit!
Think about it — we were so quick to judge the actions of teachers in recent Yoga scandals without really checking in on our own. Attacking teachers who decided to engage sexually with consenting adult students as if they had no capability of making a conscious decision for themselves as we, the judginator, robbed their alleged victims of the right to choose for themselves as well.
For teachers, this is an all too seductive and dangerous sword. We definitely need to bury it because if used blindly, we will only end up falling on it ourselves.
Just saying.
Namaste!
*****
Michael Joseph lives in the Daintree Rainforest and enjoys traveling the world, bringing the stories, wisdom and teachings he gathers back to his students at his own Yoga studio. Michael likes to spend his time off cuddling with his dogs, Phoebe and Kelp, and his partner too! He prefers to wee in the garden than use the bathroom (only when in his forest hideaway) and happily eat chocolate and nothing else if only his body would allow. Michael feels the Yoga community needs to lighten up and not take itself so seriously.
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