Drill sargent instructor

If the above doesn’t work, you can always leave. Tough guy yoga instructors amuse me no end. Just ignore them or
ask them to step outside after practice. That last is an approach that not everyone can do, of course. They aren’t in fact drill instructors, and they have no power at all.

Should add that maybe some are just trying to help your yoga. Up to you to determine whether that is true or just a power trip/ego thing.

Uh no, That isn’t what it is, at least in the Bikram yoga studios I’ve been in. I did commercial studios for several years and found that that the “boot camp” style is anomalous, usually just one or two instructors, if that. And anyone who has been to a real boot camp finds the characterization ridiculous anyway. People that want to be driven probably like that style. If that’s your deal then by all means go for it.

And, often, people are really either not working or aren’t prepared to suffer any discomfort whatsoever. My SIL is like that LOL. I’ve seen her yell at physiotherapists, doctors, nurses, fitness instructors, you name it. She can’t bear to be out of her comfort zone for even a second and is quite “forward” in demanding that things cater to her. LOL!

Haha – I can totally relate to this. My mother had to go to some physical therapy for her shoulder. Now, I’ve been to PLENTY of physical therapy and been brought to tears on numerous occasions from it, so I know it’s not easy. But she insisted that she not only couldn’t do physical therapy, but she thinks she has some genetic oddity that prevents her from being able to lift weights or do any serious exercise at all. “You don’t understand, when I lift weights, my muscles get sore the next day!” [em]No, really? [/em] My sister also follows along with this, insisting that she has asthma. “Since when? Have you seen a doctor?”, I asked? “Well no, (after years of no physical activity) I tried to go for a run. And my lungs BURNED. Obviously I have asthma and should not ever run again.” Sigh. No amount of discussion (or tales of friends of mine who have asthma but manage to run marathons) will convince them that this discomfort they are describing is something that everyone goes through, especially if they are starting a new workout program when they are out of shape.

I can only imagine the two of them in hot yoga. The teacher would be the one complaining of being yelled at.

Hopefully that will correct it! They should be able to make corrections, give encouragement and stop distractions without creating a negative atmosphere.

I find this thread fascinating. I’ve only experienced one Bikram studio (have been going there for almost a year) but the instructors are the most caring, patient, understanding people I’ve ever met. When I started last March, I weighed well over 300 pounds, and because of the gentle, kind encouragement of their staff, I’ve lost almost a hundred pounds and my doctor has taken me off all three of my blood pressure medicines. I feel better than I have in decades, and my life has probably been extended by 25 years. None of this would have been possible had I encountered the kind of drill sergeant tactics some of you describe — I simply would not have tolerated it. What I found instead was a staff that wanted me to succeed and did everything they could to make sure I did. And I owe them all a debt of gratitude that I can hardly express.

Now, I do admit that there is one instructor I refer to as “Sergeant (name withheld to prevent retaliation)” … but it’s meant in a kind way: I’ve told her that when some instructors say “if you fall out of the posture, get back in,” it sounds like a suggestion. When she says it, it has the effect of a drill sergeant saying it.

But I digress.

All I really wanted to say is that there are studios that treat their students with respect. I sincerely hope you find a studio like that — or better yet, change that one, by communicating your concerns to the owners, frankly and honestly. Maybe you’ll find a sympathetic ear.

Strangely, I’m going through the opposite experience. I practiced at a small studio for 5 years where the 2 instructors made it a point to learn your name and used it to provide corrections and encouragement. I always felt challenged.

I’ve moved to another state and am in the first month in the new, much larger studio. It’s not the same, and I miss the rigor of my old studio. In the new studio, students bring their things into the room and put them near their mat (backpack, purse, you name it). There is a lot of off-task behavior, students going into and out of postures at their own rate, instructors who just recite the dialog without correcting students, etc. I’ve practiced for too long to let the behavior of others impact my practice, so I’m taking classes from various teachers figuring out which ones provide the experience I need.

Something one of the instructors said at my old studio really made me understand her take on issuing corrections. She couldn’t possibly correct every off-task behavior or tell you the right way to perform the posture while saying the dialog. She issued her corrections to those students who she thought were ready to hear them. Why waste her breath telling the same person the same thing day in and day out if he/she never applied the correction? A fellow practitioner was feeling picked on as that instructor was giving her a lot of attention in a class. I told her that the instructor probably saw/felt that she was ready to hear the corrections. That totally changed how that practitioner was receiving the feedback.

Corrections are in the ear of the practitioner? 🙂

Hi icart

Something one of the instructors said at my old studio really made me understand her take on issuing corrections. She couldn’t possibly correct every off-task behavior or tell you the right way to perform the posture while saying the dialog. She issued her corrections to those students who she thought were ready to hear them. Why waste her breath telling the same person the same thing day in and day out if he/she never applied the correction? …

Corrections are in the ear of the practitioner? 🙂

It’s interesting what you say about your teacher’s stance on the subject. The trick is in laying out the studio expectations to start with. There would be a lot less ‘off-task’ behaviour if the studio had implicit and even unspoken ideals about the way the yoga is practised. You yourself have been somewhere where bags and phones didn’t come into the room. I can guarantee you that you rarely if never heard those things being spoken about. But still nobody brings them in.

Some studios have loads of people who drink all the time and others that wipe sweat. I have theories, directions and explanations for how to gently and kindly (and even almost without mentioning the ‘transgressions’) have people create the right habits from their first classes. (It’s all learn-able, and we’re teaching it at my teacher training program.)

The same goes for corrections too! There is an art in delivering them in a way that that ‘slow learning student’ will respond. As a teacher I assume that people are there because they want to do it correctly. I would never assume that I couldn’t tell the class something because I deemed them ‘not ready’. Solid practice comes from solid instruction, every class and more importantly the ability of the teacher to notice and correct so that everyone stays safe.

Your quote about corrections is superb because it reflects what you and Robert suggest which is, you hear what you’re ready to hear and respond to. The teacher has to lay the groundwork so you CAN hear the right stuff. It’s complex. It’s not just in the hope that ‘one day they’ll get it’.

I hope your experience improves at your current studio. 🙂 Even though you’re experienced and you’re not fazed by the distractions of others, it really is lovely to have a disciplined practice and environment. Still, as I type that, I realise that you will gain so much from this new place too!!!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂