Worst Yoga Teacher Ever

We all know creepy men (and women) in all walks of life. We know a select number of Priests who have molested children. We know there have been Gurus who have manipulated and taken advantage of young female students. We know there are male and female therapists and counselors who have misused their power and connection to coerce clients into having sex with them. Of course, there are all the CEOs and politicians who can’t seem to find enough ways to abuse their power. It should not surprise anyone that there are Yoga instructors who misuse and abuse the power they have for sex and exploit Yoga students, should it?  Enter the YouTube theatrical video Worst Yoga Teacher Ever.  Even with a warning, I flinched a few times during this short, satirical video.  Why would we think Yoga Teachers are exempt from foul play?

I practice Hanna Somatics, not Hatha Yoga. It would not be any different for me if the video was about a Hanna Somatics Educator. Hatha yoga is going viral because it has become very popular among young white women and all of mainstream America. Hanna Somatics does not carry that kind of media attention or interest. I have practiced Hatha Yoga in the past; it was helpful, and I enjoyed it.

Update: I do practice Hatha Yoga daily and have for the last several years.

“The word yoga, from the Sanskrit word yuj means to yoke or bind and is often interpreted as “union” or a method of discipline. A male who practices yoga is called a yogi, a female practitioner, a yogini.” Yoga Journal 

“The word hatha means willful or forceful. Hatha yoga refers to a set of physical exercises (known as asanas or postures), and sequences of asanas, designed to align your skin, muscles, and bones. The postures are also designed to open the many channels of the body—especially the main channel, the spine—so that energy can flow freely.

Hatha is also translated as ha meaning “sun” and tha meaning “moon.” This refers to the balance of masculine aspects—active, hot, sun—and feminine aspects—receptive, cool, moon—within all of us. Hatha yoga is a path toward creating balance and uniting opposites. In our physical bodies we develop a balance of strength and flexibility. We also learn to balance our effort and surrender in each pose.” Yoga Journal

I wanted to include the definitions because I will use the term Hatha Yoga, and most people use the word Yoga, which does not accurately describe the practice or that it refers to a discipline, physical or mental, not specifically the discipline of physical movements and breathing we call Asanas.

Hatha Yoga has enjoyed great popularity in the last two decades and is now available anywhere from Yoga Studios and YMCA to Community Centers and Gold’s Gym. It seems anywhere folks want to lose weight, Hatha Yoga has found its way into the incredibly powerful fitness industry.  There are many Yoga Instructors who are not part of Hatha Yoga’s success in the fitness industry, but let’s be real: the bulk of Hatha Yoga Instructors are young, physically fit women who work out almost daily and are somewhat obsessed with their bodies. This does not take anything away from Hatha Yoga or any Yogic Practice, but here in America, Hatha Yoga survives on the strength of the fitness industry, it is unfortunate, because it is a profound system of mental, physical and spiritual growth and health. Again, I am not discounting the many excellent Yoga Teachers and Practitioners who are not obsessed with their body fat and workout attire. Like many other disciplines, they are the minority, and the pop culture version is the greatest.

So why are we so surprised that an industry that got its American wings the way it did has some bad apples? Truthfully, I am not surprised. I have known enough women who have shared with me that their Guru or Yoga Instructor has tried to have sex with them, sexually assaulted them, exploited them, or misused their power to have sex with them. Word gets around fast, but not always fast enough, before a person misusing power exploits many people, in this case, young naïve women. This is not a reflection on Yoga, just as for me, Priests that have molested young boys are not a reflection on Catholicism or Saddam Hussein on Muslims. Anger, hate, and violence do not seem to discriminate where, when, and how they are expressed. People who have not found a way to deal with emotions or energies that challenge them are walking the streets everywhere, they are out there, Yoga is not exempt.

Several years ago, while living in South Korea, I was in a leadership role with The Couchsurfing Project. There was an incredibly unfortunate incident in The U.K. where a young woman was imprisoned by her Couchsurfing host; it was tragic and gross.  The community globally was totally surprised and thought that this piece of news would destroy the community’s credibility and safety. It sure didn’t help, but what came of it was better security measures and less naïvety for international travelers, both are good things, unfortunately at the one women’s price. This never created fear in me, and I continued to host and travel throughout the world using The Couchsurfing Project. I have never stopped encouraging men and women to take part in The Couchsurfing Project, but I have always been very firm about not being naïve and using common sense.

Safety and common sense go together. One of the first points I stress with all people I work with as a Life Coach, Spiritual Trainer, or Reiki Counselor and Practitioner is common sense and its value in personal safety on physical, financial, and spiritual levels, and many others as well. I am not someone who lives in great fear or gets scared easily. I am still a firm supporter of not being naïve, regardless of the situation or person.

Naive – (of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment.

Worst Yoga Teacher Ever

“The worst yoga teacher ever. Guy teachers, you’ve been warned.”

How about including our women in this warning, too, “The worst yoga teacher ever.”

I invite you to use common sense in any situation where safety, personal, physical, financial, professional, or spiritual, is in question. Don’t be naïve. If you have a little fear in a particular situation, place, or presence of an individual, I encourage you to listen to this fear and let it be instructive. I invite you to explore the fear internally and see if you can find its source. If you are not able to do so, please find someone who can train you in inner discernment so you can be better prepared for situations where you may be at risk.  If I can support you in this process, please contact me, your wellbeing matters, and you matter.

Choose your Teachers, Mentors, Coaches, and Counselors wisely. Please don’t trust anyone just because they say they are a “Teacher.” Follow your gut and use common sense when entrusting your Mind, Body, or Soul to someone you don’t know, and sometimes even someone you do know. Our bodies and minds are valuable resources; treat them with care!

If anyone has added advice or experiences to share about, Worst Yoga Teacher Ever, I invite you to share it, our collective safety largely depends on each other.

Other posts you may enjoy:

Doubt

I Am Not A Healer 

The Art of Knowing is Knowing What to Ignore

Spiritual Training on Humility – The Janitor Part I

Things Your Couples Counselor Already Knows About Your Relationship

Do Something Good For Someone Else, and Don’t Get Caught – Kindness

Michael Swerdloff

Providence Life Coaching and Reiki Counseling