My Creepy Yoga Teacher

I just realised that I forgot to share this with you...

Well, if you’ve been reading my posts lately, you’ll know that I’ve got a holiday coming up and I’ve been training rather excessively in order to get into bikini shape.  In fact, I’ve been training at least 5 days a week, a minimum of 2 hours each time.  I think I may also have mentioned that I’ve upped my yoga sessions as there’ll be an international yoga teacher at the Spa Hotel I’m staying at while I’m there and I really want to be able to take full advantage of his classes.

I’ve got to admit that I really had forgotten why I stopped going to a particular yoga teacher (I’m not going to mention his name or where he practises) but it’s come flooding back to me rather, erm quickly...

I’d been taking this guy's classes for well over 10 years when about 3 years ago, he started getting a bit more ‘friendly’ than usual.  It was very subtle at first, however, slowly I noticed that he always seemed to stand not at the front but wherever I happened to be standing.  I thought it was just me initially, but I started moving around the room and plonking in a different spot each time and it quickly became clear that he was indeed following me round. 

Then came the touching ... Now, adjusting poses I really don’t mind, that is absolutely part of the job and most good yoga teachers will do that.  However, this started to get much more than pose adjustment.  He’d come over to me and lean right into my person space and ask me if I was OK, he’d pull my pony tail when he walked passed and generally touch me as much has he could.  It began to feel really uncomfortable. 

In fact, it got particularly bad when we’d do the meditation at the end of the class.  He’d always stand near me and sometimes would come and sit down by my head and rub my shoulders ... *shudder*.  That’s when I stopped going.  In retrospect, I probably should have said something or complained to the venue, however, I didn’t want to cause a fuss and decided it was better to go to yoga elsewhere.  Like I said, this was a few years ago. 

Anyway, a few weeks ago I decided to go back to his yoga classes (I have a shocking memory and had pretty much forgotten why I’d stopped going ... I have that much going on in my life that I can’t always remember stuff  that is not really important) and for the first couple of weeks of doing his classes, everything was fine.  However, the more classes I attended the friendlier he was and it got to the point where he was conducting the class from wherever I happened to be in the room again. 

This really stood out one day when I attended a class I don’t usually go to.   The room was dark when he came it and he didn’t notice me (obviously not expecting me) until I was putting my mat away at the end.  During the whole class, he didn’t even move off his mat at the front of the class.  I’ve never seen him do that.

The next class I went to, he resumed his usual behaviour of being very overly touchy feely ...  way too touchy feely.  I’m not going into the detail here, but suffice to say that I definitely won’t be going to his yoga classes again and if he even dares to come near me at any point in the future, I’ll knock the bugger out!  (I must point out that I’m not a violent person ... however, there’s a first time for everything.)  It’s such a shame.  He’s actually a really good yoga teacher and apart from the touchy bit, I really do enjoy them but I definitely won’t be going again.  

I happened to be in London at a Seminar on Saturday and I was chatting to a yoga teacher and mentioned my ‘ordeal’ to her and she was rather horrified, so I know it’s not just me blowing things out of proportion.  She also reminded me that if someone makes you feel uncomfortable, how can you be blowing things out of proportion?

Ho hum.  I know I say it over and over again, but you really can’t make this stuff up.  I haven’t had time to find another yoga class yet, so it’s going to be DVDs for me I think.  After all, I have been doing yoga most of my life, so it’s not like I really need a class!

Right lovelies, that’s me for another day.  Hope you’re having a wonderful week.  See you soon, until then, be fabulous!

Lots of love

Jx