And I really wish health professionals would stop recommending everyone jumps into any old yoga class.
During my career I’ve had multiple people referred to classes from physiotherapists and mental health professionals that have quite frankly scared the living shit out of me. Some in particular I still think about and shudder.
Of course most of the time it is fine, more than fine, it makes me do a little internal happy dance that the benefits of yoga are so well respected - but for the love of god, can we acknowledge that not all yoga teachers are created equal and a yoga session is not a magical, tranquil place for everyone.
Before you think this post looks like career suicide, hear me out.
JACK OF ALL TRADES, MASTER OF NONE.
Would you expect a physiotherapist who after years of dedicated study in one field and has gained extensive knowledge of the human body - to hand out spiritual lessons at the end of a treatment?
Would you go to a physiologist, with their depth of understanding into human behaviours, the brain and mental illnesses expecting them to have extensive knowledge of your muscles?
Most yoga teachers do have knowledge of the body, mind and spirit. They know the history of yoga and the spiritual and religious teachings, and in most cases what they know is more than enough to pass on incredible benefits and life changing skills.
But just as a physio can take it a level further and specialise on the pelvic floor, and a counsellor on drug and alcohol counselling, yoga teachers too have certain parts of yoga that really make them tick, and if you are in the small percentage that needs extra TLC you need to find your right fit and should not be recommended to just ‘do yoga’.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
If you have a particular set of reasons you want to try yoga, contact some teachers first to see if their area of expertise and interests matches your needs.
A lot of yoga teachers do have a background in something else. Some are trained as physios, so that’s a no brainer if you want to recover from an injury. And some are trained counsellors.
At the core, most yoga teachers want to help people. If they know they’re not the right fit for you, they probably know the yoga teacher in town who is.
GOING SOLO
A lot of yoga teachers will offer private classes in person and online. This is a safer and more nurturing environment and a nice way to see if yoga is right for you.
It allows you to get any modifications you may need, or to create a more controlled environment where anything which may be triggering for you, can be discussed and left out of a session.
ITS JUST NOT FOR YOU
And of course, yoga really isn’t for everyone. You may just hate it!