Insta-yoga-studio: practice wherever possible
Recently, I had the opportunity to teach Yoga in a studio. Like, in a room that’s made for Yoga…where the floors are clean…the blankets are folded and plenty…the temperature is relatively under control…the lighting can be dimmed…the doors close, and no one else comes in. Because I teach in offices, I felt like a kid in a candy store, being able to turn the fan on when we started to heat up in the studio. Turning down the lights when it was time for Savasana. Leading a silent meditation and it was actually silent in the room.
This is not the norm for me. Most often, we hold Yoga classes in conference rooms, where the participants have just had meetings at a giant oak table minutes before class. The temperature is set by some other department and cannot be adjusted. The lights are usually fluorescent and unchangeable. Sounds from the office find their way into these rooms – phones ringing, people gossiping. At some locations where we practice in the cafeteria, there are sounds and smells of people making their lunches.
I smile when I think about the first chapter of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which states, “The yogi should practice Hatha Yoga in a small room, situated in a solitary place, being 4 cubits square, free from stones, fire, water, disturbances of all kinds…the room should have a small door, be free from holes, hollows, neither be too high nor too low, well plastered with cow dung, clean, bug-free. The grounds enclosed by a wall and beautified by an arbor, a raised platform, and a well.” In these modern times, I think we can amend that verse to say “…or, um, practice wherever possible.”
And for us, that’s in whatever space we can find in the office. So, it’s partly my job to transform the space as much as I can. To have the tables/chairs moved before people show up for class (whenever possible) so when they enter, it’s no longer the conference room where they may have just had a difficult meeting, but rather it’s the place where they practice Yoga. Soft music. The “Yoga in Session” sign on the door so that other folks from the office know to be respectful and quiet in the surrounding areas. Eye pillows at the ready for places with particularly harsh lighting. Although I’m not a fan of strong incense or oils, sometimes I’ll just open a bottle of lavender so there is a subtle scent in the air. We do what we can with the physical space to make it seem like a room meant for Yoga.
But in my instruction, there are other ways I can set the space as well. Bringing awareness to the distractions, cultivating gratitude for the extra challenge to focus. Mentally welcoming the sounds, smells, light, temperature as part of the practice. Learning pratyahara (the systematic acknowledgment and withdrawal of sensory information). I think of how strong my students are becoming because of this, by learning to center amidst distractions. Maybe the yogis who had a 4×4 room for Yoga had it easy, and maybe they went deeper, but office yogis have to focus that much more to be able to practice surrounded by that which is not within their control, to be able to practice tolerance inside of discomfort. And, this is how the Yoga can be carried beyond the mat. My students have already practiced in a not-so-ideal place. My hope is when they return to their loud cubicle where their phone is ringing off the hook, they will have had the practice of breathing. They will have practiced approaching just one thing at a time. Even amidst distracting stimuli, they will have had the experience of being present and focused and may be able to find there are even more opportunities to practice Yoga “wherever possible.”
Read more of Alison’s posts about yoga at the workplace >
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About Alison
Alison Wesley is a Faculty Franklin Method Educator and Registered Yoga Teacher/Therapist in Portland, OR. She started Working with Yoga in 2008 (now Movement at Work) as a way to reach folks who might not be going to studios/gyms, making movement accessible where and when people work. She designed and leads mobility classes for back care at Rebound Physical Therapy and has a therapeutic movement video series called ThrUMovement. Along with geeking out about movement, anatomy, and mental training, Alison kickboxes with her father, plays music with her husband, spends hours trying to train her two German Shepherds, dances salsa, and will endlessly be studying Spanish.
Thank you for this blog…I just taught an outdoor class and although it was a beautiful day, cool breeze, warm sun, I was distracted. Lawn blowers making noise, cars here and there, and sometimes the occasional bug would wander on my mat. I felt like I was talking too much to overcompensate for my distractions. This is not what a yoga teacher should aim to do in their class! It’s not about my experience, it’s about my students, and the space I hold for them. Where they place their mat. I will remember this blog…thank you.
I feel you. I have taught high school students in classrooms around the school for the past 4 years. We have no control over light or temperature and I have grown accustomed to dusty footprints on my mat. Though I have never been interrupted during savasana or pranayama, my classes have had janitors come through, a high school wrestling team showed up early to the space, students come in to pick up things they forgot, and announcements blaring over the intercom. The beautiful thing is watching my dedicated students not bat an eyelash as any of this happens. It’s the only yoga they’ve ever experienced. They will be blown away by a calm, clean, quiet space!!