Expectations

What are the expectations of a typical yoga class these days? The class must be filled with challenging sequences that leave you dripping in sweat? There must be new age music playing throughout the class? The teacher must be lean, muscular and clad in the latest lycra attire? Sad but true, these are the expectations of the vast majority especially for those who attended their first yoga class at a gym.

Originally yoga was practised with no mat, no music and no lycra clothing. Today, the yoga industry has evolved to offer modern luxuries such as yoga mats, soothing acoustics and fashionable dri-FIT clothing. Yoga classes have also been categorised to provide a variety of choices for practitioners. Power Yoga, Gentle Flow, Vinyasa, you name it, they have it. But essentially yoga is yoga. And no matter what glamorous name it is given, the aim is to arrive at the same destination – a unified body and mind.

Yoga has been subjected to so much commercialization that expectations of students have also changed. For instance, last week there was a new gym that opened and due to the overwhelming request for a yoga class, they started one. At the end of the class some students came up to the manager and complained that the teacher was disappointing because there was no music! To have the quality of a yoga teacher measured by the lack of music is just not right. But unfortunately customers are the ones bringing in business and it is of every rational business man to keep his customers happy. So the yoga teacher was replaced.

To all the yoga students out there. Every teacher has his/her own style of teaching. Remember that music and all the other frills are just modern accompaniments to yoga. Be thankful for the beautiful studio you practice in, the nicely padded non-slip mat that provides ultimate comfort for for hands and feet and the presence of a passionate yoga teacher. Most importantly don’t ever lose the bigger picture of why you are practising yoga.

Yoga Studio [Online image] Available http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/shared-blogs/austin/fitcity/upload/2008/11/free_yoga/studio%20picture%20Yoga%20Yoga%20360.jpg