“Be a little kinder than you have to.”
~Lockhart
I guess I expected more from a yoga instructor…
I was at a yoga retreat recently and although for the most part it was a wonderful experience, I was quite hurt—and rather surprised—at how one of the yoga teachers handled a situation.
We had been on an excursion during the day and there was some confusion as to when the afternoon yoga class started. I had thought it was 4:15pm. But when I asked some of my fellow yogi’s about the start time, several people were adamant it was a 5pm start. I believed them. I went to my room to rest before class and set my timer, so that I wouldn’t miss the 5pm yoga class.
Perhaps you can see where this is headed?
When I arrived at class, the door was closed. Obviously, the class had started at 4:15pm. But if that was the case, then why didn’t one of the people who had mistakenly told me—or heard me being told—that it started at 5pm, come and get me for the 4:15pm start time?
I mean, that’s pretty basic kindness.
Alas, I cannot speak for the actions of my fellow yogis. But what I did learn, afterwards, was that one of the yogi’s mentioned to the instructor that I had been planning to attend the class, and since I wasn’t in the room, I likely got the wrong start time…and would he mind if she went and got me before class began? To which his snarky response was: “No. The class starts now. Don’t go get her. She’s a big girl.”
Ouch.
Yes, I am a big girl. I am also a very responsible one. I was also a paying customer at a rather expensive yoga retreat…and quite frankly, if that’s how a yoga instructor treats his students—tardy or not—I dare say he’s still got some learning to do in the kindness department.
Because yes, I did expect more from a yoga instructor. And my fellow yogis.
—
iStock image
