I’ve been practicing yoga for over five years and if hadn’t crossed my mind that there could be such a thing as a bad yogi, especially since the practice of yoga is about promoting self-awareness. However, it was on a recent surfing trip to Sri Lanka that the term ‘bad yogi’ cemented a place in my dictionary. While ‘bad yogi’ when used in surfing is about feet positioning, it did make me think about what would constitute a ‘bad yogi’.
Here’s my definition of a ‘bad yogi’
A bad yogi is a person who attends yoga classes without having any self-awareness.
If you’re new to yoga, I’m totally fine that you may not have any self-awareness but you will learn through the practice. However, if you’re all buddhist/hindu tatts and lululemon active wear, and after taking your footwear off at the studio entrance, stomps into the room, throws your yoga mat and other items onto to the floor and starts talking, you’re a ‘bad yogi’ with bad juju.
I am sooo affected by bad yogis as I go to yoga to wind down and instead of winding down their bad juju revs me up and creates this negativity in me. I hate how it makes me feel. I begin a mantra ‘focus on what’s within the four corners on the mat, focus on your what’s on your mat, focus on what’s on your mat, focus on you, focus on you… ARG!! F*ck me shut the f*ck up bad yogi. I don’t care or want to hear why they overcharged you. Maybe the reason was ‘cause you deserve it… and then the episode of Seinfeld where Elaine is stuck on a train starts playing in my head… So yes, I fully acknowledge I have yet to master the practice of yoga such that I can block out the noise. At least no one can hear my thoughts but sadly I can hear those of a bad yogi.
I go to yoga for my practice rather than to be seen to be doing yoga. I practice yoga. I don’t do yoga. Bad yogis do yoga. I guess the flip is that bad yogis allow me to learn. I will learn to drown out the bad yogis that come into my space, which saddens me as I don’t want to turn into a person who doesn’t care about what’s happening around me…
Is this blog post good for business? In the new world, yes. I don’t want to worry about how those exhibiting bad yogi traits will treat the van or me. I value my time and I don’t want bad yogis to suck up all my joy. Good vibes only. Bad yogi vibes aren’t good, just fake.
Gosh, I seem more angry than I had intended. I wonder if my venting is my way of voicing my regrets of having signed onto a membership for which I’m stuck for the next three months. I guess I have two choices, either I let bad yogis wreck my summer or they can make me a better person. I do hope the latter…