admin You will inevitably experience some form of embarrassment in your life. But having it happen to you during a yoga class makes it even worse.
Yoga can create an image of people who are happy, healthy, and in control. Who knows?
It’s not a secret that embarrassing things can happen in yoga classes. It’s okay. Even the best of us are not immune. Even the most seasoned teacher can make mistakes.
Here are some embarrassing yoga-related things that happen and why it’s okay:
Farting
Let’s start with the biggest one. Everyone is affected by it. EVERYONE. I promise.
Sometimes, they can be more…noticeable…than at other times, but it’s all good. This one is not worth worrying about. Why? Yoga moves many things. The breath, energy, body functions, etc. When you fart during a yoga session, it simply means that your digestive system and your body are in good order.
The Falling…On Someone
It’s definitely happened to me, and I’m certain it’s happened more than once to you.
You may be trying this inversion for the very first time, or you might be a little unbalanced that day in an Extended side angle and fall to one side. Right into your neighbor. This should not cause a cascade of events.
This is a great learning opportunity. If you fell off of a headstand (hopefully safely), this can help you learn. This can help you to check your ego if you’re not quite ready for something. This worked for me. You may realize you need to work on your core the next time you fall out of a more “basic asana.”
You can always try again. The worst thing you can do is give up.
Sweating in All Possible Ways
Sweat happens, whether you’re doing Bikram or your favorite vinyasa flow class. You might end up looking like a drowned mouse, no matter how cute you looked going into the class.
Sometimes, you sweat as if you were under the faucet for over an hour.
This should be your least concern. You are doing exactly what your body should be doing by keeping you cool. I promise that no one will notice. You’re not the only one sweating.
Wear that sweaty outfit as you leave the class! This is a badge that says, “Oh yeah, I did some good for myself today.”
Perhaps you shouldn’t have eaten that big meal right before…
I’ve also had this happen to me. My body was screaming for food, and I really wanted to get to class. I figured it would be better not to faint in class if I ate more food right before class.
After twisting left and right, and in Downward Dog, I felt a particular rumbly, and it wasn’t the good kind.
Find the nearest bathroom and wait until it passes. You might feel better if you go outside rather than inside.
You can use this as an opportunity to learn. You could eat a lighter dinner before or wait until your stomach has digested.
You’re not the only one who leaves the room quickly in an emergency. Your day will only get better.
Bits popping out
Occasionally, your bits don’t stay in the right place. It could be that you are taking off a shirt, and it rides up too high, or that you have miscalculated the length of your shorts. Sometimes, a bit will go AWOL, and you’ll need to find a discreet way to put it back.
Who cares what you think? Sometimes, we can’t manage our bits. The best way to deal with a flashing incident is to laugh about it. After all, no one is hurt.
Isn’t yoga all about the journey? On the mat, we can learn from any experience. Even those we would rather forget.
