How to talk during yoga class

“There she goes again!” Alice says to herself.

The new lady in class has another comment to make about the most recent yoga pose.

“This is getting really annoying.

Last week she was going on and on about a YouTube video. She is destroying my concentration.”

There is a right time and a wrong time to talk during a yoga class.  There are right and wrong topics as well.

First we will look at the problem with talking during yoga class. After we will discuss how and what you should talk about during class.

What is wrong with talking during yoga class

There are several problems with talking during yoga class.

• Disrupts the flow
• Distracts the teacher
• Annoys the other students

Let’s start at the beginning with talking disrupts the flow of the class.

Disrupts the flow

When the new lady is talking during yoga class it disrupts the flow of the class. Your yoga teacher has laid out a plan of yoga poses to cover. Stopping to discuss  the discovery disrupts this flow.

When your teacher gets back to her plan for the class she discovers that there is not enough time left to complete it.

Distracts the teacher

The teacher is focusing on the new lady and not on the rest of  the class. Other students may injury themselves while the teacher is talking to the new lady.

Annoys the other students

The new lady is monopolizing the teacher’s time. Other students are distracted by the conversation. They are unable to focus on the feedback from their body during the pose.

There are however somethings that you should talk to your teacher about during yoga class.

What is right about talking during class

There are few topics that you can talk to your teacher about during class.

You can:

• Ask for clarification
• Ask for modification
• Ask for help

When it is necessary, speak to your teacher in a whisper using a soft and low voice. This minimizes the disruption to  the class.

Ask for clarification

If you are unsure of how to do the pose the teacher is presenting you can ask her quietly for clarification. You do not want to injure yourself by doing the pose incorrectly.

Ask for a modification

If you know that you can not do the pose due to injury or flexibility problems, ask for a modification or an alternate pose.

Ask for help

Asking, in a low voice, for your teacher’s assist with a pose is always a good thing to do. Your teacher will be happy to help you move a little further into a pose.

These are examples of when you can talk to your teacher during class. There are other times to talk to your teacher as well.

When can you talk to your teacher

Before class

You can talk to your teacher before the class starts. Tell her about any recent injuries.  Tell her about other problems that have developed since the last time you were in a class.

Now is also a good time to tell her about any injuries that have recently healed.

Keep your teacher well informed about the state of your body. This helps your teacher work with you during the class.

During class

Earlier we saw the examples of talking with your teacher during class.  This will keep you safe from injury.

Speaking to her in a whisper reduces the disruption to the rest of the class.

After class

Before class you focus on the information that she needs to insure you have a safe class.

After class you can talk about that YouTube video you discovered or the great epiphany you had with your yoga practice.

Is it okay to talk to your neighbour

Talking with your neighbour does not help you to focus on your pose. You need the feedback from your body to tell you how well you are doing in the pose.

Talking to your neighbour destroys their concentration too.

Both of you loose your focus and this may lead to an injury.

Leave your conversation with your neighbours until after the yoga class is over.

Summary

Keep talking during yoga class to an absolute minimum.  Talk about that YouTube video after class, not during it.

If you must talk with your yoga teacher during class do it in a whisper. Keep your voice soft and low. A soft and low voice will minimize the disruption that you are causing.

There are a few good reasons to talk to your teacher during class:

• Asking for help with a yoga pose
• Asking for an alternate pose
• Asking for clarification.

You want to make sure that you do the pose correctly and that you do not injure yourself.

Talking about your latest discovery about yoga is a wrong thing to be doing. This slows down the progress of the class. It also annoys the other students and distracting your teacher.

Talking to your neighbour distracts both of you from getting feedback from their body. This could lead to injury.

The best time to talk to your teacher is before the class starts and after the class is over.

Next Step

If you are having a problem with a yoga pose be sure to ask your teacher for help in a soft and low voice. They will be glad to help you. They can help you get into the pose a little better. They can offer you and alternative pose.

Additional Reading

Sometimes you will hear the strangest sounds during yoga class. The article Why Moaning Groaning and Humming during class will bring you bad karma gives you some recommendations about sounds to avoid making during yoga class.

To learn more about what you should talk to your teacher about before and after class read the article Why you should talk to your yoga teacher.