To chew gum or not to chew gum that is the question
To chew or not to chew that is the question
The other day Bob one of our students, asked me if it was okay to chew gum during a yoga class. He noticed that one of the other students in the class was chewing gum. He found it quite distracting. The snapping and popping of the gum. He wondered if it was just him and if he should ignore the irritation and get on with his practice.
While it is good for a student of yoga to practice focusing their attention and ignoring distractions and irritants, there are three areas of concern here:
- The distraction factor for both the student with the gum and the other students around them;
- The health and safety of the bubble gum chewer;
- Interference with the Ujjayi yoga breath.
The Distraction Factor
The person chewing the gum and potentially blowing bubbles definitely has their attention divided between their yoga practice and the gum that is in there mouth. When they move into a yoga pose they have to do something with the gum, tuck it into a cheek, stick it to the roof of their mouth or under their tongue or somewhere. Hopefully it stays in their mouth!
All of this management of the gum takes their attention away from yoga practice. They will lose the benefit of a focused mind that the yoga practice brings to them.
The other students will have their focus broken as well by the chewing, poping, snapping and bubble blowing. The gum chewing could even lead to some students becoming angry and either refuse to come to class again or possibly confront the gum chewer.
The Safety Factor
There is a serious safety factor here for the person chewing the gum. They are moving their head around a lot during a yoga practice. They lift their head and look up to the ceiling. They lower their torso below their hips towards to the floor. All of this movement of the head up and down could result in:
- having the gum fall out of the mouth and fall to the floor for someone to walk on
- having the gum falling to the back of throat and either being swallowed, or causing chocking if it blocks the airways.
The Ujjayi Breath
Both Kripalu and Ashtanga yoga use the Ujjayi breath as part of their practice. It is impossible to do Ujjayi breath and chew gum at the same time. One or the other has to go.
Summary
Leave your chewing gum at home when you come to yoga practice. You will be more focused on your yoga practice, the other students will be more focused on their practice and you will be able to do Ujjayi breath throughout the entire practice.
