People text. My children text. My husband text. Even I, on occasion text. People text while driving. A definite no no. While walking. While eating. There’s even a phenomenon call sleep texting. My fourteen year old has been guilty of that. She’ll be asleep, receive a text, and while barely awake, text them back, roll over and fall back asleep. People text others while they’re in a conversation with you. Which I think is sooo rude. But it’s the world we live in today. The age of texting and tweeting and updating your status on the fly. But aren’t there some places that texting, Facebooking, or tweeting should be unacceptable? Besides while driving, or while in church. And yes, people do text in church. What about Yoga class?
Recently Yahoo posted an article about a yoga instructor who was fired over a “dirty look” she gave a student who was texting during class. According to the article, the student, who works for Facebook was offended by the instructor’s “dirty look” and complained. Plus One Health Management, the parent company that operates the Facebook Fitness Center fired the instructor two weeks later over the dirty look.
I thought yoga was a time of peace, meditation, self-reflection. I thought it was supposed to be a place where you left the outside world outside. That it’s like soaking in a hot bath, away from all the stress and distractions. Dare I say “Calgon, take me away”. Not only do I feel that way about yoga, I feel that way about exercise in general. When I’m exercising I do not answer the phone, house or cell. I do not talk, text, update my status. OK. So on occasion I will snap a pic after working out for my blog. But other than that, no phones allowed. That’s MY time. ME TIME. And if you need to reach me, I’ll be available in an hour. And if it’s an emergency, someone will be able to contact me. But I digress because this isn’t about me and my preferences. This is about the violation of one of the last sacred cell phone-free places we have left. Yoga class. How ridiculous is it that we feel the need to text, tweet or Facebook during this time? And how ridiculous is it that an instructor was fired for giving a violator a disapproving look?
No I do not know the whole story nor do I expect to hear the whole story, but I am just amazed that even though technology has given us the ability to stay connected with people all around the world, we’ve lost the ability to stay connected with the people standing and sitting around us. Technology has made us rude. In church. At dinner. During an office meeting. Even in yoga class.
Tell me, is it OK to text in yoga class? Is technology making us rude?
I used to be an aerobics instructor before cell phones and texting, but people would show up and talk to friends during class. The other class members wouldn’t be able to hear and would complain to me. So I went up to them and confronted them. I politely told them there were other places they could catch up on without disrupting other people in an entire class. Needless to say they never came back to my class, but I preferred that because I don’t want to be around people who think they can do whatever they want without any consideration of others around them. I wouldn’t have fired the instructor, but I would have revoked the texter’s membership just to send a message to others that it’s not going to be tolerated.
Hey Michele, I’ve been in class where the students were laughing and talking and you’re right, you can barely hear the instructor. Kudos for you for handling a situation like that.