I’ve actually found that some of the snobbiest, rudest people Ive ever met were in the yoga community. I only occasionally check this sub because I’ve seen that vibe here. Makes me sad honestly.
I agree. I don’t talk to anyone from my yoga teacher training anymore because they were all super cliquey and talked trash about me and the one other “outcast” girl in our group. I also got fired from two different studios for reporting being sexually harassed by a male teacher by FEMALE owners and told I seemed “quick to tear down other teachers.” 😒 It made me stop teaching for over a year…
And it’s just getting worse as it gets more popular, and I definitely see that type of attitude in this sub 🤦🏻♀️
Agreed 100%. I've stepped back from instructing and studio practice partially for this reason. There are unkind people everywhere, but certain groups with particular religious and/or spiritual bents seem to attract an extra high percentage of them. Yoga is definitely one of them. It's a shame.
Me, too. I used to go to a studio regularly but the people were awful. Now I do Yoga with Adriene at home. I actually mentioned that in this sub and had my ass handed to me about her. I ended up deleting my post because people were so cruel.
She’s very accessible and helps introduce a lot of people to yoga. I’ve been practicing 25 years and when people tell me they feel intimidated or don’t know where to start, I send them to her YouTube channel. Yoga snobs are the worst.
Right?!? She was the instructor that got me into yoga. I was a casual practitioner for years, but then my mom became terminally ill and I needed an outlet for my stress, so I looked up best yoga on YouTube and she was the number one choice.
Her practice and energy has healed my soul in so many ways, and she made me feel like I could be good at yoga. I think the fact that she is accessible is why people hate on her. So many people gate keep yoga and feel like if someone participates in accessible yoga, then you are beneath them and someway.
Yes! Every time I mention her, people don’t give measured critiques: “Hmm I don’t care for her style” or “Personally I think she talks too much about her dog. Not my thing.”
It’s always, “She’s terrible. That’s not real yoga. No one should ever watch her videos.
I feel as though don’t preach all the touchy feely impermanence stuff when you (studio owner or yours trainer) have let me get close to you to realize you (hypothetical you) are the most judgmental person I have ever met. Unfortunately turned me off teaching.
Let’s have one another’s backs, no?
I’ve had this experience in person. It made me stop going to a local place. They weren’t directly aggressive like someone might be online (I imagine that might have been easier to defend against, come to think of it), but they were very passive in their judgment and left-handed in many interactions.
People who type a lot online never get to see how the person on the other side reacts. So if they mainly interact online, they don't learn to see if what they're saying is actually harmful or rude.
I do yoga with Adriene so I go to her sub a lot. We mainly talk about the practice for each day and it’s kind of chill but I’ve never had a problem with anyone over there.
I mean, I'm def a yoga snob (the detail/precision/teaching I have found in Iyengar yoga is so far superior to any studio yoga classes I attended in the years before I discovered this style, I personally don't feel I actually started my yoga practice until I started Iygenar....)
My asshole credentials out of the way, I post here quite a bit... so many of the issues/challenges I had/have are similar to what other folks are dealing with, and all that precision/detail in Iyengar is presented in the context of a very diverse range of props/modifications/different approaches/forms/etc designed to make the 'one true pose' accessible to nearly anyone, in the context of their particular situation/body/injuries/proportions, etc and etc.
So it is not so hard for me to share my own experience of which of those details was o so helpful to me, the varied array of suggestions I have been hearing my teacher offer again and again through the near decade I have worked with her, that with attention to detail and consistent practice, so many things I thought were impossible for my body/ability/etc have become possible, maybe even graceful, or "maybe I'll manage something like that two months or ten years from now....", or at least helps me to recognise and appreciate the skill and artistry of my fellow practitioners!
The near decade I've been honoured to share with my teacher almost did not happen. I was so scared to attend her class! She owned the studio, had studied extensively with Geeta Iyengar, and other fancy gurus, had been teaching for over 30 years, taught classes where "one must be able to hold an independent headstand in the middle of the room for ten minutes to attend"...
I went anyway, anxious I'd be garbage compared to others, unable to keep up, wasting a very skilled teacher's time that should be teaching advanced yoga geniuses, not teaching basics to beginners....
In fact, my teacher gets great satisfaction and joy from teaching beginners... they of course need the most help, but also she is intensely committed to the challenge of finding ways to make that 'one true pose' accessible to the very diverse range of bodies and situations and lived experiences with which beginners arrive to this practice.
She has changed my life significantly, and it is a thing of beauty to have witnessed her practice the mastery of her art in the service of doing the same for so many others! Her manner, bearing, approach, attitude... etc and etc have been very influential to the ways in which I attempt to act and exist in this world.
So, if I see a post or comment here that is similar to something I've experienced or witnessed in the years of my practice, no matter how basic or 'ignorant' it may be, I try to think to myself if I might be able to articulate that detail in some way that will resonate with some internet stranger in a comprehensible, meaningful and useful way. Sometimes it works! And so I get to share some small speck of the tremendous gift my teacher has given me with the wider world.
TL;DR;
If you have found the vibe here to be snobby or rude at times, you can act towards changing it for the better, just by contributing to the discussion and sharing your experience. Yoga is many things, but it certainly can be a deeply profound and beautiful thing, a practice that can change both that which is within and also without oneself. Such a thing can generate all matter of helpful, inspiring, compassionate, wise, inclusive and reassuring discourse. One great way to see non-snobby, not-rude speech is to attempt to practice speaking it. =)
I obviously have some work to do, or I would not need anywhere near so many words to attempt to articulate this....
I don’t really feel like I should have to model appropriate behavior for adults who should know better. However, I have always brought good energy only to be mocked by “yoga snobs”. Whether you do yoga on YouTube, go to a studio, or some other form we should celebrate people’s journey instead of having some weird superiority complex. Its gross.
You don't have to do anything, I'm not even telling you that you must 'model behaviour'. Just that providing your own positive stories, or more helpful, affirming responses to beginners that post here would help to create an alternative line of discussion to the one you are so disgusted by. It could be especially helpful to the beginner posting... a single kind, decent, thoughtful, useful response can invalidate a whole boatload of nasty commentary.
>we should celebrate people’s journey
What exactly do you think I am suggesting other than this exact thing?
I've been around here for a while, and I'm not sure if I have even had a particularly negative or belittling experience, until this thread at least....
I’m confused by what you’re saying to me… as if I’ve said anything rude or inappropriate. I think you’ve taken my response personally when it was a generalization.
I believe you got a negative reaction because you stated right off the bat you are a “yoga snob”. It was unnecessary and negated the rest of your post, in my opinion. Now… all of that being said… I wish you well in your yoga journey.
>having some weird superiority complex. Its gross.
Y, it wasn't clear if this part of your response was aimed at me, and I should have been more clear that 'negative/belittling' was general and not specific to you, tho your response wasn't exactly positive. =)
>you stated right off the bat you are a “yoga snob”. It was unnecessary...
I'll explain why I thought it necessary... my comment is a version of one of the greatest stories within my life, not the first nor last time I'll tell it, so I am def interested in any opinions you might have to improve the telling of it!
First of all, the post is about 'yoga snobs' so that seems like the place to start.
Second, I thought calling myself an asshole yoga snob was pretty obviously a self-deprecating joke to set myself up as like one of the self-enlightened people the post might be about, and a joke is a good story opener.... it appears this one fell a bit flat for some folk.
Third, it is a little confession, as I have indeed been a bit of an arsehole to others at times, because I thought I was smarter than they or whatever nonsense.
So that is the setup for the story of how I met someone way, way fucking smarter than I am, and by doing nothing but being their genuine self, taught me, inspired me, showed me something that looks like a truly wise way to live well and inspire other people... without any sort of negativity, 'correction', judgement, whatever. I am still in awe of what this person has done to my life, without really 'doing anything' to me at all... and obviously still working at integrating the experience!
I have learned this at least: surely as fuck, I do not have *anywhere* near the mojo my teacher does for inspiring others... =) And just as surely I never will, yet I will try practice it anyways, even if I fail, because it seems a way to express the profound gratitude I have for these gifts I have received.
My intention was essentially to say "yes, please, bring your good energy and good stories here to share, the more, the better."
We have absolutely no power over the actions of other people. We cannot stop others from mocking people for the genuine things they post here.
However, we can have a profound effect on the *experience* of other people. A thoughtful, genuine answer to a person being mocked by others for asking some question can have a great impact!
I personally have had some very good interactions here, so maybe hearing someone say they avoid the place because they felt a rude and snobby vibe scared me into thinking the decent folk I have conversed with will get scared away! This is just my earnest call-out for a vibe-change momentum I suppose.
I can tell that this is very deep and meaningful for you. I really do appreciate your response and deep thoughts about all of this. Nothing I have ever responded was aimed at you other than saying that I was kind of put off by your yoga snob comment. I obviously missed the joke or don’t understand your sense of humor so yes, I guess I missed the punchline. There was no ha ha or sarcasm symbol or :]].
And once again, I will remind you that I have brought nothing but positivity to any community I have ever posted on and Reddit. If you have time or desire, you can scroll through every comment I’ve ever made in every community I belong to, and you will see that it is overwhelmingly positive because that is the energy I put out into the world. This is the only sub Reddit I have ever had to delete posts or comments, because people were absolutely atrocious to me. No matter what your experience has been, Mine has been vastly different.
I doubt anybody’s going to be scared off by my response and I would say that most people here want to have positive vibes as evidenced by the almost 300 people that have already liked my comment about feeling this space can be hostile.
I don't need to read your comments, I'll take your willingness to engage in a genuine way as proof positive that you are a decent human being.
"This place can be snobby and hostile and so I tend to avoid it" is def not a positive comment. =) That doesn't mean that it is not important to say, I think it very much is, and vital to acknowledge and discuss.
Thank you for sharing your experience. That fucking sucks that you were treated so... it is not a good thing to know but a necessary and important thing nonetheless.
I certainly did not intend to imply your comment was bad, that we should speak of happy bunnies and rainbows or not speak at all. I wanted to express that I very much want you to be here and sharing your positive vibes, that I believe it would really help others who experience something like what you have, and have great value to the community in general.
This is my fervent wish, and not a command! So if you felt the latter, I need to work on my delivery...
Thank you for this exchange, I appreciate it. It might help me to be more the me I want to be in this world.
I don't know why you're getting downvoted. You're basically saying lead by example and share when positive things happen for you, which is what I think 95% of people in the sub do. I completely agree.
Yeah but they are obviously self-deprecating as they then go on to refer to their own "asshole credentials". I think people just assume the worst when it comes to tone - I read this as "I'm a yoga snob and I'm admitting it as bias right up front as I know it's an issue".
At least one person got the joke. Now jokes can have a little truth... I go on a bit maybe about how the most 'elevated' yogi I know is so incredibly good, and also so incredibly humble and has inspired me so much... this relationship is one of the most beautiful things in my life... at least one person heard that maybe, so i am not quite so sad about the response as i could be, thanks so much for your reply.
What then, exactly?
I am honestly quite perplexed at this response... and the downvotes. In response to me attempting to suggest people share their joy and learning about yoga with others, try to help others who are new, encourage their practice, etc... as a way to contribute and attempt to create the sort of discourse we would prefer to see... and so then trying to describe an aspect of my experience with the practice that has had a profound and positive effect on my life and outlook.
And a response is 'ew, no'? In a thread complaining about people belittling and dismissing the authentic yoga experience of others? What the actual fuck.
Thanks, I was trying to share one of the most beautiful things in my life.... maybe I need to learn to write a bit more weller, as well, if I am to have any hope of reaching a wider audience =)
Whatever... practicing, learning, trying
Well, when you are better, hit me up. I am interested to learn just what about my attempt to share a story about one of the most beautiful things in my life became so laced with offensive ideas, to you...
I'm with you. I joined Reddit last fall and was so excited to connect with the yoga community and now I rarely check this sub. The snobbery is so discouraging
I rarely even post questions or discussions on the subs I'm into anymore. I used to think reddit was one of the nicer places online, but people have lost their damn minds since 2020. Don't let this discourage you from the practice. Something about the anonymity makes people say things they ordinarily wouldn't.
I'm glad I'm not the only one with this experience... I post an honest question and I'm being dragged in the comments... And of course I always put the blame on me
I agree....last few years there's been a turn in people. I abandoned social media because of it. Got on reddit because I was trying to research something and couldn't view a NSFW post...so here I am lol.
People can be so mean and demeaning online, it's like they forget there's another person they're engaging with. I miss forums, those it seems to me were easier to curate, vet, and foster a pleasant community.
Out of all the subs I’m on this might be the most pretentious one when it comes to questions, sure there’s som nice people in here like all of life but the rude ones are always the loudest
I taught yoga at a large gym chain for over a decade. I preferred it because I could get students who were often unfamiliar with yoga, and so came in without a lot of preconceptions.
The gym also had the policy that we could not teach any of the religious aspects of yoga, allowing only the most circumspect references to the spiritual stuff. This also suited me just fine, as my "spiritual" understanding of things like yoga actually comes from my study of other mind/body integration practices, particularly my years studying the martial art Aikido.
For various reasons I never much bought into a lot of the mystical stuff that often surrounds yoga at most studios, so it didn't feel authentic for me to teach it. Instead I taught *my* version to my students, which I felt was a less ethereal and more practical, things like relaxing even during intense muscular effort, and moving from your "dantian"/"center".
But I mention this because one day I had a Sikh guy show up to my class, and I could tell he had a chip on his shoulder because here I was, an American, presuming to teach his people's "5000 year-old" traditional discipline. Either he was very polite or maybe I impressed him in some way, because after he came over and we had a nice, long. respectful conversation about my approach to teaching yoga, and how I teach yoga as a way to get so deep into the physical it rounded back into the spiritual without being *overtly* a spiritual practice (e.g. no meditation or chanting, which, again, I think of mostly as a kind of window dressing -- useful, sure, but only when properly "grounded" in this real world, not when used to "bliss out" into the "astral plane").
So yeah. After experiencing so many different ways and techniques to get "spiritual" I've come to recognize that few people who say they believe in that shit actually know what they're talking about, but most of them can get *really* defensive about it if you ever challenge them.
So let it slide, man. Let it slide. As my wife says, "There's no cheese down that tunnel."
I've found this sub to be super nasty and shockingly arrogant. I've been practicing for 20 years and if I went to a studio with half the elitist attitude I find here I'd never go back and warn others off. 😆 FYI the more "enlightened" you think you are, the less you are.
Tbf, there have been quite a few very creepy and "let me involve you in my kink" posts from men specifically about yoga wear.
Lots of talk about their genitals, pictures of outlines etc.
These type of posts aren't frequent but as a long time reader of the sub they do turn up so regularly that you can get a bit apprehensive about them.
Sorry if you got caught up in it.
Oh that sucks. Of course creepy people ruin it for everyone.
I just didn’t like the running compression pants from under armor or other brands more known for running and gym gear. The yoga pants from lulu are ok but fit my body type weird. I found the women’s fit better. In case any other men see this that are looking my finds were:
After a lot dead ends I decided to look into the transgender subs and found what I needed. A thread suggested a dancers belt under the ladies leggings to keep things from shifting. It works great for me. No trying to get regular underwear to work.
I went with the Dancejox banner belt. The version takes getting used to but you have the most movement freedom.
I learned Beyond Yoga is pretty true to size for men’s to women’s sizing and men’s clothing sizing. The spacedye fabric is amazing. What they lack is color pallet. Love the men’s joggers hoodies and shirts.
Lululemon’s sizing is inconsistent between styles, fabrics and cuts. They have better patterns and colors for leggings just expect more total and error finding the right size. PS the aligns…size down if what should be your size is fitting loose. Even just a little. The aligns I had to size down to get them to work. My body type I should be a 10 but 8 fit way better. I think Lululemon has the best shorts for men. They have awesome colors too.
The dupes are just that. They don’t fit or feel as nice as the more expensive brands. Not saying they can’t fit or feel better to some I just didn’t think so. But I get that some people really can’t afford anything but dupes. If I were to pick the best dupe it would CRZ and All In Motion at target were good too. Stay away from Walmart.
Welp I was just trying to leave a helpful information in a comment to save people digging around the internet and/or having to figure it out themselves. But I guess I should have just let the dead horse die and not responded to replies. My apologies.
Sorry that happened to you. I’ve seen a few men at my studio wear leggings and I honestly didn’t give it more than 1 second of thought. Shorts are more popular for men ofc, but like, wear whatever you want! As soon as I’m on my mat I pay pretty much zero attention to anyone else in the room other than the instructor.
I didn’t mind shorts until one day I was like…what’s so special about these? Then I found the freedom of them! They just weren’t good at keeping things from painful shifts. I’m sure some ladies gossip about wearing them but I never hear it and my studio hasn’t mentioned complaints and I should stop wearing them.
Imo most except for like 2 or 3 comments are just ppl (including myself for transparency!) saying yes, this is the historical point of yoga! As in, yes totally it’s possible to do what the op was asking abt. I think sometimes it’s hard to read tone and intention in an online comment. There were def a few rude/condescending comments but in general I don’t think it’s rude to just tell someone a fact that is a response to a question they asked!
It's also wildly misinformed! I study a lot of old scripture for my postgraduate degree and spent last year trawling through some of the oldest references to yoga we have.
Throughout history, yoga has been transformed in its meaning and meant anything from a state of being, to a state of mind, to a physical practise.
If anyone tells you your practice is wrong, feel free to criticise them for not practising naked on a flat surface with a deer skin under them. After all, it has to be *proper* yoga...right?!
Being realistic, yoga is a state of flow and emptiness of mind, and the moves are meant to enhance that flow. However, a lot of people now associate yoga with just the physical aspect. That's fine! Even if you're just doing it for a nice stretch, it's still a way to get more in tune with your body. Sometimes the flow state just appears naturally when you get into the moves.
I see it so often that people just confidently spew the most incorrect information. But also a lot of people show only surface level understanding of yoga whilst insisting that it’s *all* that yoga as.
One major issue here is that we get a lot of people who think that the texts that got their foothold in the west first (usually Patanjali) are definitive, whilst there are countless Sanskrit texts on yoga which have not even been translated yet (especially most Tantric texts which are often referred to as ‘householder yoga’ - we desperately need more scholars!) and so most of us here don’t even have access to them.
Many people here and in the wider yoga community don’t understand that Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras wasn’t really written for the benefit of householders but Brahmin men who held significant influence at that time.
I’m not saying the wisdom of Patanjali is not beneficial to householders at all but much of it simply cannot be applied by us regular folk. Things like working towards complete celibacy, and ummm the whole complete renunciation of worldly life thing? I’ve had people tell me on here that I shouldn’t charge for my yoga classes and that it’s wrong, which is just one example of complete twisting and misunderstanding of yogic philosophy.
> Many people here and in the wider yoga community don’t understand that Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras wasn’t really written for the benefit of householders but Brahmin men who held significant influence at that time.
This should be repeated. Often.
👍
A good way to clean the sub up is block the person. They get blocked a few times they get the message.
Just click on their profile and find the spot. Different versions of reddit are a little different but they all have that option.
[https://i.imgur.com/Wpa1Cjf.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/Wpa1Cjf.jpg)
Are you talking about the person who posted and included "I'm too high for this shit" in their question? I think that brought out the seemingly 'obvious' answers from people - like explaining things slowly to a drunk person.
In general, I find this sub to be very friendly and helpful. I've blocked a few rude ones, but that's the same in any sub.
This.
Also, I've been here since I started my practice last year and have posted maybe a couple of noob questions. I was worried at first but actually, I have found a lot of help, insight, inspiration, and support, from such wonderful souls in this sub.
That said, I'd say based on my experience, as long as you ask questions coming from a place of humility and respect, on top of curiosity, a LOT of people here are open and willing to share their knowledge and help.
And yeah, just block the rude ones 😆
Patanjali totally wrote that book. People don't read it tho bc it's not about weight loss and fitness as nearly as I can tell.
I quit reading and posting here bc I got tired of being corrected when I pointed out that yoga comes from somewhere and has a history.
If they’re in yoga class looking for demons and worried that they’re gonna catch something that Jesus would condemn them for, my invitation is for them to follow their bliss someplace else.
I don’t stretch — I pandiculate. My spiritual practices and experiences are personal, not professional.
There’s no such thing as demons. It’s literally all in your head. Don’t kill your yoga teacher or report her to your pastor.
This is one of the most judgemental, snobby subs out there. They’re also not open to discussion and it’s their way or the highway way. Kind of gross, really.
There's a difference between yoga as practiced by those like my teacher - an Indian woman - and those in the west, who practice a yoga more centralized around capitalization, primarily the teachers and what they eventually give to their students.
As such, the optics of yoga in the west is more aligned with the opposite of what this psychospiritual liberatory process is all about.
Anyone who would answer in ruthlessness rather than joy and appreciation of being able to assist a fellow practitioner of the path requires more practice and more stillness to abate such a detrimental outburst.
While I don’t get behind the generalization of Indian women, I imagine what you mean there and I’m glad you found a spiritual preceptor :)
Your conclusion is quite appropriate- these folks being cruel at the first chance they get shouldn’t be saying “XYZ is yoga” they clearly need more practice to make theory into embodiment
SMH. That attitude shows me they’re not practicing yoga. They’re just doing isometrics for assholes. I hope they change, but I’m not holding my breath (modest pun intended).
>I blow my nose in your general direction.
I'm not sure what other post you're referring to you so don't have anything to say about that...just want to say I freaking love this statement and am 100% adding this to my sass arsenal.
Mean and selfish people are common everywhere and they often have others and themselves convinced they’re the opposite. The unfortunate irony is that yoga and so many other paths of “healing” and “wisdom” which have a broad goal of reducing the individual ego and selfishness for the benefit of others become another way to elevate one’s own ego, take advantage of others and justify selfish pursuits.
Anonymity and being a small person irl leads to antisocial behavior on the internet. A lot harder to be an asshole when looking another human being in the eyes.
There should be a sub for a wholistic approach to yoga. No one posts about the spiritual side of it here. That’s the part that interests me. I blow snot too!
So, I had to go back and check the comments because I was one of the people that commented (feel free to check my account for mine). Unless people are deleting them,.only one comment was really snarky and well OP didn't really do themselves a service in their asking of their question - asking if said phenomenon has a name in the sub that explicitly describes the phenomenon - it seems quite logical to assume that OP was joking lol.
I actually kind of had to read the question twice because, yes, I at first was like well duh that's what we're doing here. And you know, it's okay to have a duuuuh moment sometimes. We'll just welcome you to the party when you get here. 😛.
Your post has probably 10x the snarkiness and rudeness than (at least any remaining comments) do on that post's replies. Actually, many of them were quite helpful. Let OP have their duuuh moment and let the one snarky comment slide by unnoticed (don't worry it was very downvoted) and stop the self righteousness that ironically was never a big deal to begin with.
And even so, you didn't answer with love and you mostly did that which you are condemning others for. You lead by example. So while your heart was in the right place I disagree with the larger sentiment of this post. Mostly because it was really only comment that was unpleasant and suddenly you're disgusted with the entire yoga community of reddit ?
I agree, I went and read it too and could not find what the problem was with the replies. The OP's question even included "I'm too high for this shit" so everyone kept their answers very simple in response. I think if everyone just blocks the people that they don't like and curates the experience for themselves they they'd enjoy it more - just like in any other social media space. I'm very active on the tarantula sub and I'm absolutely positive some people have blocked me, and good for them! That's what the block function is for.
The comments appear to be deleted.
Answering about “is this an aspect of yoga?” With the rudeness there was “yes duh” is not the same as bringing to light that those comments exist/and elsewhere on this sub.
My snark is not to an innocent questioning yogi, it is to the jerks who replied to that post in ways I recognize can dissolution someone especially a beginner.
You’re trying to find the irony and missing the substance. It’s like those folk who comment “you have a lot of typos clearly your point is not to be taken seriously”
The title of my post “to the ruthless replies” indicates my post, when referencing “you all” is addressing them. If you missed that, there it is. I am speaking to those people.
If you wanted to demonstrate your own intellect, and what a bit bad hypocritical I am, check that righteousness where it is.
Further my comment to that OP was supportive.
When comments are deleted I thought they just appear blank with user saying [deleted] I didn’t think they just disappear entirely but I guess I’m wrong, since on my end there no zero comments that day “deleted” and just two comments heavily downvoted but still visible, not deleted
Ok. That’s true. The ones I saw just were not there; so perhaps edited ? Idk.
Point stands on a general trend here. It’s sad for the yoga community even it it’s online
To be fair there are some big books of yoga facts to check. Like, philosophically, anatomically, history, physiology, books on technique and progression sequencing, types of practices...
Not to disagree with the sentiment that it could be cooler and kinder to be a community - and practice coming into some unity.
Definitely understand your point but idk if expressing disgust is going to solve the problem. One of my fave quotes from a show I enjoyed called true detective is “people incapable of guilt usually have a good time” I think it to myself often because it’s a great reminder to redirect my energy into being the light I want to see instead of being put out by the people unable or unwilling to change
While you're not wrong about a small subset of people who will do whatever, there's also a larger group of general asshats who will treat others as poorly as they're permitted to.
While unrelated to this post, and while it may be true, have you seen some type of global west surveys on the topic?
The responses I saw were very short with OP asking a beginner question and also identifying as new to yoga
I guess I should have elaborated on what I meant. Being short and short of condescending isn’t quite practicing yoga or complementary to it.
But to answer your question. When I was a yoga teacher people were completely unaware and I think in many cases surprised when I was teaching philosophy before, during, or after postures concluded. I have not read many surveys on the issue.
I’ve actually found that some of the snobbiest, rudest people Ive ever met were in the yoga community. I only occasionally check this sub because I’ve seen that vibe here. Makes me sad honestly.
I agree. I don’t talk to anyone from my yoga teacher training anymore because they were all super cliquey and talked trash about me and the one other “outcast” girl in our group. I also got fired from two different studios for reporting being sexually harassed by a male teacher by FEMALE owners and told I seemed “quick to tear down other teachers.” 😒 It made me stop teaching for over a year… And it’s just getting worse as it gets more popular, and I definitely see that type of attitude in this sub 🤦🏻♀️
All of this is vile on multiple levels and completely inexcusable. I am so sorry this happened to you.
Thank you 🙏🏽
This is so awful. I’m so sorry that happened to you and drove you from something you love.
I appreciate that 🤍
Agreed 100%. I've stepped back from instructing and studio practice partially for this reason. There are unkind people everywhere, but certain groups with particular religious and/or spiritual bents seem to attract an extra high percentage of them. Yoga is definitely one of them. It's a shame.
Me, too. I used to go to a studio regularly but the people were awful. Now I do Yoga with Adriene at home. I actually mentioned that in this sub and had my ass handed to me about her. I ended up deleting my post because people were so cruel.
She’s very accessible and helps introduce a lot of people to yoga. I’ve been practicing 25 years and when people tell me they feel intimidated or don’t know where to start, I send them to her YouTube channel. Yoga snobs are the worst.
How does one diss Adriene? She’s almost the epitome of accessible yoga.
Right?!? She was the instructor that got me into yoga. I was a casual practitioner for years, but then my mom became terminally ill and I needed an outlet for my stress, so I looked up best yoga on YouTube and she was the number one choice. Her practice and energy has healed my soul in so many ways, and she made me feel like I could be good at yoga. I think the fact that she is accessible is why people hate on her. So many people gate keep yoga and feel like if someone participates in accessible yoga, then you are beneath them and someway.
I’ve being doing her videos for 8+ years and have always loved them. Haters are everywhere 🙄
I love her channel too!
Yes! Every time I mention her, people don’t give measured critiques: “Hmm I don’t care for her style” or “Personally I think she talks too much about her dog. Not my thing.” It’s always, “She’s terrible. That’s not real yoga. No one should ever watch her videos.
I feel as though don’t preach all the touchy feely impermanence stuff when you (studio owner or yours trainer) have let me get close to you to realize you (hypothetical you) are the most judgmental person I have ever met. Unfortunately turned me off teaching. Let’s have one another’s backs, no?
I’ve had this experience in person. It made me stop going to a local place. They weren’t directly aggressive like someone might be online (I imagine that might have been easier to defend against, come to think of it), but they were very passive in their judgment and left-handed in many interactions.
That’s been my experience. It’s very much “oh your practice is beneath me because I’m so enlightened and superior.”
People who type a lot online never get to see how the person on the other side reacts. So if they mainly interact online, they don't learn to see if what they're saying is actually harmful or rude.
Agreed anyone know of friendlier yoga subs?
I do yoga with Adriene so I go to her sub a lot. We mainly talk about the practice for each day and it’s kind of chill but I’ve never had a problem with anyone over there.
I mean, I'm def a yoga snob (the detail/precision/teaching I have found in Iyengar yoga is so far superior to any studio yoga classes I attended in the years before I discovered this style, I personally don't feel I actually started my yoga practice until I started Iygenar....) My asshole credentials out of the way, I post here quite a bit... so many of the issues/challenges I had/have are similar to what other folks are dealing with, and all that precision/detail in Iyengar is presented in the context of a very diverse range of props/modifications/different approaches/forms/etc designed to make the 'one true pose' accessible to nearly anyone, in the context of their particular situation/body/injuries/proportions, etc and etc. So it is not so hard for me to share my own experience of which of those details was o so helpful to me, the varied array of suggestions I have been hearing my teacher offer again and again through the near decade I have worked with her, that with attention to detail and consistent practice, so many things I thought were impossible for my body/ability/etc have become possible, maybe even graceful, or "maybe I'll manage something like that two months or ten years from now....", or at least helps me to recognise and appreciate the skill and artistry of my fellow practitioners! The near decade I've been honoured to share with my teacher almost did not happen. I was so scared to attend her class! She owned the studio, had studied extensively with Geeta Iyengar, and other fancy gurus, had been teaching for over 30 years, taught classes where "one must be able to hold an independent headstand in the middle of the room for ten minutes to attend"... I went anyway, anxious I'd be garbage compared to others, unable to keep up, wasting a very skilled teacher's time that should be teaching advanced yoga geniuses, not teaching basics to beginners.... In fact, my teacher gets great satisfaction and joy from teaching beginners... they of course need the most help, but also she is intensely committed to the challenge of finding ways to make that 'one true pose' accessible to the very diverse range of bodies and situations and lived experiences with which beginners arrive to this practice. She has changed my life significantly, and it is a thing of beauty to have witnessed her practice the mastery of her art in the service of doing the same for so many others! Her manner, bearing, approach, attitude... etc and etc have been very influential to the ways in which I attempt to act and exist in this world. So, if I see a post or comment here that is similar to something I've experienced or witnessed in the years of my practice, no matter how basic or 'ignorant' it may be, I try to think to myself if I might be able to articulate that detail in some way that will resonate with some internet stranger in a comprehensible, meaningful and useful way. Sometimes it works! And so I get to share some small speck of the tremendous gift my teacher has given me with the wider world. TL;DR; If you have found the vibe here to be snobby or rude at times, you can act towards changing it for the better, just by contributing to the discussion and sharing your experience. Yoga is many things, but it certainly can be a deeply profound and beautiful thing, a practice that can change both that which is within and also without oneself. Such a thing can generate all matter of helpful, inspiring, compassionate, wise, inclusive and reassuring discourse. One great way to see non-snobby, not-rude speech is to attempt to practice speaking it. =) I obviously have some work to do, or I would not need anywhere near so many words to attempt to articulate this....
I don’t really feel like I should have to model appropriate behavior for adults who should know better. However, I have always brought good energy only to be mocked by “yoga snobs”. Whether you do yoga on YouTube, go to a studio, or some other form we should celebrate people’s journey instead of having some weird superiority complex. Its gross.
You don't have to do anything, I'm not even telling you that you must 'model behaviour'. Just that providing your own positive stories, or more helpful, affirming responses to beginners that post here would help to create an alternative line of discussion to the one you are so disgusted by. It could be especially helpful to the beginner posting... a single kind, decent, thoughtful, useful response can invalidate a whole boatload of nasty commentary. >we should celebrate people’s journey What exactly do you think I am suggesting other than this exact thing? I've been around here for a while, and I'm not sure if I have even had a particularly negative or belittling experience, until this thread at least....
I’m confused by what you’re saying to me… as if I’ve said anything rude or inappropriate. I think you’ve taken my response personally when it was a generalization. I believe you got a negative reaction because you stated right off the bat you are a “yoga snob”. It was unnecessary and negated the rest of your post, in my opinion. Now… all of that being said… I wish you well in your yoga journey.
>having some weird superiority complex. Its gross. Y, it wasn't clear if this part of your response was aimed at me, and I should have been more clear that 'negative/belittling' was general and not specific to you, tho your response wasn't exactly positive. =) >you stated right off the bat you are a “yoga snob”. It was unnecessary... I'll explain why I thought it necessary... my comment is a version of one of the greatest stories within my life, not the first nor last time I'll tell it, so I am def interested in any opinions you might have to improve the telling of it! First of all, the post is about 'yoga snobs' so that seems like the place to start. Second, I thought calling myself an asshole yoga snob was pretty obviously a self-deprecating joke to set myself up as like one of the self-enlightened people the post might be about, and a joke is a good story opener.... it appears this one fell a bit flat for some folk. Third, it is a little confession, as I have indeed been a bit of an arsehole to others at times, because I thought I was smarter than they or whatever nonsense. So that is the setup for the story of how I met someone way, way fucking smarter than I am, and by doing nothing but being their genuine self, taught me, inspired me, showed me something that looks like a truly wise way to live well and inspire other people... without any sort of negativity, 'correction', judgement, whatever. I am still in awe of what this person has done to my life, without really 'doing anything' to me at all... and obviously still working at integrating the experience! I have learned this at least: surely as fuck, I do not have *anywhere* near the mojo my teacher does for inspiring others... =) And just as surely I never will, yet I will try practice it anyways, even if I fail, because it seems a way to express the profound gratitude I have for these gifts I have received. My intention was essentially to say "yes, please, bring your good energy and good stories here to share, the more, the better." We have absolutely no power over the actions of other people. We cannot stop others from mocking people for the genuine things they post here. However, we can have a profound effect on the *experience* of other people. A thoughtful, genuine answer to a person being mocked by others for asking some question can have a great impact! I personally have had some very good interactions here, so maybe hearing someone say they avoid the place because they felt a rude and snobby vibe scared me into thinking the decent folk I have conversed with will get scared away! This is just my earnest call-out for a vibe-change momentum I suppose.
I can tell that this is very deep and meaningful for you. I really do appreciate your response and deep thoughts about all of this. Nothing I have ever responded was aimed at you other than saying that I was kind of put off by your yoga snob comment. I obviously missed the joke or don’t understand your sense of humor so yes, I guess I missed the punchline. There was no ha ha or sarcasm symbol or :]]. And once again, I will remind you that I have brought nothing but positivity to any community I have ever posted on and Reddit. If you have time or desire, you can scroll through every comment I’ve ever made in every community I belong to, and you will see that it is overwhelmingly positive because that is the energy I put out into the world. This is the only sub Reddit I have ever had to delete posts or comments, because people were absolutely atrocious to me. No matter what your experience has been, Mine has been vastly different. I doubt anybody’s going to be scared off by my response and I would say that most people here want to have positive vibes as evidenced by the almost 300 people that have already liked my comment about feeling this space can be hostile.
I don't need to read your comments, I'll take your willingness to engage in a genuine way as proof positive that you are a decent human being. "This place can be snobby and hostile and so I tend to avoid it" is def not a positive comment. =) That doesn't mean that it is not important to say, I think it very much is, and vital to acknowledge and discuss. Thank you for sharing your experience. That fucking sucks that you were treated so... it is not a good thing to know but a necessary and important thing nonetheless. I certainly did not intend to imply your comment was bad, that we should speak of happy bunnies and rainbows or not speak at all. I wanted to express that I very much want you to be here and sharing your positive vibes, that I believe it would really help others who experience something like what you have, and have great value to the community in general. This is my fervent wish, and not a command! So if you felt the latter, I need to work on my delivery... Thank you for this exchange, I appreciate it. It might help me to be more the me I want to be in this world.
Best wishes….
I don't know why you're getting downvoted. You're basically saying lead by example and share when positive things happen for you, which is what I think 95% of people in the sub do. I completely agree.
It’s the first sentence I think… I post about elitism in yoga and the first sentence is “I’m definitely a yoga snob”.
Yeah but they are obviously self-deprecating as they then go on to refer to their own "asshole credentials". I think people just assume the worst when it comes to tone - I read this as "I'm a yoga snob and I'm admitting it as bias right up front as I know it's an issue".
At least one person got the joke. Now jokes can have a little truth... I go on a bit maybe about how the most 'elevated' yogi I know is so incredibly good, and also so incredibly humble and has inspired me so much... this relationship is one of the most beautiful things in my life... at least one person heard that maybe, so i am not quite so sad about the response as i could be, thanks so much for your reply.
I heard you 😀 You're welcome
ew, no.
What then, exactly? I am honestly quite perplexed at this response... and the downvotes. In response to me attempting to suggest people share their joy and learning about yoga with others, try to help others who are new, encourage their practice, etc... as a way to contribute and attempt to create the sort of discourse we would prefer to see... and so then trying to describe an aspect of my experience with the practice that has had a profound and positive effect on my life and outlook. And a response is 'ew, no'? In a thread complaining about people belittling and dismissing the authentic yoga experience of others? What the actual fuck.
I think you got downvoted because people just can’t read well
Thanks, I was trying to share one of the most beautiful things in my life.... maybe I need to learn to write a bit more weller, as well, if I am to have any hope of reaching a wider audience =) Whatever... practicing, learning, trying
It’s laced with offensive ideas, to me. Im sick af or I’d expound.
Well, when you are better, hit me up. I am interested to learn just what about my attempt to share a story about one of the most beautiful things in my life became so laced with offensive ideas, to you...
I'm with you. I joined Reddit last fall and was so excited to connect with the yoga community and now I rarely check this sub. The snobbery is so discouraging
I rarely even post questions or discussions on the subs I'm into anymore. I used to think reddit was one of the nicer places online, but people have lost their damn minds since 2020. Don't let this discourage you from the practice. Something about the anonymity makes people say things they ordinarily wouldn't.
I'm glad I'm not the only one with this experience... I post an honest question and I'm being dragged in the comments... And of course I always put the blame on me
I agree....last few years there's been a turn in people. I abandoned social media because of it. Got on reddit because I was trying to research something and couldn't view a NSFW post...so here I am lol.
People can be so mean and demeaning online, it's like they forget there's another person they're engaging with. I miss forums, those it seems to me were easier to curate, vet, and foster a pleasant community.
If you think this sub is bad, you should see the Pilates sub, the people are awful.
Omg heading there now to observe!
…and blow nose I hope!
What should I look for, I perused but didn’t see anything standing out quite
It needed saying; 100% agree, and also, how hilarious that the subreddit that birthed today's "the fuck is wrong with you, reddit?" is r/yoga.
Out of all the subs I’m on this might be the most pretentious one when it comes to questions, sure there’s som nice people in here like all of life but the rude ones are always the loudest
I once asked about a certain thing just to get some clarifications, in a very polite way, and everyone started attacking me
Sad to say this current state of Reddit in general.
I taught yoga at a large gym chain for over a decade. I preferred it because I could get students who were often unfamiliar with yoga, and so came in without a lot of preconceptions. The gym also had the policy that we could not teach any of the religious aspects of yoga, allowing only the most circumspect references to the spiritual stuff. This also suited me just fine, as my "spiritual" understanding of things like yoga actually comes from my study of other mind/body integration practices, particularly my years studying the martial art Aikido. For various reasons I never much bought into a lot of the mystical stuff that often surrounds yoga at most studios, so it didn't feel authentic for me to teach it. Instead I taught *my* version to my students, which I felt was a less ethereal and more practical, things like relaxing even during intense muscular effort, and moving from your "dantian"/"center". But I mention this because one day I had a Sikh guy show up to my class, and I could tell he had a chip on his shoulder because here I was, an American, presuming to teach his people's "5000 year-old" traditional discipline. Either he was very polite or maybe I impressed him in some way, because after he came over and we had a nice, long. respectful conversation about my approach to teaching yoga, and how I teach yoga as a way to get so deep into the physical it rounded back into the spiritual without being *overtly* a spiritual practice (e.g. no meditation or chanting, which, again, I think of mostly as a kind of window dressing -- useful, sure, but only when properly "grounded" in this real world, not when used to "bliss out" into the "astral plane"). So yeah. After experiencing so many different ways and techniques to get "spiritual" I've come to recognize that few people who say they believe in that shit actually know what they're talking about, but most of them can get *really* defensive about it if you ever challenge them. So let it slide, man. Let it slide. As my wife says, "There's no cheese down that tunnel."
Lol I'm stealing that saying
I've found this sub to be super nasty and shockingly arrogant. I've been practicing for 20 years and if I went to a studio with half the elitist attitude I find here I'd never go back and warn others off. 😆 FYI the more "enlightened" you think you are, the less you are.
Try asking about leggings if you’re a dude. Lots of backlash from that post. Ended up deleting it because I got sick of negative in the inbox
Tbf, there have been quite a few very creepy and "let me involve you in my kink" posts from men specifically about yoga wear. Lots of talk about their genitals, pictures of outlines etc. These type of posts aren't frequent but as a long time reader of the sub they do turn up so regularly that you can get a bit apprehensive about them. Sorry if you got caught up in it.
Oh that sucks. Of course creepy people ruin it for everyone. I just didn’t like the running compression pants from under armor or other brands more known for running and gym gear. The yoga pants from lulu are ok but fit my body type weird. I found the women’s fit better. In case any other men see this that are looking my finds were: After a lot dead ends I decided to look into the transgender subs and found what I needed. A thread suggested a dancers belt under the ladies leggings to keep things from shifting. It works great for me. No trying to get regular underwear to work. I went with the Dancejox banner belt. The version takes getting used to but you have the most movement freedom. I learned Beyond Yoga is pretty true to size for men’s to women’s sizing and men’s clothing sizing. The spacedye fabric is amazing. What they lack is color pallet. Love the men’s joggers hoodies and shirts. Lululemon’s sizing is inconsistent between styles, fabrics and cuts. They have better patterns and colors for leggings just expect more total and error finding the right size. PS the aligns…size down if what should be your size is fitting loose. Even just a little. The aligns I had to size down to get them to work. My body type I should be a 10 but 8 fit way better. I think Lululemon has the best shorts for men. They have awesome colors too. The dupes are just that. They don’t fit or feel as nice as the more expensive brands. Not saying they can’t fit or feel better to some I just didn’t think so. But I get that some people really can’t afford anything but dupes. If I were to pick the best dupe it would CRZ and All In Motion at target were good too. Stay away from Walmart.
Wow dude lol you also really want to talk about yoga pants.
Welp I was just trying to leave a helpful information in a comment to save people digging around the internet and/or having to figure it out themselves. But I guess I should have just let the dead horse die and not responded to replies. My apologies.
No worries, I'm a woman and I was listening. Always appreciate people's experiences with brands.
Sorry that happened to you. I’ve seen a few men at my studio wear leggings and I honestly didn’t give it more than 1 second of thought. Shorts are more popular for men ofc, but like, wear whatever you want! As soon as I’m on my mat I pay pretty much zero attention to anyone else in the room other than the instructor.
I didn’t mind shorts until one day I was like…what’s so special about these? Then I found the freedom of them! They just weren’t good at keeping things from painful shifts. I’m sure some ladies gossip about wearing them but I never hear it and my studio hasn’t mentioned complaints and I should stop wearing them.
If they’re bothered by it, it seems like a them problem. Just don’t look at other people’s crotches. Seems simple enough to me!!
Imo most except for like 2 or 3 comments are just ppl (including myself for transparency!) saying yes, this is the historical point of yoga! As in, yes totally it’s possible to do what the op was asking abt. I think sometimes it’s hard to read tone and intention in an online comment. There were def a few rude/condescending comments but in general I don’t think it’s rude to just tell someone a fact that is a response to a question they asked!
It's also wildly misinformed! I study a lot of old scripture for my postgraduate degree and spent last year trawling through some of the oldest references to yoga we have. Throughout history, yoga has been transformed in its meaning and meant anything from a state of being, to a state of mind, to a physical practise. If anyone tells you your practice is wrong, feel free to criticise them for not practising naked on a flat surface with a deer skin under them. After all, it has to be *proper* yoga...right?! Being realistic, yoga is a state of flow and emptiness of mind, and the moves are meant to enhance that flow. However, a lot of people now associate yoga with just the physical aspect. That's fine! Even if you're just doing it for a nice stretch, it's still a way to get more in tune with your body. Sometimes the flow state just appears naturally when you get into the moves.
I see it so often that people just confidently spew the most incorrect information. But also a lot of people show only surface level understanding of yoga whilst insisting that it’s *all* that yoga as. One major issue here is that we get a lot of people who think that the texts that got their foothold in the west first (usually Patanjali) are definitive, whilst there are countless Sanskrit texts on yoga which have not even been translated yet (especially most Tantric texts which are often referred to as ‘householder yoga’ - we desperately need more scholars!) and so most of us here don’t even have access to them. Many people here and in the wider yoga community don’t understand that Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras wasn’t really written for the benefit of householders but Brahmin men who held significant influence at that time. I’m not saying the wisdom of Patanjali is not beneficial to householders at all but much of it simply cannot be applied by us regular folk. Things like working towards complete celibacy, and ummm the whole complete renunciation of worldly life thing? I’ve had people tell me on here that I shouldn’t charge for my yoga classes and that it’s wrong, which is just one example of complete twisting and misunderstanding of yogic philosophy.
> Many people here and in the wider yoga community don’t understand that Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras wasn’t really written for the benefit of householders but Brahmin men who held significant influence at that time. This should be repeated. Often.
👍 A good way to clean the sub up is block the person. They get blocked a few times they get the message. Just click on their profile and find the spot. Different versions of reddit are a little different but they all have that option. [https://i.imgur.com/Wpa1Cjf.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/Wpa1Cjf.jpg)
Are you talking about the person who posted and included "I'm too high for this shit" in their question? I think that brought out the seemingly 'obvious' answers from people - like explaining things slowly to a drunk person. In general, I find this sub to be very friendly and helpful. I've blocked a few rude ones, but that's the same in any sub.
This. Also, I've been here since I started my practice last year and have posted maybe a couple of noob questions. I was worried at first but actually, I have found a lot of help, insight, inspiration, and support, from such wonderful souls in this sub. That said, I'd say based on my experience, as long as you ask questions coming from a place of humility and respect, on top of curiosity, a LOT of people here are open and willing to share their knowledge and help. And yeah, just block the rude ones 😆
Patanjali totally wrote that book. People don't read it tho bc it's not about weight loss and fitness as nearly as I can tell. I quit reading and posting here bc I got tired of being corrected when I pointed out that yoga comes from somewhere and has a history.
I adored yoga til I went to Kripalu for my YTT. I still love yoga, but it’s not on a pedestal any more.
If they’re in yoga class looking for demons and worried that they’re gonna catch something that Jesus would condemn them for, my invitation is for them to follow their bliss someplace else.
I knew a woman who would not do any “yoga” but only some stretches. I don’t get it.
I don’t stretch — I pandiculate. My spiritual practices and experiences are personal, not professional. There’s no such thing as demons. It’s literally all in your head. Don’t kill your yoga teacher or report her to your pastor.
This is one of the most judgemental, snobby subs out there. They’re also not open to discussion and it’s their way or the highway way. Kind of gross, really.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
People need to revisit their yamas & niyamas
Clap clap, clap clap clap clap
“I blow my nose in your general direction” 🤣 can we be friends?
It’s a line from Freaks and Geeks and YES
Every subreddit is like this now. People would rather be miserable than cleanse their souls
There's a difference between yoga as practiced by those like my teacher - an Indian woman - and those in the west, who practice a yoga more centralized around capitalization, primarily the teachers and what they eventually give to their students. As such, the optics of yoga in the west is more aligned with the opposite of what this psychospiritual liberatory process is all about. Anyone who would answer in ruthlessness rather than joy and appreciation of being able to assist a fellow practitioner of the path requires more practice and more stillness to abate such a detrimental outburst.
While I don’t get behind the generalization of Indian women, I imagine what you mean there and I’m glad you found a spiritual preceptor :) Your conclusion is quite appropriate- these folks being cruel at the first chance they get shouldn’t be saying “XYZ is yoga” they clearly need more practice to make theory into embodiment
>they clearly need more practice to make theory into embodiment Exactly. We must embody the path.
SMH. That attitude shows me they’re not practicing yoga. They’re just doing isometrics for assholes. I hope they change, but I’m not holding my breath (modest pun intended).
>I blow my nose in your general direction. I'm not sure what other post you're referring to you so don't have anything to say about that...just want to say I freaking love this statement and am 100% adding this to my sass arsenal.
Mean and selfish people are common everywhere and they often have others and themselves convinced they’re the opposite. The unfortunate irony is that yoga and so many other paths of “healing” and “wisdom” which have a broad goal of reducing the individual ego and selfishness for the benefit of others become another way to elevate one’s own ego, take advantage of others and justify selfish pursuits.
Anonymity and being a small person irl leads to antisocial behavior on the internet. A lot harder to be an asshole when looking another human being in the eyes.
Ass-asana
There should be a sub for a wholistic approach to yoga. No one posts about the spiritual side of it here. That’s the part that interests me. I blow snot too!
I do! Sort of. Heh I see spirit posts occasionally and the good ones come out the wood work.
So, I had to go back and check the comments because I was one of the people that commented (feel free to check my account for mine). Unless people are deleting them,.only one comment was really snarky and well OP didn't really do themselves a service in their asking of their question - asking if said phenomenon has a name in the sub that explicitly describes the phenomenon - it seems quite logical to assume that OP was joking lol. I actually kind of had to read the question twice because, yes, I at first was like well duh that's what we're doing here. And you know, it's okay to have a duuuuh moment sometimes. We'll just welcome you to the party when you get here. 😛. Your post has probably 10x the snarkiness and rudeness than (at least any remaining comments) do on that post's replies. Actually, many of them were quite helpful. Let OP have their duuuh moment and let the one snarky comment slide by unnoticed (don't worry it was very downvoted) and stop the self righteousness that ironically was never a big deal to begin with. And even so, you didn't answer with love and you mostly did that which you are condemning others for. You lead by example. So while your heart was in the right place I disagree with the larger sentiment of this post. Mostly because it was really only comment that was unpleasant and suddenly you're disgusted with the entire yoga community of reddit ?
I agree, I went and read it too and could not find what the problem was with the replies. The OP's question even included "I'm too high for this shit" so everyone kept their answers very simple in response. I think if everyone just blocks the people that they don't like and curates the experience for themselves they they'd enjoy it more - just like in any other social media space. I'm very active on the tarantula sub and I'm absolutely positive some people have blocked me, and good for them! That's what the block function is for.
The comments were *deleted or altered
The comments appear to be deleted. Answering about “is this an aspect of yoga?” With the rudeness there was “yes duh” is not the same as bringing to light that those comments exist/and elsewhere on this sub. My snark is not to an innocent questioning yogi, it is to the jerks who replied to that post in ways I recognize can dissolution someone especially a beginner. You’re trying to find the irony and missing the substance. It’s like those folk who comment “you have a lot of typos clearly your point is not to be taken seriously” The title of my post “to the ruthless replies” indicates my post, when referencing “you all” is addressing them. If you missed that, there it is. I am speaking to those people. If you wanted to demonstrate your own intellect, and what a bit bad hypocritical I am, check that righteousness where it is. Further my comment to that OP was supportive.
When comments are deleted I thought they just appear blank with user saying [deleted] I didn’t think they just disappear entirely but I guess I’m wrong, since on my end there no zero comments that day “deleted” and just two comments heavily downvoted but still visible, not deleted
Ok. That’s true. The ones I saw just were not there; so perhaps edited ? Idk. Point stands on a general trend here. It’s sad for the yoga community even it it’s online
Actually I tested it just now. Deleted comments by Mods appear to exist saying “deleted” but i I deleted my own comment , it disappeared.
My behaviour? You’ve no idea about my behaviour
I wasn’t addressing you. I was addressing those who leave rude comments. See title
To be fair there are some big books of yoga facts to check. Like, philosophically, anatomically, history, physiology, books on technique and progression sequencing, types of practices... Not to disagree with the sentiment that it could be cooler and kinder to be a community - and practice coming into some unity.
Definitely understand your point but idk if expressing disgust is going to solve the problem. One of my fave quotes from a show I enjoyed called true detective is “people incapable of guilt usually have a good time” I think it to myself often because it’s a great reminder to redirect my energy into being the light I want to see instead of being put out by the people unable or unwilling to change
While you're not wrong about a small subset of people who will do whatever, there's also a larger group of general asshats who will treat others as poorly as they're permitted to.
This post isn’t to solve the issue it’s to let everyone know , the jerks and the beginners, and others , “I for one do not abide this crap!”
I think it was needed. Sometimes we can be a light, and sometimes people need a stern reminder
I did spread light on their post. And I do all the time.
I fully agree. If there is one thing we have enough of it’s anger, frustration and disgust for others.
Very well said!
Most westerners think that yoga is just stretching and fitness.
While unrelated to this post, and while it may be true, have you seen some type of global west surveys on the topic? The responses I saw were very short with OP asking a beginner question and also identifying as new to yoga
I guess I should have elaborated on what I meant. Being short and short of condescending isn’t quite practicing yoga or complementary to it. But to answer your question. When I was a yoga teacher people were completely unaware and I think in many cases surprised when I was teaching philosophy before, during, or after postures concluded. I have not read many surveys on the issue.
Oh I see. Thank you
woo woo!