r/yogateachers
bad behavior during class on the rise?
This is Ashtanga Yoga Tech Support. Real questions from the yoga community, answered.
The Question
I'm curious if anyone else has noticed this or something like it: I have been teaching for 7 years. I teach at multiple yoga studios with vastly different vibes/populations, but across them all, over the last 8-12mo or so I have noticed a huge uptick in people being disruptive and on their phones during class. People texting in savasana, having their ringers/keyboard sounds on, getting up and wandering around/going to the bathroom multiple times, arriving more than 10m late, piping up to shout over the music/over my teaching to say/ask something (today it was to adjust the air conditioning 🙄), changing their placement in the room mid-class, and, today, taking the cake, someone started watching tiktoks with the sound on during savasana. I am at a loss!! Some of these behaviors are so odd that I feel like I can't say anything to the person (esp during class) or call them out, and I'm going to just start making a gentle announcement about the phone policy at the beginning of every class. But I swear, it did not used to be like this! What happened? Has anyone else noticed this? What is in the air?
— via r/yogateachers
Our Response
Yes.
Everyone's noticed.
You're not crazy.
Something shifted.
Here's what you do: start every class with boundaries. Not apologetically. Not as a suggestion. As structure.
"Phones off. Not silent. Off. If you need to leave it on for an emergency, leave it outside the room."
Say it like you mean it.
Most people aren't being malicious. They're just… unmoored. No one's giving them container anymore. Anywhere.
So you give them one.
If someone breaks it mid-class? You stop. You look at them. You say their name if you know it. "Hey. Phone away, please." Then you continue.
If they can't do that? They leave.
You're not being mean. You're protecting the space for everyone else who showed up to actually practice.
The students who want to be there will thank you.
The ones who don't will leave.
Let them.
Carousel · Tech Support
1/4
Not sure where to start?
Chat with the intake assistant — tell it about your practice and it’ll point you to what fits.
Talk to the Intake Bot →
Discussion
or explore Student Union