Why I Don’t Care if Students Burn Calories in my Yoga Classes

Taylor Pisel Miller
Sep 9, 2018 · 4 min read

Do not come to my yoga classes solely to burn calories or to lose weight. If you want to sweat profusely and whip yourself into shape in class then I’m not the yoga teacher for you. I’m not interested in promoting competition, hatred of the body, or pushing, pushing, pushing.

Why is the calorie burning, power-yoga mentality harmful? Power-yoga encourages comparison. It is difficult not to feel inadequate when the fittest person in class sets up his or her mat next to the teacher. I do not believe yoga should foster competition with others or even with oneself. I simply do not care about my students leaving my classes with more resolve or more defined abdominal muscles. Here is what I do care about each time I step into the studio and lay my mat at the front of the room.

I am extremely interested in my students bolstering their personal wellness. Each yoga class is an invitation to students to devote sixty minutes to themselves. Students find it extremely hard to give themselves permission to invest in themselves without that investment affecting their physicality. In other words, it can be really difficult to devote an hour to yoga without the incentive of torching calories or atleast getting a decent workout. My classes do not endorse this mentality whatsoever. Beginning in our seated meditation, I ask each student to join me in creating a nourishing space. The next hour, I tell them, will nourish the body and the mind and promote self care. Self care can be defined simply as the prioritization of one’s own wellbeing. A practitioner of self care believes themselves to be worthy of rest, nutrition, joy, and healthy relationships. Self care and personal wellness are complementary concepts. If you are investing in self care, then you’re certainly making yourself more well.

I desperately want my students to develop strength during the class. Yoga develops mental strength through Pranayama, continued attention to the breath. I invite my students to concentrate on their breath as they match their breath with their movements. This can be an incredibly taxing process, as the mind tends to wander during meditation and breath work. Taming the “monkey mind” is a common phrase in yoga for a reason. I remind students that it takes incredible concentration to meditate and to expect their minds to wander. Students need not internally chastise themselves for becoming distracted; rather, it is better to gently remind oneself to return the awareness to the breath. Yoga also promotes physical strength through Asana, the practice of posturing one’s body into specific yogic poses. My classes certainly promote strength, as strength is a natural byproduct of practicing yoga.

My classes also encourage self compassion. I never put my students in a position to shame themselves for their body shape or size. This means that my classes are inclusive; All bodies are welcome in my class. Although some poses may be difficult for larger bodies, I do my best to offer modifications for each posture. For instance, I might say to the class, “if cow face pose (Gomukhasana) is too difficult for you today, perhaps you remain in a seated twist, planting the left foot across the right knee and focusing the eye gaze over the left shoulder. Self-love people! Self-love!

My classes offer a unique experience within a therapeutic space. I do not teach yoga classes with music. I may change my mind on this later on, but for now I really enjoy the therapeutic aspect that a silent studio creates. I have several reasons for not using music during class. I teach weekly on a trauma unit at a psychiatric hospital, and the front desk person requires me to lock all my belongings in a locker prior to entering the unit. Becuase it is impossible for me to bring music, I instead ask the patients to join me in creating a quiet and nourishing space. Any space can be nourishing, even a hospital lounge area where students retrieve their uniform mats from plastic bins. Distractions happen and I embrace them in class. I also teach a class every week in a large garden. I invite students to embrace the noises of the community around them. We enjoy sounds of birds chirping, bystanders walking and talking, students’ breath. Upbeat music can be quite a distraction from the opportunity to notice the surrounding atmosphere.

I’m not opposed to movement, and I’ll admit, I attend hot yoga classes every so often. In fact, I believe yoga can be an excellent way to exercise, and fitness is important. I do not obsess over fitness, however. I obsess over wellness. Wellness is a multidimensional concept, which is far more important than fitness. Fitness does not equal weight loss. Fitness is only one aspect of the whole picture. I attend hot yoga because I love yoga and I love the cleansing aspect of practicing in a pseudo-sauna. These classes are challenging but do not provide me with an opportunity to nourish my mind. I supplement these classes with daily mindfulness and other nourishing activities.

Now you know my intentions as a therapeutic yoga teacher and what to expect if you attend one of my classes. I hope to meet you in class and share my practice with you as we grow together as students of this indescribable discipline. To book a private yoga session or to inquire about my teaching schedule, DM me on my instagram or facebook account @halfmoontherapy.

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