Bikram Yoga class 11

Today's class was a disturbing.  Not because the room temperature maybe reached 95 degrees, but most likely was under that.  Not because teacher K continued in the class-isolating rapid-fire delivery of instructions.  Not because numerous people breached all kinds of yoga etiquette, like coming in late, blocking students behind them, walking out of class, leaving their phones on in class that went off in the middle of a pose.  Not even because little teacher K could not handle the infractions.

What was disturbing was the racist remark she made to the class trying to explain why these breaches of etiquette were happening, stating, "There are signs on the door... unless maybe you just can't read English."  And the fact that a few of the offenders were not blonde haired, blue eyed fair skinned women, but had dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin, and of Asian descent.  And most likely spoke English as a second language.

WTF.

The sad part is that these women, and other men who were in the class, who do not speak English as their primary language, are probably used to that kind of remark.  I, only being half Asian, am not.  And I am greatly offended for them.

Even more so, is the fact that this teacher, little K, did not take responsibility for whether the students knew the rules of the class or not, but decided to blame the students for the etiquette breaches.

In my old studios, the teachers always - ALWAYS - gave a brief summary of the rules before every class: don't show up late, try not to leave the class but if you do wait until the pose is over before reentering the room, etc etc.  You know when you go see a movie they AWAYS make some brief clip on turning off your phone?  Always. Because we are human, and even if we do kind of know, we sometimes forget.  We often forget.  So if a rule is important, it is kinder to remind us.  If you want to take responsibility for the class.

But these teachers, at this studio, do not.  And when it leads up to this kind of eruption and takes the nasty turn with teachers resorting to making racist remarks - something is wrong, really really f*cking wrong.  And even if calling it "racist" may be extreme, it is still making demeaning remarks to the students and, again, the teacher not taking responsibility for the class.

At any rate, so the teacher was little K (I'll refrain from calling her "racist K"), 10am class.  Temperature below par.  Class semi-full.

MY PRACTICE
Still feeling weak, I did not make it through 100% of the class, sitting out of about three poses.  I fell out a lot, though I still was able to reach a deeper point in the poses than before.  I just could not hold them.

So that is it.  That is all I want to say for today's class.  A great disappointment.  Will try to go again tomorrow, only because there is a different teacher and I'd like to regain some confidence in this studio.  Have eight more classes on this pass before I am free.