This Is the Most Annoying Thing I See Students Do in Yoga Class

I have practiced yoga for more than 30 years and taught it for nearly half that time. Yet there’s still one thing that happens in almost every single class that I take or teach that makes me grit my teeth. This happens despite the fact that I know it’s coming—and despite the fact that I know better than to let it bother me.

It’s something so common you’ve likely witnessed it a million times and maybe even committed the act yourself. A detail so insignificant that I should maybe be embarrassed that it rankles me for hours or days after the fact.

It’s such a seemingly small thing. There’s no lasting damage. Yet it still irks me.

It’s seeing someone walk on another person’s mat.

Most of the time the owner of the mat doesn’t even notice or object—or at least pretends not to have seen the trespassing or be offended by it. Although it’s not ideal for the bare feet of a stranger to be in contact with the same surface as your face and hands, the issue of hygiene isn’t even what bothers me. My issue with it is both more subtle and more profound.

Walking on another person’s mat seems a sour note to play in a space that’s dedicated to inhabiting our own bodies more mindfully and moving with intention and compassion. Actually, it seems an outward example of doing the exact opposite. Given that vinyasa, in Sanskrit, means “to place with consideration,” it seems appropriate that we should follow that guidance as we place our feet. How different would it feel if every one of us moved into class, and not just throughout class, with this level of presence?

Each time I witness this transgression, I have to remind myself that it’s probably not worth discussing with the “guilty” party or mentioning in class as the teacher. In the context of whatever else my students are managing in order to make it to and through class, this is not a seismic enough deal to mention. It’s just a signal of the lack of awareness that will, I’m sure, continue to annoy me on the regular.

But maybe, just maybe, after reading this you will walk into your next class, take a moment to notice the space around you, and be more conscious of where you choose to place your feet. Or maybe you won’t and I’ll continue to benefit from the chance to notice, and manage, my reaction to something beyond my control. Either way, the practice of yoga prevails.