This is the post where I let it all hang out, so pardon the vent, I’m frustrated.
I’ve been a member of a yoga studio since the end of December 2008. I found this studio because I decided that what my life needed, what my body needed, what my soul needed was a steady practice of yoga. I was elated to find that my very first yoga teacher was a teacher there. I had not been to one of her classes in over 12 years and quite honestly I didn’t even know if she was still teaching my area.
I took the fact that she was at this yoga studio as a sign that I had found what I was looking for.
Since then I’ve built solid relationships with many of the teachers there. They became a part of my life. Each one of them has played a significant role in molding my yoga practice.
Each Saturday morning began with Power Yoga, but Sundays had to be split between two very different practices. If I felt that I needed the camaraderie of friends to bounce things off of while I did my yoga then I went to the Strength & Wellness morning class — if I felt that I needed a quiet candlelight practice then I went to the Vinyasa Flow evening class. Either way, my weekends literally revolved around my yoga practice.
Well, let’s be perfectly honest here, all the days of my week have revolved around my yoga practice.
I’ve never felt more at peace with who I am and what I am able to do if I try.
And then everything changed.
Last week I noticed that my instructor for Power Yoga was taken off the schedule. This was strange to me, but since she’s recently taken a hiatus and we had a sub for those few weeks I figured that maybe that’s what was going on again.
I was wrong.
It turns out that she’d been let go, and while I heard that it was a mutual decision it just seemed a little odd as she had been teaching there for many years and she had an extremely popular class.
Then this past Sunday I went to the morning Strength & Wellness class. The class was great! While I was getting my coat and shoes on I talked with a couple friends, not even thinking about the small amount of time that the instructor was missing from the conversation so the owner could briefly discuss something with her.
It wasn’t until we stepped into the parking lot that my instructor’s face revealed what she was feeling and she told us that she was just told that that was her last class and she wasn’t being allowed to even say goodbye to her students.
Standing there with my friends my jaw just dropped. I was shocked. I was appalled. I was disappointed. I was furious. I was heartbroken.
I’m disgusted that the owner couldn’t wait for the students to leave the studio before firing her. How could she not think that this wouldn’t affect us negatively? And who fires an instructor RIGHT AFTER TEACHING A VERY POPULAR CLASS??
And of course we now know what probably happened to our other instructor as well. Her class was also a very popular class and most of the students had been practicing with her for many years.
In all three instructors were “let go” and none of this makes any sense to me.
And people are really mad about it.
Many have said they’d never to go to the studio again.
And now my happy place is gone.
I’ve been to two classes since Sunday, both were challenging and with my favorite instructor, however I simply can’t get my head in the game. My anxiety level at the studio is at an all time high. I don’t know if I can move past this. I don’t know how to heal this.
Have you heard me gush on and on about how much I love this yoga studio over the last 14 months? Have you? Have I encouraged you to try a class there?
And now I’m like WTF? How could I have been so wrong?
Furthermore, do I honor my contract with them and continue to pay my membership fees and try to get through this hoping that time will heal this wound? Or do I go in there with my fists all balled up and really let the owner know how I’m feeling and then demand my contract be nullified and tell her that I’m taking my business elsewhere?
There’s some irony to what I’m feeling. Over a year ago I blogged that the second song on the playlist of my Saturday morning yoga class is Bittersweet Symphony, by The Verve. I wrote that I connect that song with this YouTube video. (you’ll want to turn up the volume up on your speakers)
Right now I can totally relate to this guy.
Wow! There’s a lot there. I’m hearing that the yoga studio has become so important to you over the past 14 months that you are actually grieving the loss of what it represented. For you, it was yoga, exercise, calm, cameraderie, friends, role models, familiarity and more. Anger is part of any grieving and you have to pass through it to get perspective and acceptance.
For the owner/director of the yoga center, it’s a commercial enterprise. It has to pay its way. If it’s not making enough money and the owner has to let employees go, they won’t be thinking of your feelings or the instructor’s feelings, unless they are very clued up. It may not have ever occurred to the owner that members like you are very devoted. While it sounds horrible the way it has been handled, I think it sounds like the owner didn’t want to have a scene in the studio…anger, crying, signing a petition, giving the instructor your contact details (taking business away), etc…
I wonder, whether you can look at the depth of your grief and adjust your connection to the studio, using it just for the sake of the yoga, or whether it will never feel like a peaceful,calm, friendly place to you again. In that case, you should leave. The other thing to consider would be why you spend so much time there and why you are so emotionally involved. Maybe you need to form some connections outside the center..new friends, new yoga buddies, new teachers, other activities besides yoga.
I’d be angry and frustrated about this too, but I think it’s the depth of your emotional attachment that seems to be what you need to address.
I hope you find a better situation.
Lisa (ICLW #34 Your Great Life)
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..When a Door Closes =-.
Aw man that sucks- are the replacements just as good? It does take away the vibe of a place and its so hard to connect with a good teacher. So sorry
ICLW
.-= K´s last blog ..Gestational Diabetes- I’m getting doubtful =-.
That sucks! I wonder whats going on?
ICLW
That is an amazing video. It’s hard to believe it’s real.
Sorry to hear your haven has turned into a drama fest. Makes you wonder what’s going on behind the scenes.
::mingle::
.-= Kwizgiver´s last blog ..what do you have to smile about? =-.
I hate it when someone interferes with my life routines. It gets me out of my confort zone. Sometime this is good. Sometimes not. I have read a few blogs today. It seems like a lot of people are out of their comfort zone this week/month.
.-= jon´s last blog ..The end is near, People! =-.
Bummer. I guess the question you have to answer is, Do you go to this yoga studio for the instructors or for yourself? Best I can tell, you do it because of how you feel doing it, not for the social interaction and to help out a teacher. Then again, there are enough studios around, so if you truly can’t get past it, I say you pick another one.
.-= Jennifer´s last blog ..When I grow up =-.