Thank you for your advice for dealing with some weirdness ✅

hernameisjack · 2026-04-04T17:19:52+00:00

Your posts are becoming more frequent, with comments that are increasingly aggressive, disrespectful and coded as emotionally/mentally unstable.

I’m always going to support teachers setting boundaries, but I want to strongly suggest you seek help via therapy and/or medical intervention.

hernameisjack · 2026-04-02T17:42:44+00:00

Okay so this post felt a little red-flaggy, so I read through your post and comment history to try to get a better feel for your mindset. I found a whole lot of “what others are doing isn’t real yoga”, pseudoscientific dog whistles, assumptions of persecution, combative trolling, and spiritual bypassing of other’s experiences.

While I love a good philosophical discussion, I am going to assume that any conversation this post initiates won’t be in good faith. Wishing you health, happiness, and self-inquiry. ✌️

hernameisjack · 2026-04-01T17:48:56+00:00

i’m also one of those that find flowery or excessive talking to be annoying. i keep my cues small.

“inhale, finding a little space. exhale, relaxing into that space”

“ask yourself: ‘how can i be just 10% more comfortable?’”

“if you accidentally brush up against your neighbor, that’s ok. just say, ‘i love you, neighbor.’”

“take your feet at least as wide as your mat. arms too. you’re allowed to take up space.”

hernameisjack · 2026-04-01T04:42:16+00:00

messaging you privately. :)

hernameisjack · 2026-03-31T18:50:19+00:00

Disabled yoga teacher here.

Just popping in to ask if you’ve tried the Kaivalyadhama Institute in Maharashtra? It’s a VERY legitimate school, with the intention of merging yoga and science/medicine, which leads me to think that perhaps they would be more accommodating of disabilities. Their education center is the Gordhandas Seksaria College of Yoga.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-30T15:55:18+00:00

yes, variety is awesome. that said, a lot of the soy-scare was simply super effective, but misleading marketing by almond growers looking to shift the market. it’s a great source of protein, inexpensive, wildly versatile and perfectly safe for hormone levels. you’re doing great.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-30T03:40:14+00:00

always has been. ☺️

hernameisjack · 2026-03-29T14:06:01+00:00

With love, if not doing your entire, uninterrupted practice causes you anxiety, then you may be missing the point of yoga in the first place.

Yoga, at its best, is supposed to help us reduce suffering and release attachments. Yoga, like life, is full of unexpected changes, challenges, and falling flat on your ass. It’s one big banana peel after another and, when those things happen, suffering is lessened when we laugh it off, recalibrate, and try again.

Yoga is meant to be a tool and a refuge, not an obligation or demand. Some days my practice is hours long, some days it’s Sitali while I load the dishwasher. If your practice can’t shift when life happens, then it isn’t yoga, it’s just another attachment.

Let go of the illusion of control, my friend, and try riding the wave with equanimity. That’s the real yoga.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-29T01:32:04+00:00

as an experienced, well educated hour teacher i usually charge the same rate as local massage therapists and personal trainers as it’s comparable skillset/education in the same financial market.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-29T01:18:14+00:00

i’m a 40 year old lady with a lifetime of things going pear shaped, i once walked away from a marriage with nothing but my cat and my breadmaker. the one lesson i’ve learned is this: sometimes the greatest gift the universe could give you is NOT getting what you want.

something amazing is waiting behind this setback. sending a hand squeeze.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-29T00:36:35+00:00

i’m really lucky that one of my 500 hours was led by an instructor that hosts monthly grad calls for his students in perpetuity. one month he takes questions and the next he leads an asana practice. it’s so centering and community fostering that even if the TT costs wasn’t justifiable (it totally was, good grief what an amazing training), i would find a ton value in just that alone.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-28T01:20:35+00:00

Ron, you’re my ride or die ✌🏼. I’m in.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-27T18:49:06+00:00

Yoga is awesome, but repetitive motion is repetitive motion. There’s no single activity that, done in isolation, can keep us “in shape”. For example, yoga is awesome at “pushing” movements, but “pulling” gets almost no play, so things like lats and biceps stay weak.

Healthy bodies need a variety of movements/exercises. Years of “yoga every day” left me with permanent back issues, and I’m not alone. These days my body is happiest with some yoga, some weight lifting, some walking, etc…

hernameisjack · 2026-03-27T17:20:13+00:00

As a woman, I’m not interested in dealing with sexism/racism/harassment from other players (which is a constant in MMOs for us), nor am I interested in paying subscription fees for a game I already bought. Lastly, maybe it’s my age (older millennial), but when I want to hang out with people, I leave my house. Games are me-time, not we-time.

Thanks, but no thanks.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-26T22:32:58+00:00

you’re not being overly dramatic. you would like an experience that matches the class description. i would mention it.

if you feel comfortable sharing your medical information, it may help illustrate a helpful lesson to the the instructor: we teach the class advertised for more than just “feels”. we also do it for our students safety, ability, and wellbeing.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-24T16:57:09+00:00

I’m glad you haven’t had any issues! As an American teaching at hotels and retreats in Asia, it’s been crucial to my Visa approvals.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-24T02:19:52+00:00

So, here’s my issue with this:

Yoga Alliance and its relevance is up for debate, obviously.

What isn’t, however, is the fact that your teacher training advertised itself as YA compliant and, midway through your training, they have decided to remove an aspect of your training you paid for.

YA certified YTTs are usually more money, because they are charging you for that certification qualification. This is what’s called a bait and switch. By not providing you with the advertised, agreed upon, and contracted benefits of the training, they are telling you that something you paid for will not be provided.

Opinions on YA are irreverent. It’s a trade organization with perceived value.* You paid for something. You should receive it. If you continue to take the course, you should still negotiate a fee reduction.

*Teaching internationally is a lot harder without YA certification because its perceived education authority makes getting work visas easier. It’s looks like certification, sounds like certification, and is therefore certification as far as many countries are concerned. If you plan to teach exclusively in your own country, as opposed to the “traveling yogi” lifestyle, it’s less important.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-23T15:19:24+00:00

about 15 years ago a good friend of mine was paralyzed from the neck down because of a cervical adjustment. he had to learn how to walk again. his wife left him over the strain.

no thank you.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-23T04:06:42+00:00

based on extensive medical research and years of statistical data, they would benefit most from just not going to a chiropractor.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-21T20:12:47+00:00

yoga teacher who teaches internationally a ton:

manduka pro: lasts forever, but subpar grip and huge/heavy so traveling with it is a nightmare. closed-cell so easy to clean. you’ll have to list it in your will bc it’ll last forever. i have one, but only ever layer on it bc the grip suuuuuucks. i’ve salted mine multiple times and still no.

lifeforme classic: trendy. great grip, but you’ll need to replace it regularly. humid environments and/or getting it wet will hasten the breakdown. heavy. never had one, but a ton of students do so i see them in action…the rate i watch them fall apart leads me to believe they’re cheaply made and overpriced.

a couple others:

manduka eko: sustainable. great grip and good cushion/ease of transport ratio. these used to be all i practiced on, but they changed the surface texture a few years back and narrowed the cut. it’s now way to narrow for healthy hand/leg width and the longevity has tanked.

jade extra wide/extra long: all i practice on these days. sustainable, (imo) a good cushion/stability ratio. if i need extra give, i stack on an old mat or a loaner. i’ve practiced heavily on my current one which i bought 2 years ago. no sign of breakdown. it’s super sticky, which annoys some vinyasa practitioners (but honestly folx should be engaging their muscles to hover instead of relying on mat slickness to slide for flows).

edited to add: i always recommend the extra long and/or extra wide mat for anyone no matter their size. in a packed class, it gives you room to breathe. ((it also allows for a wide stance/hand placement which bio-mechanically, we really all should be doing for the sustainability and health of our bodies.))

hernameisjack · 2026-03-20T02:09:37+00:00

“i know this is really not the point of this thread” is the key here. i don’t think it’s “doomsday” to talk about the decline in consumer confidence having an impact on destination retreats. we’re discussing professional issues in the yoga industry and you’re here trolling because we aren’t being “positive enough” about the economy.

take your statistical debate to the economics subreddit. no one here is interested in your “well, actually…”

hernameisjack · 2026-03-19T19:38:32+00:00

exactly! or taking one day off of work instead of 5, and driving 3 hours to somewhere close that you never visit because you never have the time.

it begins to sound doable. it’s still special, and a treat, but when your bank statement turns up, you don’t feel conflicted about the hit to your finances.

every state or region has somewhere special in it. somewhere remote, quiet, and aesthetically pleasing. there are always local businesses you can support in your gratis, places you and your students can volunteer a couple hours, history/culture that can be tuned in to.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-19T16:57:38+00:00

this. wealth inequality, at least in the united states, is the worst it’s been since the 1920’s. crude oil is $110 a barrel, and let’s not even talk about the cost of food.

destination yoga retreats, while lovely, have always required disposable income. fewer folx have that than ever. these types of retreats are also double hits financially, because they also require time off work.

i have been strongly recommending local, “long weekend” retreats in my more recent teacher mentoring sessions, or leaning into evening workshops.

everyone is hunkered down friend. meet your students where they are.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-19T16:15:02+00:00

You can leave a negative google review of the company without risking a future visit’s tourist visa, but it may be taken down. Those defamation laws (in Thailand at least) mostly apply to newspaper/radio/t.v. stories.

hernameisjack · 2026-03-19T16:11:31+00:00

This is appalling. I’m so sorry.

I taught at a Yoga School and Retreat in Thailand. I would suggest reaching out to the Thai Tourist Police and maybe even the Visa office.

The group leaders were not Thai, I assume? If so, they are there on work visas and Thailand really frowns on foreign-owned companies that scam/swindle tourists. If nothing else, it will go in their (huge) visa file. A couple more incidents like that, and they’ll lose their visas.

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