Water in class? What do you think?
Working at Yoga Garden SF’s front desk, I’m always learning new things about my practice. Did you know you’re not supposed to take water during class? I was asking yoga instructor Danae Robinett to explain why that should be. She talked about building an inner fire (agni, clarifies Danae) during practice, and how drinking water is counter-productive to that aim. And really, she said, it’s often an excuse to check-out during your practice. I realized I’m guilty of exactly that. Often, I’m not taking a drink because I’m thirsty, but because a pose is too challenging, or a feeling (physical or mental) too uncomfortable. The ritual of opening the bottle, taking a sip, changing my breathing to accommodate it- it gives me 30 seconds to tune out of my practice. (I think I do the same thing when my hair comes loose and I re-tie it.)
So what do you think? Ever catch yourself doing this? Do you think not taking water in class is a good exercise of the same kind of discipline we apply to our practice?
When I first heard that some yoga studios do not allow water in classrooms, I was kind of confused. A teacher also explained to me, though, how reaching for water is merely a distraction and that we should make sure we are hydrated before we come to class. Like Danae said, it is counterproductive to the effects one is trying to achieve in practicing yoga (that is, in creating agni) and I have noticed a difference in my practice once I cut out reaching for my water bottle in between vinyasas. But I am on the same page with you, Kerri…. breaking the hair-fixing habit is hard!
Comment by Erika A. — January 23, 2013