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| Okay, so I'm a yoga instructor and in the past when I taught classes, I would get someone crying usually as a result of releasing pent up emotion every once in a blue moon. Now, most recently, it seems that almost every class I teach someone ends up crying. I've racked my brain to figure out what it could be that I might be doing to cause this interesting phenomena, but I can't quite pinpoint it. I'm not doing anything different in particular as I did in the past. One thing I've thought about is perhaps I'm giving off a different energy and people may be sensing it, allowing them to feel more free to "let loose" with the crying. Does anyone else have any ideas as to what they think the cause of the more frequent crying might be? |
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| I've heard that that happens often but I'm a guy and can't really imagine how the hell that could occur. Looking forward to some insight--although according to my wife, I'll never get it really. |
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| I think you're both right!
Bruce, you probably never will "get it". But that's ok too. 
Rachelle, maybe being finished with school has allowed you to send even more energy out to your students, providing that environment for the release? |
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| My friend is a teacher and he frequently gets people crying in his class - he thinks it has to do w/ so much "openning of the heart" work that he does in class... this he explained to me as I was boo hooing after his class on New Years Day... |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| I have honestly never seen a lot of crying in Iyengar classes. My guess is that the intense focus on the body and not getting into the mind and emotions directly makes the difference. For example, even though backbends may open the heart centre, students are focusing on their alignment, not their emotional response to the opening. We also don't teach the big backbends to beginners, because they are usually not ready to handle them physically and almost surely not ready to handle the strong emotions they release. I am not suggesting crying in class is wrong or undesirable, I have had my own "moments" from time to time (although the biggest one was a laughing fit the first time I went to attempt headstand, not tears...). I do think that it is helpful for students to develop strength in the nervous system and body and some mental discipline beofre actively seeking out that kind of work. Now, why it is suddenly happening in someone's class when it didn't before is a mystery. My guess is that it is the time of year and the mental stress of the messy world issues we are trying to live through and that it might slack of as spring nears. It will be interesting to find out! |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | I can't remember seeing anyone cry in any class that I've taken.
For myself, I do find that backbends can stir up vrttis. Sometimes
it's a release, and other times it's a total distraction -- perhaps an
urge to go write email (  <--- that kind of email ). I stabilize
myself with deep breath between poses, if necessary, and put my
focus back on yoga.
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| i dont think it is anything you are doing/not doing itchy. i agree with tourist, it is that time of year. heh heh - global pmt!!! last year, i had some really teary days at school but i always kept my tears to myself. i think it is kind of refreshing that your students feel comfortable enough to weep openly. maybe it means you are doing a great job!!
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| I was gonna cry last night if our instructor had us do one more sun salutation. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Oh now THAT sort of "crying" in class, I have often wanted to do!  |
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| I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who gets the giggles in class 
Fee
I have had my own "moments" from time to time (although the biggest one was a laughing fit the first time I went to attempt headstand, not tears...). |
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| monkey - 2005-01-19 6:26 AM
I was gonna cry last night if our instructor had us do one more sun salutation.
Hmmm...makes me think whether or not I've made anyone want to cry because of that. |
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| I can't speak to the reason any specific person might cry but I have a piece of information that might allow you to determine what the cause is.
Both Yoga and Qi Gong have caused sudden onset bizarre or psychotic episodes.
VisionAndPsychosis.Net has published the cause of these mental events.
They are caused by a conflict of physiology related to the vision startle reflex. This was discovered by engineers designing the first close-spaced office workstations. The solution for the business office by the 1960's was the Cubicle.
This problem is explained in first semester psychology classes under Physiology of Sight, Subliminal Sight, and Peripheral Vision Reflexes.
The danger is that when a threshold is reached, different for each person, the dissociative mental break happens. I believe this is causing the disappearances and unexplained suicides of college students.
College students have the same behaviors as knowledge workers. When a study location or computer workstation is located in a room with repeating detectable movement it must have Cubicle Level Protection. This is simple and FREE.
Read ...Prevention... at the bottom of most of my site pages.
It is possible to get exposure to the phenomenon almost anywhere. The many incidents of subliminal detection of movement during Yoga class may push the person over the edge.
One of the outcomes I find is unattributed fear or sudden despondency. (Mary Shotwell disappearance page, Mark Barton Day Trader Shooting page, and Personal Experiences page)This may be the reason for the crying.
http://VisionAndPsychosis.Net.
Smaller classes with lower lighting and wider separation of the participants might stop this.
Ask the class members about their day to day activities, such as use a computer in a small business office?
If you do find a solution email me using a site email link. I do not have a forum so your reply should be posted here for every one to use.
L K Tucker
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | L K Tucker - 2005-01-22 11:41 AM
Both Yoga and Qi Gong have caused sudden onset bizarre or psychotic episodes.
I believe this is causing the disappearances and unexplained suicides of college students.
The many incidents of subliminal detection of movement during Yoga class may push the person over the edge.
L K Tucker
This is total BULLSH!T. Take your scare mongering, unscientific rubbish elsewhere. |
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| Rock on, Bay Guy. I was just about to de-bunk this cr*p but you beat me to it! |
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| I was about to cry at the end of one yoga class last year, but I held it back. Later, my teacher said I should have let it out, which is a good way to release the burden on my shoulders. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| To cry or not to cry - that is an interesting question! I have debated this with myself on numerous occasions. The common wisdom is "let it all out" but sometimes I have found more inner strength by NOT pouring my own unruly emotions out on an unsuspecting group of whoever. Of course, once the gates are opened, it is usually best to let go and not worry about it. But the one time I remember having the urge to cry bubble up in class, I went into observer mode, noticed what was happening in myself and determined this was something I needed to work on separate from my yoga class. In that case it was the right choice.
Cubicle work CAN drive one nuts - the answer is to QUIT the F*&^%$ing job! Worked for me....
Edited by tourist 2005-01-22 8:45 PM
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| tourist - 2005-01-22 5:45 PM
To cry or not to cry - that is an interesting question! I have debated this with myself on numerous occasions. The common wisdom is "let it all out" but sometimes I have found more inner strength by NOT pouring my own unruly emotions out on an unsuspecting group of whoever. Of course, once the gates are opened, it is usually best to let go and not worry about it. But the one time I remember having the urge to cry bubble up in class, I went into observer mode, noticed what was happening in myself and determined this was something I needed to work on separate from my yoga class. In that case it was the right choice.
Cubicle work CAN drive one nuts - the answer is to QUIT the F*&^%$ing job! Worked for me....
Tourist, I think you've made some great points here that have really got me thinking. Now that I think of it, there are times when I notice that perhaps depending on the situation and the person, maybe it would be best to not cry and work it out separately from yoga and other times when I think yoga is the perfect time to let it all out. Thanks for the insights. As for quitting that cubicle job, I couldn't agree with you more! You go girl! |
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| Hey, I just thought of something else about crying. A lot of the students in my classes that have been crying have been crying because they're letting all sorts of negative pent up things out. But I've experienced something new. One of my students said that she cried because she just felt so filled with love and joy. What do you all think about that? It never really occurred to me that someone might cry in class because they feel a need to express happiness as opposed to negative emotions. This whole crying business has really got me thinking...
Edited by itchytummy 2005-01-23 1:49 PM
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Was the happy crier a mom? Or pregnant? I can well up just thinking about how great my kids are - don't even have to be doing yoga. And pregnant? OMG! That was back in the days of "reach out and touch someone" long distance phone commercials... Those darn female hormones will getcha!  |
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| tourist - 2005-01-23 12:30 PM
Was the happy crier a mom? Or pregnant? I can well up just thinking about how great my kids are - don't even have to be doing yoga. And pregnant? OMG! That was back in the days of "reach out and touch someone" long distance phone commercials... Those darn female hormones will getcha!
You crack me up! The lady wasn't pregnant or a mom--not that I know of anyway. Maybe she was on her period? Oh wait, if I were on my period and some instructor was making me do an obscene amount of sun salutations like I was making my students do, I'd be crying too--from the pain!  |
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| once again tourist has me in giggle fits! i am going to go out on a limb here and say - YOU MUST BE CANADIAN!!
for me, it is those life insurance cm's where they show the girl going through all the milestones of her life....geesh, i am a wuss. these days, it is cnn footage of darfur or se asia. i am a sensitive one....
tourist, you make an excellent point - when you stop and look inward as those tears well up, you are praticing with AWARENESS. something we all need to do when are emotions get to us in class.
itcytummy, if it is a class full of women, there is a good chance they all have their monthlies around the same time....that could be part of it.
if it is happy tears, then all i can say is **** YOUR GOOD!! |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Oh yes, I AM Canadian  We have to have a sense of humour here - it's a bit like living next door to a rich, loud, messy crazy person... *hides*
I could use a room full of women having their periods this week for hormonal encouragement. A week late (never been that late without being pregnant) and cramps and bloat the whole time. As I am creeping toward 50, I know to expect this sort of menstrual blip but  Nothing like being bloated and wearing tights in front of a room full of people you don't know to make you pray for the menopause goddess to speed up the process!  DH swears I don't get b*tchy but he has a fear that I'll "pause" in the middle of PMS and be that way for the next 30 years and I'm beginning to think he might be right... |
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| I gotta say reading about (in Canadian, aboat) bloating and cycles gives me the heebees but when actually BEING in class with you goddesses, I'll tell you we guys do not notice--you're all beautiful--and I have documented evidence that gives my opinion "A"-validity--had a physical recently that included a testosterone test--I'm a healthy, red-blooded male. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Excuse me but that is "aboot", not to be confused with "a beaut" a term which also works in Oz
And we never had any doubts about your testosterone levels Bruce - did you???  |
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| Ohh, so it's "aboot", eh?
One of my best friends in high schol was from Hamilton. She always got asked nutty questions by seemingly intelligent people, such as "do you have running water and indoor plumbing?" or "do you have electricity?" or "so, is it dark all the time there or what?".
She ignored them and taught my dog yoga. Crazy Canucks! |
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Crying in Class
