Sometimes with all the bending, stretching and twisting (especially twisting) in a yoga class people fart. It happens. Often.

Consulting my friend who is a yoga instructor I asked how she handles it. Apparently it is actually part of the teacher training and there is only one way to handle it. Ignore it. It didn’t happen. Carry on and just try not to giggle. The usual reaction when it happens to someone is to be slightly embarrassed, give quick glance around with an apologetic “oops” look and then back to the bending and twisting.

What happens though when you look over and somebody looks like they’re trying to fart? Like this guy was twisting and was trying to let one go. He had the trying to force it scrunchy face. He had already farted, several times. Had never given the “oops” apologetic face but instead kept twisting and bending and looking like he wanted to.

I tried to ignore him and just felt bad for the lady behind him. Then he let a big one out while seated and twisting. Trying to propel himself up into enlightenment I suppose but the lady behind him suddenly had the “ewww” face. On her behalf I gave him the stern babysitter don’t do that face. He didn’t see it. Too wrapped up in looking rather proud of himself and accompanied with this last great fart was also a great groan.

This is a yoga class, we don’t come here to fart on purpose. For the comfort and concentration of others most people try NOT to fart. Yes concentration, I mean if you are a bigger person than I and don’t have to stifle a giggle when you hear someone fart, congratulations. I hope one day to be that mature.

By the end of the class even the instructor, while avoiding walking near the offending person, was giving the guy looks like “What are you doing?” At one point she even lit a few candles because the room was starting to smell. Yep, it was that bad.

I understand it happens but to come to class for the seemingly soul purpose of getting out as many farts as you can is offensive. It does not make you more enlightened, it is not spiritual, in my mind it puts you in the same category as a fourteen year old boy.

At the end of the class when students say “Namaste” to everyone around them, not one person looked at him.

Shunned by yoga people, my goodness you must have offended. Yoga people usually consider themselves above being petty but this man was now out of the loop. He tried to be jovial after but nobody wanted anything to do with him.

So if you want to fit in with a yoga class. Don’t force your farts. Try to be considerate of those around you. Save it for stinking up your own home where you can blame it on the dog.

Namaste