The Substitute...

Expectations.

I show up for a class expecting a certain type of experience depending on the teacher, but when the teacher is absent, it's pot luck because the substitute does his or her own thing.

I'm cool with that, ready to go with the flow, to embrace the unexpected, but not everyone is so keen.

Today we had a teacher who takes a slow build to the class. I prefer that because it takes my body time to warm up, but the woman next to me had other ideas. She's a superflexible person who takes a lot of classes at the gym. I know nothing about her, and to be honest, I don't want to know anything about her, but today, she decided that the class wasn't going fast enough for her, so while we were in a cross-legged position, breathing, she was doing a vinyasa flow - standing, bending over, upward and downward dog, warrior I and II etc...

We were a class of thirty or so, and she was the only one off on her own. I tried to block it out, focus, to become one with my mat, but I failed.

I know there is a lesson here for me. I wanted badly to tell this woman that she sucked, that despite being able to fold up in ways that I will never achieve, she has no clue what yoga is about.

I know that it is pointless to tell her off, but I wanted to anyway.

This is that 9:30 class where a good percentage leaves ten minutes early to catch another class that starts at 10:40. It was no surprise to hear her roll her mat up while we were doing a back bend.

I also felt bad for the teacher, who to her credit, ignored her.

Next time, I'll do the same.