Your 5 Most Embarrassing Yoga Questions Answered

By Stepfanie Romine, Certified Yoga Teacher, for SparkPeople

It happened one night during a quiet class, the thing I feared most in the practice. I twisted myself into Marichyasana D on the right side, and… tweet. I passed gas, and it was audible (but not smelly, thank goodness!). I was embarrassed but thankfully my teacher was on the other side of the room (not adjusting me!) and no one else seemed to notice. I kept breathing, held the pose, and quickly my embarrassment passed. We're all human, after all, and the physical body does not always cooperate when you're trying to exercise or practice yoga. Only once in almost six years of practice has that happened, and it wasn't nearly as catastrophic as I had imagined.

That moment reminded me that no one comes to yoga class to judge me, that we're all human, and that the ego is what creates embarrassment. If you do anything long enough, you're likely to uncover the unsavory elements of it. (Just ask any runner--surely they have a bathroom emergency tale to tell. My boyfriend is a cyclist, and they have so many gross and embarrassing tales to share.) Today I'm going to answer 12 of your most "embarrassing" yoga questions, and I hope I can assuage any anxiety you have so you can feel more comfortable in a yoga class. (Remember, there's no need to be embarrassed!)

  1. What if I have to pass gas?

Farts happen. And if you're bending, twisting, or stretching, it can be that much harder to hold them in.
If you pass gas in class, don't make a big deal about it. If the class is lively or if people notice, laugh about it. Otherwise, I-G-N-O-R-E! Just don't force them out, and consider skipping any foods that you know give you gas on days you have yoga! (This is a good reminder to avoid large meals a few hours before a yoga practice.)

I once taught a class where a guy kept farting all the way through class. He was new to the practice and was not the least bit embarrassed about it. They smelled. It was a full room. While we shouldn't be embarrassed about bodily functions (burps happen, too!), don't flaunt them!

  1. Am I supposed to fall asleep in savasana (corpse pose, the final relaxation)?

Savasana is not naptime, though it can feel that way. It is a time to allow the energy to return to the body, a chance to rejuvenate yourself after a yoga practice. You hover between waking and sleeping, in a state of relaxation. For new practitioners, or on days when you're super tired, you might fall asleep. I certainly have.
Don't worry. It's rare that anyone will notice and even rarer that you'll sleep so soundly that you won't hear the teacher rouse the class. Drooling and snoring sometimes happen in savasana. No big deal! As you progress in your practice, you'll notice the difference between napping and relaxation, and you'll be able to hold yourself in savasana without nodding off!

  1. What do I do if I fall over?

Just the other day, I fell out of the final stage of a four-part pose where you reach for the big toe with your fingers, take it out to the side, bring it back center to fold to the leg, and hold the leg out in front of you. My teacher called out an adjustment, and my leg just fell. I laughed. She laughed. I moved on.

If you fall in a pose and you're not injured, just keep going. In a crowded class, you likely aren't the first or the last. Focus your gaze and return to the pose. Keep working on the pose and consider taking a step back--not taking a bind or not going fully into the pose--until you've mastered control of the beginning steps. If you're falling out of more advanced poses, modify them or use a wall for support. Don't let falling shake your confidence. Commit to breathing and set your gaze, and you'll feel stronger in the pose.

  1. What if I have to go to the bathroom?

While teachers discourage students from leaving class unnecessarily, when nature calls, answer it. If you can "hold it" comfortably until the end of class, please try to do so; if it's uncomfortable or an emergency, just leave the class. No need to tell the teacher or apologize. Everyone has those kind of moments.
When I did teacher training, we joked that once we reached a series of twists, everyone left our self-paced practices one by one. (Those twists stimulated the digestive system, and it was early in the morning!) We came and went silently, not making a big deal.

The same goes for coughing fits, allergy attacks or anything else that should prompt the need for you to leave class. Head out quickly and quietly, and return the same way. Don't worry about other people noticing!

  1. I'm so sweaty! Is that normal?

Sweat is normal, and it's not gross! Don't be embarrassed if you sweat. It actually makes some poses easier, especially if you're trying to twist. If you're slipping around on your mat, place a beach towel or microfiber yoga towel on top. The microfiber towels are great because the more you sweat, the stickier they are. You can also keep a hand towel close by to wipe your face and arms and legs.

Though it seems counterintuitive, if you sweat a lot, wear more clothes. Ever try to do crow pose in shorts when your legs are sweaty? You slide right off! Pants will absorb more sweat than shorts, and especially in warm or hot classes, you'll appreciate that the extra fabric is preventing you from slipping. And how on earth can you focus your drishti (gaze) if you have sweat running down your third eye? I always wear a headband, and I recommend them for men and women alike.


Spill: Do you have an embarrassing yoga story?


Related links:
Yoga 101: Poses for Beginners
13 Yoga Poses for Runners
4 Lessons Learned from Listening to My Body

SparkRecipes.com editor Stepfanie Romine is a certified yoga teacher and co-author of "The SparkPeople Cookbook: Love Your Food, Lose the Weight." A vegan and runner, she has lived and cooked on three continents.