To think it's no big deal to ask someone to more their yoga mat slightly

[Whatalife58]

I was at a yoga class today which is popular. It was no crammed just busy. I tapped a woman in front of me to and politely asked a woman if she could move her mat up a little. If looks could kill! I was greeted with a face like thunder. Not exactly in the spirit of yoga.

This should go in Classics, it's such a MN AIBU

Yanbu that wasn't very yogic off her!

Ha ha, I get quite grumpy with a certain person at Pilates who positions her mat in the middle which then takes up two spaces, I've not worked up the energy to ask her to move and glaring has no effect. Sadly I've started arriving early enough to put my mat in her favoured place so that she has to go elsewhere .

I probably wouldn't appreciate being tapped rather than just asked, but then my natural spikiness makes me incompatible with yoga, so that solves that issue for me! Did she move her mat?

Maybe she was getting all her ugly thoughts out before getting down to it

Would have asked her but the class was very quiet and I thought it wasn't appropriate. I left it for 10 minutes or so into the class in the hope she might realise. I would have moved myself but was up the back and had nowhere to move. She meanwhile had a lot of space in front.

I would have asked before the class started. It'd be very distracting to be tapped/asked once you've started.

Having said that, it's very bad form to not make sure you aren't encroaching on others' space in yoga.

mmm hmmm

It's a bit out of order to interrupt someone's practice. It's meant to be a meditation after all.

You should have said at the beginning.

Maybe mention the layout to the people who run the class.

I thought people at yoga would very zen until I witnessed a furious whispered row. Woman A had laid down her mat and was getting in the zone when woman B came in and asked Woman A to move because 'I always sit there.'

Then another woman (who is a flight attendant) got involved and tried to sort the situation but just made it worse (perhaps forgetting she wasn't wearing the uniform! ) in the end Woman B had to go in the back row and look daggers at woman A in the mirror.

Yoga-gate!

Bloody hell! Our yoga teacher would have thrown them both out.

That's why I get there early. To claim 'my' spot! There's even a bit of speedy walking down the corridor action after signing in to get there to get your spot!

If it wasn't busy then why couldn't you find a space that meant you didn't need anyone to move?
It's not considered good form to interrupt someone in a class.

Sounds like op was already in position and was invaded. Sometimes you don't realise how close you are until practise begins.

Yeah and you end up about an inch away from someone's backside

I have often been surprised at how unfriendly people in yoga classes seem to be what with it being meditative etc... Plus have the added London "trendy" / yummy mummy thing going on which also takes the shine off. You're supposed to be feeling at one with the universe and instead your feeling inadequate and alienated (IMO).

you're not your

She may just have that kind of face (unposed photos suggest that I have a cats-bum face, even when I think I am looking neutral or even quite content) :-|

My yoga class is of the slightly dotty kind: "get your leg up Elsie...that's it love,"

But still attracts some ..um..competitive souls

Thank goodness my yoga class is of the non-competitive variety! In fact we all do a sort of misery competitiveness at how crap we are at our turtles and dogs !

OP are you in London per chance

Miserable moo.

First time I went to a particular yoga class at my gym, I innocently put my mat down next to someone already there. (not next to in a weird, too-close way, just normal distance). Felt a bit of an 'atmosphere'. Then another woman came in, walked up to us with a glacial face on and said 'I usually go there.'

Was so shocked I apologised and moved, but wished heartily afterwards I'd faced off and said 'Well, I'm here today' or similar. So petty. I guess she wanted to practise next to her friend, but these were grown-ups, not 7-year-olds.

My class is a bit like that o
Bog. We have 'a forest of wobbly trees' and laugh at the knees creaking on the way down!

Totally agree above. Who cares about moving a bit. It was a low key, fairly informal yoga class at a gym I can tell you with absolute certainty that the person with her mat touching mine was not in a meditative state. And I don't just mean when I 'tapped' her.

Yes our yoga teacher occasionally says: " oh hang on ive missed a bit out.." And puts her glasses on and consults her book.

Op - don't worry about it, it's just yoga.