Smelly man in yoga class

[msmonstera]

I take a yoga class on Saturday afternoons. I really enjoy it and get a lot out of it. However over the last three weeks, a new man has attended. He enters the class absolutely stinking, even when he's just sitting there waiting. When the class gets going, his stench is borderline unbearable. I sit beside an open window, under air conditioning and even today when he was on the far side of my row, the stench was invasive and really distracting. It ruined the class for me, and probably for others too. The girl beside him looked ill afterwards.
I don't know the man, not even a first name. It is of course possible that he has mental health problems (his feet are in terrible condition too) and perhaps yoga is helpful to him.
It's a little awkward with the teacher, as whilst she is excellent, she is very young, new, not very assertive and doesn't have strong English. I also think she might be his friend, or perhaps she is just kinder than I and being extra nice to him.
I really don't want to give up a class I love at a time that suits because of some random man's hygiene problem but I don't see how to keep attending under these conditions. I left today's class angry which is not the point of yoga! Looking for advice.

Who runs the building ? Could you complain to them instead of the teacher ?

I would speak to someone at reception if at a gym or someone who runs the hall . Failing that I would be straight with the yoga instructor and tell her to have a word with him. I really hate it when people pussyfoot around with people who have personal hygiene issues and make excuses for them .

I emailed the studio before about something non-related to this. It's a set 'feedback' type box on the website and you get a 'thank you for your message' kind of answer rather than interaction with a person. Aside from the teachers there are only door staff, who are teenagers.

OMG- I feel the pain OP (well the stench! 😫)

I had a staff member like this. He absolutely stank and it was vile for the entire office. He had was well educated, but I can only assume that wearing anti-perspirant was not the norm in the country he was from? We then had complaints from customers. HR were useless. As embarrassing as it was, I took him aside and gave him a roll on mitchum. Never an issue again.

I would approach the teacher firstly. Maybe he isn't her friend at all.

I emailed the studio today. Still cross about it. A friend who works in a hospital suggested wearing Vicks!

This happened to a friend and I in exercise class last year. The smell made us feel ill. The second time he stopped and spoke to us afterwards and I held my wrist near my face so I could smell my perfume more.

My friend who was closest had the smell on her sleeve afterwards just by being in close proximity. I've never smelt anything, dead or alive, as repulsive. I don't know if it was medical, but possibly urine and something else.

We didn't feel able to tell him and the instructor must have known. Luckily he didn't return so the dilemma ended there.

The recollection makes me feel 🤢

Brave of you to have emailed the studio about it!

Definitely speak with reception staff. There are signs in my gym outlining everyone's responsibility to keep equipment clean, wipe it after use and to keep a good standard of personal hygiene so as to make it a nice environment for everyone (they even have cans of deodorant out for people to use). We all have off days where maybe we get sweatier than usual but for the stench to be that bad is completely unacceptable and someone needs to have a word. Its not fair for him to be making people feel physically ill when they have paid for that class.