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Ignominious

I told my yoga instructor that I had been visiting various 24 Hour Fitness clubs and checking out their yoga. What was his take on that?

“Ignominious”.

Definition: involving a total loss of dignity and self-respect. Ouch. Fortunately I understood he was at least half joking.

I visited yoga classes at the Rancho Penasquitos, Pacific Beach, Mission Valley Center, and Point Loma clubs. After a few classes I began to understand the ignominious comment.

At Rancho Penasquitos, the instructor said we were now going to do “sun salutations”. We did something but it wasn’t a sun salutation—not even close.

At Mission Valley Center the instructor said she was going to stir in some Pilates just for fun. Pilates isn’t quite in the yogic tradition but okay.

The Point Loma and Pacific Beach classes were good but rudimentary. I did get frustrated at Point Loma because the instructor kept admonishing us to find a quiet spot but she never stopped talking so the quiet spot never arrived.

None of the instructors adjusted the students during the classes. I found a few people looking to me in the mirror to get an understanding of the position. Talk about the blind leading the blind. At a yoga studio I’m the one looking to others for guidance.

None of the instructors led the class in any mantras. There was no “ohmmmm”.

24Hour Fitness is a big faceless entity and an easy target. It’s true. What I found encouraging was that the classes were well attended.

There were people getting a taste of yoga in these classes; people who might have never tried yoga if it weren’t offered at their club. Who knows, some might continue to grow and move on to a studio or even private instruction.

Club Yoga: A good place to start or ignominious?

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I told my yoga instructor that I had been visiting various 24 Hour Fitness clubs and checking out their yoga. What was his take on that?

“Ignominious”.

Definition: involving a total loss of dignity and self-respect. Ouch. Fortunately I understood he was at least half joking.

I visited yoga classes at the Rancho Penasquitos, Pacific Beach, Mission Valley Center, and Point Loma clubs. After a few classes I began to understand the ignominious comment.

At Rancho Penasquitos, the instructor said we were now going to do “sun salutations”. We did something but it wasn’t a sun salutation—not even close.

At Mission Valley Center the instructor said she was going to stir in some Pilates just for fun. Pilates isn’t quite in the yogic tradition but okay.

The Point Loma and Pacific Beach classes were good but rudimentary. I did get frustrated at Point Loma because the instructor kept admonishing us to find a quiet spot but she never stopped talking so the quiet spot never arrived.

None of the instructors adjusted the students during the classes. I found a few people looking to me in the mirror to get an understanding of the position. Talk about the blind leading the blind. At a yoga studio I’m the one looking to others for guidance.

None of the instructors led the class in any mantras. There was no “ohmmmm”.

24Hour Fitness is a big faceless entity and an easy target. It’s true. What I found encouraging was that the classes were well attended.

There were people getting a taste of yoga in these classes; people who might have never tried yoga if it weren’t offered at their club. Who knows, some might continue to grow and move on to a studio or even private instruction.

Club Yoga: A good place to start or ignominious?

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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