CROW POSEI was in a yoga workshop when my phone started
vibrating. I could hear it from my mat. It was a
new phone; I had just gotten it the day before
and didn’t know how to turn it all the way off. In
a moment of panic, I went over to my bag and
tried to bury the phone more deeply in case it
vibrated again. When someone’s phone goes off
in class, it drives the other students crazy, which
is why nobody ever admits when it’s theirs.
When I teach yoga, I strongly discourage peo-
ple from bringing their phones into the studio.
If I see someone on their mat texting before we
start, I’ll ask them to step out until they’re done.
Because if they’ve left work, found a babysitter
for their kids, decided not to go to the grocery
store instead—if they’ve gone to all of that effort
to come to yoga, then I encourage them to fol-
low through and really let go of their obligations
while they’re on the mat. “Let this be your time,”
I tell them. Among other things, this means
unplugging.
But sitting with yourself without the easy
distraction a device provides—people have a
very difficult time doing that. Without distrac-
tions, stuff comes up. And I don’t mean nagging
thoughts like, “I need to go the grocery store.” I
mean all of the stuff you’ve managed to avoid: the
uncomfortable thoughts, the relationships that
didn’t work out, the bad feelings you’ve had about
yourself. If you always have a device in front of
you, you never need to confront those things.
I would never forbid a student from bringing a
phone into the studio, but if I could, I would ask
everyone to turn their devices off and put them
away not just at the beginning of class but a few
minutes before class, to help them transition
into their practice. I don’t know if that’s a real-
istic request. Devices are so much a part of our
culture now.
But I try not to sweat the small stuff, honestly.
If your phone rings in class, your phone rings in
class. It’s not the end of the world.