Good Advice
Introducing Well+Good’s Ethicist: The stealing yoga teacher
Petty thievery at the pump
As a city, we’re spending more time sweating together in tight clothes, frequenting hundreds of studios that each have their own culture and code of conduct. It’s totally new social terrain. So it’s no surprise that a whole new genre of ethical conundrums is cropping up. To address these issues of, um, sweatiquette, Well+Good’s Ethicist consults the experts, and wields a 20-pound kettlebell gavel of judgement.
The topic we explore in this first installment: “What do you do when you catch your yoga teacher stealing.” (Yes, we went there.)
“I practice yoga at Equinox. After class I saw my yoga teacher filling up a very large bottle with Kiehl’s lotion in the locker room. It had to be at least 12 ounces, if not more, and it took her a full minute to fill. She was not trying to hide her actions at all. Should I have reported her to the club’s management?” —Heather, West Village
We totally consider this stealing. Gyms provide shampoo, soap, and lotion as an in-club amenity, not as a back bar for members’ home use. Just ’cause there’s not a bar code on it, doesn’t mean it isn’t stealing.
That said, we weren’t sure about turning her in, so we asked Leslie Kaminoff, the yoga teacher’s teacher. Here’s what he said: “Yes, you should absolutely report it. It’s petty thievery, especially if it’s an employee doing the stealing.”
Then Kaminoff said he wished you’d felt empowered to confront the teacher in the moment. “Teachers should not seem unapproachable. If they are true teachers they should welcome questions and criticism, as well as praise. A teacher is a life-long student.”
Not wanting to speak for Equinox, Kaminoff also shared our reader’s dilemma with a big muckety-muck at the fitness club for their judgement call. The Equinox exec’s two cents? “She totally should’ve felt free to tell management. It definitely IS theft.”
Got an ethical dilemma? Is someone in your life lacking sweatiquette? Email us with your questions and conundrums and we’ll find you an expert to help solve them in a future Well+Good Ethicist article. You can remain as anonymous as you’d like. And we may change names to protect the innocent (or guilty).
It sounds like a lot of assumptions are at play and not totally fair- what if the teacher was filling the bottle to be used in the studio (maybe her hands get really dry when she’s teaching, or something), and she wasn’t actually stealing. Also, minding your own business is a pretty key spiritual practice.
Further, if this teacher was a true yogi she would be living her values, not merely teaching a yoga class. Yoga is about SO much more than movement…
As a potential role model, she should encompass ALL that yoga esteems to be…and Asteya (non-stealing) is one of the Yamas, the first of the eight limbs of yoga.
Peace, Kate
The instructor should be questioned about Asteya (one of the five yamas: non-stealing).
True–she could be using the lotion in class, or for a legitimate purpose, but Lisa “minding your own business is a pretty key spiritual practice”??? Where did you ever learn that? You might has well say “Stop Snitchin’!”
I love ethical questions…keep em coming!
“what if the teacher was filling the bottle to be used in the studio” — this argument may fly better if this happened BEFORE class.
I have just been advised that this post is being sent out as a memo to all the Equinox yoga teachers.
My mucky-muck friend is having a blast with this, by the way.
this example is so petty, get a life and mind your own business. Keep your opinions to youself and practice non-judgement, is’nt that what you jogi’s are mean’t to be doing??
ps. stealing or not stealing, how about the fact that refilling your bottle is just plain unclassy behavior. I am a group fitness instructor and would be embarrassed to see one of my brethren doing this.
Perhaps this particular teacher missed the lesson in teacher training about the Yamas and Asteya..or maybe the teacher took a weekend crash course to become a yoga teacher and that “training” didn’t include a thorough explanation of those Limbs…or perhaps the club wasn’t paying her enough?? LOL
As for using the lotion in class- I believe (nobody has to pounce if I am wrong, go easy- I was advised in training) that as a yoga teacher, I am permitted to lay hands on a person in a very different way then does a massage therapist- yoga teacher touches one spot and does not slide or rub..massage therapists can (obviously) use lotion and rub..and if the yoga teacher IS a massage therapist as well, they still (theoretically) should not be using lotion on students while wearing their yoga teacher “hat”…no rubbing, and no “borrowing” lotion from the club..