The Difference Between a Yoga Shala and a Studio.

Albert Einstein teaching physics

Clarity is vital in living a path with minimal resistance. When we know what it is we are looking for, and know where to seek it, confusion and conflict is less likely to happen. To arrive at a restaurant and be disappointed you cant loan any books, or sit down in a math class and be annoyed you can’t paint …. seems like self-destructive behaviour and something easily avoided. Its akin to travelling to a new country and constantly comparing it to how its not done the way it is back home, but that is another blog on its own and I digress. But what happens when the distinction between a restaurant and a library is not so clear? What happens when we leave the marketing of restaurants and libraries to marketing firms that have never been to either? Or worse, the owner of a restaurant is not sure the difference between them both. Welcome to the confusion of modern day yoga. 

Before I embark on this very difficult task to attempt a distinction, I would like to state no one class is better than the other. To attend classes of any form widens our horizon on life, and to teach any form of class is a kind act of sharing. This article is an attempt to make a clarification in this much needed day and age, to minimise easily prevented disappointment as a result of confusion from marketing companies. There are many places of exercise that also provide supplementary classes to gain education such as anatomy. However, I refer to main focus of the class subject. There is of course various classes to gain skills too such as tennis or golf, where you learn a skill for exercise. Spiritual benefit can also happen when you deepen into attaining a skillset, however, as long as no tools or knowledge gained during the class is to be used outside of the class, or the learning is only for the duration of the class and not to be benefit of life beyond the class, it shall be categorised as a place of exercise. I also want to note that any reason to start yoga is a good one, the majority of the time what starts as a physical attraction at the beginning turns into deeper gain and an education that penetrates into every aspect into their life, if the authentic teachings are present. Therefore attending a place of education initially for exercise may well end up with an education as well. 

In places of education, the primary focus is to gain knowledge or tools to be used out of the classroom setting, where the development of the mind or internal self is the main goal, be it through books, prayer, meditation or physical movement. In places like a yoga shala or martial art dojos, physical movement is a tool for gaining an education/knowledge about the self and to learn  ancient practices in respect and tradition. The primary goal is not weight loss, cardio fitness, muscle mass gain or increased flexibility at either of these places, although it may happen as an aftereffect. Once the difference is clearly defined, automatically, you will know which behaviours are unnecessary, unacceptable or plain rude. 

The definition of ‘Shala’. 

Shala is a word in Sanskrit meaning ‘home’. A yoga shala, is a home where yoga is shared and experienced. You don’t enter a home anywhere in Asia with your shoes on, you don’t enter a home ignoring the owner/holder of its space, nor do you walk out doing the same. In most cultures, when you enter a home of another, you do so respectfully, peaceful, quiet, greeting the person that owns the home, and thanking them when you leave their space, you clean up after yourself and leave no trace of your presence. 

Ip Man Kung Fu Master with Student Bruce Lee

Places of education have no place in the ever growing fitness industry. Not to mention it will be incredibly frustrating to attend a BoxFit class and expect to get an education about the history, traditions and philosophical teachings of Kung Fu. It simply is not the purpose. Yoga is no different from Kung Fu, it is an ancient art with a practice that is steeped in history, text, traditions, many tools and skills for the purposes to gain an education about our internal self workings for both the betterment of our journey here and its place in world. Yoga is taught in a shala. You will not gain an education in yoga attending asana (physical postures) classes at a studio. Similarly it will be difficult to communicate with a teacher in a shala about counting calories or body fat percentage, as it is just not the purpose. 

In a yoga studio, an instructor is hired by the studio usually by the hour or by percentage of clients attending. They are in service of those attending to make sure they get a workout or stretch, to feel they got an exercise session where some techniques requiring strength or flexibility is exhibited. If a physical challenge and physical gain is the primary goal, then these classes maybe ideal, however there are other forms of exercise such as contortion or gymnastics or callisthenics that may produce faster results more efficiently than an asana class at the studio I this is your personal focus. Unfortunately, ego’s are usually expanded as a side effect. 

In a yoga shala, the teachers have dedicated their lives, many sacrificing a normal schedule and common daily habits, to educate others willing to learn yoga. Only ONE dynamic is happening in a yoga shala, that you are there to learn to be an improved person from the teacher that is teaching. To try to bring in another dynamic is to create friction. Understanding this fundamental difference will save much embarrassment and conflict but most of all allow a conducive environment for both for student and teacher to maximise information transfer. 

In a shala, the teacher is not there to cater to students, quite the opposite, as it is a place for self improvement and refection to take place, the teachers will commonly make known, or balance, tendencies in order to bring awareness and consideration for the practice, yourself and others around you. Quite often your ego will react to the teacher, it makes part of the journey of self improvement, egos flare before they die, as a result teachers in a shala are not there to be liked, as it is their life’s work to bring the experience of yoga to others, and this requires an immense amount of love, patience and dedication to each student. They are not in in the service industry, they are in a sacred personal space, a home, a shala, which they created to educate those showing up to learn. They are not obligated to make you feel comfortable, pamper nor to know what thoughts, opinions or information you have derived from any source, regardless from where it was attained, be it another teacher, youtube, facebook, ig, a retreat or a workshop elsewhere. To do so is rather disrespectful, like coming into someones home to eat a dinner that was cooked for you and saying you had the same thing elsewhere better. If we are truly a student of yoga, our awareness in behaviour should always be increasing with each year of practice that passes. In a yoga shala, you are there to learn from a teacher that is so deeply routed in their journey they become the wall you lean on so that you may have a place to do the work, a teacher that is meant to teach you life tools for a steady platform from which unsteadiness can be observed. This is why we go to shalas.

A benefit of being empowered with this distinction also give us the privilege of having clarity spill over into other areas of confusion. To know this is also to recognise, there is no course or trainings within a week, month, 200hrs or 500hrs that will allow you to be qualified to be a professor of physics at a university, become a jiu jitsu instructor at a dojo or a yoga teacher at a shala. Now it makes sense that in order to be an educator in a specialist field, it requires years of practice in the topic and life dedication to the subject matter. To know this makes you so much more respectful of the person you have arrived to learn from, keeping you both grateful whilst humble, both virtuous traits you gained via entering the space from choice. The flow of energy and exchange of the relationship is agreeable and symbiotic. Teachers who educate have made life sacrifices to research their field, and even more sacrifices to bring it to others. They therefore expect more from you, because the room is not where it ends, unlike an exercise class. The commitment, applications and learning continues outside the classroom. For example we learn this at an early age with homework, in college with research papers, in yoga with practising awareness in our behaviour off the yoga mat. To gain an education, reading and self study is a must, there is no other way around it, and it's a great way to know if we are attending a place that educates or provides workouts. In places of education regarding our internal self, or spiritual education, you will typically find an area in the room dedicated to respecting the tradition and others that came before you or were responsible for the teachings be it religious, spiritual, yoga or martial art. 

A Dojo

A Yoga Shala

Everyone should exercise. Everyone should on being a better human.

Exercise is great, its important. I threw myself in to exercise in my 20s and before my wedding. Done kickboxing for cardio fitness, pole dance class for fun, almost drowned myself a little trying out surfing and long walks with my dog and husband in nature just to move. And I practice yoga for a multitude of things, but mostly, for a life purpose of self improvement as a human. 

Exercise may make part of my life, but is not my life purpose, I have no intention to teach it, nor expect an education in it. My spiritual practice, my education in self inquiry is my yoga practice. This is how I personally make a distinction. This approach has made certain things fall into place within the yoga too, it cultivated a healthy attitude. It allows me to to try my best but not get too attached what my body can or cannot do during the practice, as after all its not an exercise. It allows me a wider perspective on the meaning of a yoga practice too. 

As of this month January 2019, the world population is 7.7 billion. There is something for everyone. It just now requires bit more effort to :

1. Know what it is you are seeking

2. Take some time to research where to find it

3. If you are teaching, know to which category you belong by being clear within yourself what is your primary focus, to provide workout or education, and inform truthfully to the people attending, so you don’t inadvertently create havoc in your own industry. There is no wrong or right, just clear dissemination of information for the benefit for all

4. Direct confused individuals to the right direction if what they seek is not what you provide with no judgement

A Yoga Shala philosophy class.

The Unavoidable Grey Area

As a Yoga Shala owner, I do this regularly. Many individuals come in and tell me they want to start yoga to lose weight, or don’t want to start yoga cause they cant touch the floor, or get offended easily when they are told to do something they don’t want to. There is no problem to attend classes in a shala for exercise, but you do limit yourself to all that the shala has to offer. I let them know that it is not the primary focus of the teachings within my shala, that I would instead teach them an ancient practice for them to gain mobility, bring about physical challenges as an opportunity to build character, teach them tools to access a calmer mind so that if they so choose, will slowly find integrity and a wider perspective to make better choices for themselves to lead them towards happiness. I wont lie, not all of them get it, some of them walk away, some of them try it out and its not for them at they point in their life, and some of them practice for years without homework (swadhaya) and remain in the same place internally with minimal growth. I’m only sharing what I attempt to do myself everyday. I believe just as ‘Many Roads Lead to Rome’, there are a billion different journeys to our soul, everybody creates their own path. I also do have students that are in there for a ‘stretch’ or to supplement their primary activity such as golf, mma, running or physiotherapy with yoga. Yoga will help all activities, however all other activities will not help with yoga, and usually after some years, progression (external and internal) will slow down or stagnate unless a choice to learn yoga takes priority. 

A place of exercise is a place of business, they are there in service to you, and as a byproduct, may cater to our egos. A place of education is not. If you are rude or misbehave, you could be instructed to leave, or just like in kindergarten placed in a corner until your ego has subsided. Only a strong desire to learn keeps us from dropping out from the learning process. 

Walk into a class if what they offer is what you desire, and be receptive to the way it is taught. There is no scenario where you can attend a chemistry lecture with headphones on because you don’t want to listen to the professor, and still look respectful or logical. In a shala, if you don’t want to listen to instruction or receive physical correction from the teacher, practice at home until what they offer is what you desire.

To complicate things even more, occasionally a place of exercise is rented momentarily to be a place of education and vice versa. You may find a Les Mills class in a school hall, or a yoga shala for a few hours in a studio. Making things even less comprehensible, teachers without a substantial time in their chosen field may confuse themselves to which their class belong, as an educator or exercise instructor. The fitness market as of today is a USD90billion dollar industry globally. To keep things marketable, constant reinvention of product is necessary, no matter where the inspiration comes from, some from completely new and novel ideas, and others derived from repackaged ancient practices fused with other exercises to make it more palatable.

In an age of fake reviews, purchased followers, paid likes, false news, attaining truthful information without anterior agenda is more difficult than ever, it is the trade off for the wide range of options available to us today. So clarity is not only essential, it is vital because it is only a stepping stone, as after that you are left to your own research to find the place that best suits your needs. Make the best decisions for yourself, try everything in life as long as you know what you are going for and ready to give a chance to what is on offer. 

I am aware most topics in the world is not black & white, and there are many areas of grey not discussed in this already long article. However, I also believe to not understand the meaning of words that we speak will also lead to a lost in value of language itself. Therefore to not attempt to have this out there in aide of clarification for the benefit of many, will lead to a degradation and an unsurmountable angst in a world increasingly difficult to navigate. 

Go Forth

This was a difficult one to write for many reasons. It is far from perfect, and doesn’t cover a ton of other aspects, topics and considerations that I would have liked. But I would like to believe it is a start to helping all that has ever attended any class and those attempting to teach those classes. Have a think if the main purpose of your class is educating you with tools and knowledge or providing you  with a workout. Get an Education or Exercise? 

A Silent Class of Internal Self Education