I'm Just Here for the Savasana

During my last yoga teacher training weekend the question about what to do when someone falls asleep in class? What do you do when someone falls asleep?!

My first thought was to gently wake them up or talk loudly next to them. Because they are there to practice yoga and they are missing it, right? But then when we got the discussion going I realized maybe today that person's yoga practice is taking a rest. That might be exactly what their body, mind or heart needed at that moment. And that should be respected. So let them sleep!

As a future yoga teacher I hope to create a safe and calming environment so that an near stranger can feel comfortable enough to fall asleep on their mat.

Some one else asked what we should do if they start to snore or make sleeping noises that disrupt the class- then should we wake them up? And the consensus was still a no. That as teachers we should let them snore away!

It is not about the person making the "disturbance" but about the person that would have a problem with it. Obviously the person snoring is ok with it and unbothered. It is the attitude of the people who might be annoyed with the snoring that's needs to be evaluated.

An occurrence like this can be used as a lesson to really stay on your own mat and focus on yourself and be mindful of the sensations you are feeling in YOUR body during YOUR yoga practice. And one of those sensations might be your ears hearing snoring. But that sensation should be observed and not judged.