Why?

Today's Led Class got me thinking about the WHY of yoga. Two new students came in and the teacher took ten minutes before class to overwhelm them with information. It reminded me of my  first class. The teacher asked me to come early, so she could give me the necessary info. That info turned out to be: Here is the changing room, Here is the toilet and questions like: Is this your first yoga class? And: Do you have any injuries?

I changed studios and teachers a few times, and realized today that not once has a teacher told me WHY I should practice yoga. Today I listened to the teacher, filling up the new students:

"Hi, welcome to Ashtanga Yoga. You are going to learn Primary Series (vague look in the students eyes), or at least half of it. This is a led class. This is not Mysore style. I will teach you the asanas (still, the vague look). That are the poses of yoga. But there is more. Did you know Ashtanga stands for eight limbs  (students start blinking their eyes)?

Do you know Ujjayi breath? No? It is simple. Can you breath in a way you would fog a mirror? Do it! (...) Yes, like that! But with more power. Again. (...) And again. (...) Yes, like that. Now, with your mouth closed. (...) I want to hear that breath during the whole practice (students start to panic).

Do you know where your bandhas are?  We'll start with uddiyana bandha. Just try to hold up your pee. It is about the muscles between your genitals and your anus (students think: who are you and why are you talking about my anus?)

Okay, enough for now. Let's start."