I can certainly relate! A few weeks ago, I had a craving for a sandwich. A sandwich made with white bread, and I mean white bread aka Wonderbread! I thought to myself, what would people think at the grocery store if I bought Wonderbread and not some fancy 48 grain whole wheat bread? Should I go to an out of the way 7-11 where no one would recognize me? All I can say is that that tuna fish sandwich sure was tasty, and oddly, not crunchy with bits of oats, nuts, and grain getting stuck between my teeth!

For me it wasn't much food that I felt the need to conceal, but rather the fact that I acctually get sick sometimes. I've had a student tell me that she could not believe I had a cold. And another was shocked and a little disapointed when, after I took a fall down the hill in my back yard I had a bit of a stiff neck the next day in class. It's probably self imposed on some level but I do feel that some of my students think I should be the most flexible and healthy person they know. It used to bother me more when I first started teaching about 10 years ago, but eventually I came to the same conclusion as you...we're human!!

I am giggling! I too think it's unhealthy to deny yourself.
Thanks for the giggle.

Good for you! I actually stopped going to a yoga studio after having a teacher berate me for eating meat. I also love chocolate. I tell my students all the time that no one is perfect, that includes me. Besides without a little chocolate, life would get pretty dull. Food is fuel, but sometimes it needs to be fun fuel!!!

It's hard to take a teacher (or a fellow student, for that matter) seriously if she doesn't seem to have any vices or weaknesses. I'm most drawn to fellow yog(in)is who are honest about themselves, without being self-indulgent about it. I'm open about the fact that I like to drink a beer and watch Star Trek after Monday night class. I don't think that makes me less of a yogi.

I agree with the others - good for you! One of the key characteristics of a great teacher is one who can humble you with their HUMAN-NESS... My own yoga teacher is briliant at what she does but occasionally she will slip up - and laugh at her own mistake. I adore that about her and it makes me admire her even more.

I have been on courses where other yogis turn up with a tub of salad and complain loudly about the fact that I have chosen to have a packet of crisps next to my dairy-free vegetarian sandwich (my own personal choice - I respect others' dietary choices, and I expect the same in return). I have also been on courses where the centre offered chocolates to students and were occasionally given a verbal ticking-off by some righteous visitor.

I think that's what I fear will happen to me when I happen to drop by the chip shop (or takeaway) - especially if I'm on the way back from teaching a class! I love the passage in the Gita that says "Yoga is a harmony. Not for him who eats too much, or for him who eats too little; not for him who sleeps too little, or for him who sleeps too much" - Bhagavad Gita, 6:16

Yoga is not about imposing shame or judgement on ourselves or our students... A balanced diet will (occasionally) involve yummy, yet entirely unwholesome food - and thank the heavens for it! ~ Namasté

hi Erica..i love ur blog..i'm doing yoga teacher training right now..so ur blog is very inspiring..i can totally relate to ur experience..i'm currently studying nutrition as well, and sometimes i feel embarassed if i dont have a healthy snacks, or lunch in my hand. But, sometime, the urge to eat chocolate is even greater than the emabrassment itself.. especially during PMS.. :))

Thanks for drawing attention to the elephant in the room: yoga teachers (and dedicated yogis) are human, too! Life is too short to deprive ourselves of cupcakes. Or an amazing slice of pizza. Or a flavorful glass of red wine. Or a bacon cheeseburger--on occasion. I totally understand and respect the "cleaner" diets of some yogis, but I feel good about my "everything in moderation" approach. And it makes me feel good to know that I'm not alone here. Thanks!

Thanks for drawing attention to the elephant in the room: yoga teachers (and dedicated yogis) are human, too! Life is too short to deprive ourselves of cupcakes. Or an amazing slice of pizza. Or a flavorful glass of red wine. Or a bacon cheeseburger--on occasion. I totally understand and respect the "cleaner" diets of some yogis, but I feel good about my "everything in moderation" approach. And it makes me feel good to know that I'm not alone here. Thanks!

Spot on. I'm vegetarian. Cake is vegetarian... Hurray! I live and teach in Ireland and one evening, a couple of years ago at the end of a yoga term, a few of us went to the pub for a pint (an activity I very rarely have time for!). In jest, a couple of them made a bit of a cafuffle about me having a pint. I also go to a class geared for teachers, and the small group of us that attend usually go for a natter after class - and a cappucino to wash down the billion calorie pastries we order, and then chuckle about "balance" in life.

An interesting dillema for sure. :-)

The Yoga Sutras and Buddhist philosophy both talk about the "emptyness" of material things and it is very strange to me that as yogis we seem to forget that when it comes to our food. :-)

It's not the food that causes us harm, its the mental axel we wrap ourselves around when it comes to the food we eat and the stories we create for ourselves about our diets

I'm not proposing that we all fall completely off the wagon (another relative term) because there are some things to be said about eating a "mostly" healthy diet but I'm the first person to unconciously grab a piece of chocolate out of the candy bowl on my way through the office.

As long as you are present and honest with yourself about what is driving your food choices (both healthy and not so healthy), all will be good.

Long live chocolate... :-)

Erica! Thank you for this. I already feel more free after reading your blog. I know that it is honesty and humaness that is most attractive in a teacher but I very often want to fit the 'mold' of a yoga teacher that I forget to present the most important element of my class - MYSELF! I struggle with my humaness because I remember when I first started practicing yoga, I assumed that my teachers lead a super healthy lifestyle and was always really surprised when they were sick, overweight or had pimples! I was a very judgemental yogi when I first started out. I now eat red meat once a week and I am proud of it! My thing is that we have to eat what is right for our bodies. I live and teach in the same neighborhood so it is not uncommon for me to see my students three times a day and I live in fear of them seeing me stressed out, angry, sloppy clothes or eating a hamburger or chocolate sundae. Not any more! I am insipred to present myself, as is, and will hopefully inspire my students to do the same!

Thank you so much for posting this! I must share this entry with others. :)