The more I teach, the more I need to stretch. After teaching the last class of the evening, and after everyone else had left, I decided to take some me-time to really stretch and submerse myself with music from the studio stereo.
The room has a wall of ‘windows’ looking out to the rest of the gym and even with all the lights off, there are a few still on and anyone can still see me to one corner stretching. So, with flowing music, I enjoyed a few yoga poses and stretches.
At one point, while in a swan’s pose, I noticed in one of the mirrors that someone had come into the studio. As I continued, I thought nothing of their entrance until my eyes were shocked into brightness when she turned on all the lights (there were 3 light switches). It is very clear now if it wasn’t before, that I was in the room stretching with the lights off and the music on pretty loud. She then proceeded to walk across the studio, pick up an excercise ball and then bounce the ball (like it was a basket ball) to the other side of the studio where she planned to do her thing.
You can only imagine what was going through my head with every bounce.
As I tried to calm my breath, I had a lot of difficulty thinking of her motivation for what I can only describe as purposely finding ways to make the environment the least favourable for someone trying to stretch. At one point, I even think I saw a smirk on her face and wondered what I had ever done to her.
I am not suggesting that the studio was for my use exclusively and would have happily encouraged anyone else to use it as well. However, there is such a thing as respectfully sharing space.
Turning on one light, no bouncing balls, you know – that sort of thing, and in return, I would have turned down the music. As it was, I left soon after since the moment had been lost to me.
I hate when I allow other people to ruin my moments. So instead, I drove away with the song on loud in my car as I tried to relax without the stretch. It worked too. The stretch just would have made it that much better.
I think she’s happy she ruined my moment, and if that’s where she gets her enjoyment in life, then I feel very sad for her. She must have learned some pretty sad and pathetic lessons in life to go through it being purposely rude.
- Daisy
