Article in April 2004 SELF Magazine Re Compromising Positions

[SpiritYogi]

Did anyone read the article about yoga and other fitness trainers taking advantage of their students? This doesn't really surprise me, but seeing that Rodney Yee is included in this group did. Apparently, in a recent interview, Yee admitted he has had sexual relationships with his students. Oh, and did I mention that after 20 years of marriage, Yee and his wife are now divorcing. Hmm........ wonder if those affairs he had with his students had anything to do with it. :rolleyes: He also apparently puts the blame on his female students for allowing it to happen.

This is a big disappointment to me. I have a couple of Yee's yoga DVD's and really like his style of teaching, but my opinion of him as a person really took a nosedive after reading this article. I'll continue to practice yoga with the workouts I currently have, but I don't have the respect and awe of him I used to.

How does everyone else feel about this? Am I being too judgemental, or do you think my thoughts and feelings are justified?

[scrapngail]

I hate to hear that. I only have one of Yee's videos and of course I don't know him, but he just didn't seem the type.

Now there is another male yoga instructor that I'd be more inclined to believe that about.

[ardnas]

I saw this article, too, and while yoga is not my thing, I thought that was very poor judgement on his (and the others) part!
I guess if it was mutually consented to on both parts, to each their own, but I believe a person in such a role, whether it be teacher, president, athlete has a moral obligation as a role model to not do such things!

[wansley]

I read the article too. Found Yees quotes to be disturbing. Although I know people are misquoted sometimes. Trying to put this article behind me, cause I love Yees workouts. It seems hard to try to relax and do a yoga workout with all that negative info floating around in my head. Anyway, I would pass on this article if you like Yees workouts. Hopefully it'll pass right out of mind soon , like other important details seem to do.

[Jo1]

I agree. I try not to be judgmental, but as a teacher I find it very hard to have respect for Yee. I don't think it matters what subject a teacher teaches. Teachers of any subject need to respect the position of educator by not taking advantage of students. Students put their trust in teachers. When you lose your integrity, what kind of teacher are you?

[cmiyachi]

I take Iyengar yoga from an instructor who studies under Patricia Walden and she knows a lot about Yee. He has been known in the Iyengar community to be sexual with his students and has for years. He and his wife have been separated before. This is really sad behavior.

When I took yoga in NYC in the 1980s there was a male instructor who would adjust us hard (seemed to be in favor back then) and would catch a squeeze when he could. We all noticed it and discussed it in the locker room after class. Eventually, we all left the class.

[SpiritYogi]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels disappointed in Yee. Like Wansley said, Yee may have been misquoted, or his comments could have been taken out of context, but he had such a flippant, "what business is it of yours" attitude that it really made me want to smack him up side the head. Guess I'd better practice my meditiation more. :rolleyes:

It will be difficult to forget his actions and comments while practicing yoga with one of his DVD's, but I guess it will just make my focus and concentration that much stronger.............I hope.

[Susan G.]

A couple of my theatre teachers recognized that certain disciplines particularly can usher powerful emotions in the student/teacher relationship and bend over backwards to avoid abuse. One single writing teacher made it a strict rule never to date students; another acting teacher wanted to discourage anyone making him a "guru" figure and would not allow anyone to study from him more than two rounds of classes. I'll add that these guys were two of my best teachers.

There are several authors/teachers/stylemakers that I know something about and would not want in my life personally. It's difficult to process that I can admire someone's innovation, but not the human being.

Susan G.

[ARTYGIRL]

I live near where Yee teaches and took a class from him once. While I found him to be perfectly appropriately behaved and a good teacher, there were several women in the class who were being as suggestive with him as they possibly could without coming right out and grabbing his crotch. I found this so creepy (along with the intense clique-ism and the huge "suck-up" vibe that a lot of the students, both male and female, were giving off) that I never went back.

I'm not necessarily inclined to judge all of his work by his personal issues. It seems fairly obvious to me that there were lots of willing volunteers, and coercion was probably not an issue. And he's basically stuck to his story that these were former students rather than current students. It doesn't mean I endorse adultery (although I don't know what kind of arrangement he and his wife might have) or even that I'm sticking up for him, because I'm not really. But I guess I'm just saying I don't have any expectations of him as a person just because I like his yoga videos and his style of instruction.

That was a whole lot of typing for not very much input, wasn't it?

Marie

[FirmDancer]

I saw another article on the same subject, and I think it was in one of the yoga magazines. What I thought was nice was that they discussed the issues but didn't mention any names.