Racial tension, Racist, Racist remarks

White Woman Mad that Black Woman Joined Her Yoga Class

The ReadyWriter

exerciseclass

Jen Caron, a self-described “skinny white girl,” enjoys yoga. Or at least she did—until a large black woman joined her yoga class.

A few weeks ago, as I settled into an exceptionally crowded midday class, a young, fairly heavy black woman put her mat down directly behind mine. It appeared she had never set foot in a yoga studio—she was glancing around anxiously, adjusting her clothes, looking wide-eyed and nervous. Within the first few minutes of gentle warm-up stretches, I saw the fear in her eyes snowball, turning into panic and then despair. Before we made it into our first downward dog, she had crouched down on her elbows and knees, head lowered close to the ground, trapped and vulnerable. She stayed there, staring, for the rest of the class.

Over the course of the next hour, I watched as her despair turned into resentment and then contempt. I felt it all directed toward me and my body.

Imagine: there you are, in yoga class, when all of a sudden, directly behind you, you sense a fairly heavy black woman who you can feel directing resentment directly at your body. Reality—or nightmare?

I say if you were focusing on your yoga class and not the large black woman behind you, it wouldn’t have mattered.

Published by The ReadyWriter

Writer, Published Author, CEO of ReadyWriter Production Company and Blog Talk Radio Host.

31 thoughts on “White Woman Mad that Black Woman Joined Her Yoga Class”

  1. Everyone has to start somewhere. Maybe this woman wanted to try yoga to help her be more fit but instead of encouraging her or offering the first timer some assistance, you judge her. Girl bye!

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  3. Oh the ignorance!
    I was so intimidated the first time i did yoga, i got ugly stares from ugly wrinkle face white women with sagging butts, but i did not care, i wanted to master it, thank God i had a great teacher, she is also white and very sweet

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  6. This woman sound self-absorbed. If the the young black woman was pissed it may have been because the instructor didn’t help her.

    Get over yourself trick.

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  7. I felt the same way when I joined my class! I was the only black person aside from my teacher. If you have a good teacher she/he will put you in the perfect state of mind to accomplish your goal.

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  10. I agree with you Tra whateva the black chick was doin shouldn’t have effeced her one way or another. bitch need to get over herself

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  16. This is a story of a paranoid, racist white woman. I’m sure the black woman wasn’t even tripping off of her. (O_O) –> side eye

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  19. Black women and yoga….Mm I’m not flexible enough for yoga or pilates. You really have to be flexible to get any benefits from it.

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