{"id":37560,"date":"2015-11-17T15:18:25","date_gmt":"2015-11-17T20:18:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/?p=37560"},"modified":"2015-11-17T15:19:06","modified_gmt":"2015-11-17T20:19:06","slug":"ask-emma-yogis-in-love-bra-crystals-and-tofurkey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/it\/journal\/ask-emma-yogis-in-love-bra-crystals-and-tofurkey\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask Emma: Yogis in Love, Bra Crystals, and Tofurkey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ask Emma is our straight-talking, semi-irreverent,\u00a0spiritualist-realist\u00a0etiquette column for all matters metaphysical and\u00a0mundane. We openly welcome and acknowledge all views, opinions, feedback, ideas, and questions. Please recognize that this is about spreading useful, positive, helpful, kind, practical tips. Should you feel inspired to share bad vibes or hate mail, we politely and respectfully ask you to peace out.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ask a question at <\/span>askemma@wanderlust.com<\/a>, or turn to her most recent book,\u00a0<\/span><\/em>The Soul Searcher’s Handbook<\/span><\/a>, for more.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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I took my boyfriend to his first yoga class.<\/h3>\n

He didn\u2019t know the names of any of the postures or what to do. The teacher wasn\u2019t the most descriptive and after 15 minutes, he was having trouble following along. His competitive nature overtook and he threatened to leave. How should I have reacted? Should I go with him? Say OK? Get upset? Break up!?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a deep breath and try to see this from the view of his yoga mat. Do you remember how much of a yogi-knob-head-numb-skull you felt the first time you tried to follow along with a sun salutation<\/a>? There shouldn\u2019t be anything competitive about yoga, but the fact that we’re\u00a0out of our comfort zone\u2014led by\u00a0someone telling us to\u00a0cobra-lift-twist-dog-inhale-lengthen-exhale\u2014can be pretty overwhelming. He’s a naturally competitive dude,\u00a0so\u00a0it’s no wonder he wouldn\u2019t love feeling out of his depth. It’s kind of the equivalent of\u00a0you watching your first game of gridiron*.<\/p>\n

Make sure you give the guy some breathing room. It is important to respect other people\u2019s journey with yoga. Accept that he may need to ease into it\u2014or that it may simply not be his cup of namas\u2019tea. Want to nudge him in the yogi-direction? Try doing a few at-home YouTube\u00a0yoga sessions<\/a> together to help him get more familiar with some of the poses. Is there another couple that can join you, so he can have another new-yogi-comrade? A yogi-bromance, if you will? Give him options of different types of yoga or studios, so\u00a0he can pick styles and venues in which\u00a0he feels\u00a0comfortable.<\/p>\n

If you are in class together again, it’s not a bad idea to let\u00a0the teacher know there’s a virgin yogi in the midst. The teacher will be more conscious to provide different levels of stretches and options, and may even direct their attention to the new participants who may need some extra direction or encouragement. If he isn\u2019t enjoying it, let him know before the class that at any time he can crank a child\u2019s pose, or lie down and simply kick back and relax.<\/p>\n

* Emma is a Kiwi, currently residing in New Zealand.\u00a0Gridiron = sort of like football, for all you uninitiated North American readers<\/span><\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do I explain the rose quartz in my bra to my Tinder date?<\/h3>\n

(h\/t The Numinous<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

You free spirited, sensual, earth angel you\u2014go girl! Secondly, I feel ya. I personally have a bra loaded with crystal torpedoes that tend to fly out at the worst-oh-my-god-how-do-I-explain-this moments. I\u2019ve had a Blue Kyanite fly out mid group fitness workout spotted by about 20 bewildered people working out around me, an Amethyst be mistaken for a very cold and angrily erect nipple, and a clear quartz trying to\u00a0cleanse my energy so keenly that it worked its way out of my bra, down my back, and dropped out my blouse mid-PowerPoint presentation. Public death by crystal. Was it embarrassing timing-wise? Sure. Did I care? Hell no! And I am guessing the fact that you choose to pop a crystal into your bra before heading on a first date is proof that you don\u2019t really care either. Rock on for being out of the spiritual closet.<\/p>\n

Here are some quick one liners to help start the conversation should you choose to bring up your hidden crystal:<\/p>\n