First off, I do not feel like an authority on the topic of addiction and I have no intention of pretending to be one. Folks who are going through addiction are going through a serious matter and require compassionate help and in most cases — I believe — quality treatment.
In the past, I had a student coming into class after drinking alcohol. I’ve also experienced this wth a student using marijuana.
As a yoga teacher, my goal above all is to help. As a person who has a tendency to judge people, it is absolutely imperative that, no matter the course of action I take as a teacher, that the student’s well being is of the utmost concern and the student is in a space free of judgement.
I believe deeply in the healing and transformative nature of yoga and I am resolute that these students in particular are the ones most in need of yoga!
So, how do we help a student who is showing signs of an addiction?
On the one hand, the student is clearly in the right place for transformative change. On the other hand, there is clearly a problem that the student has which could get worse if not addressed. Lastly there is the chance that a student may be more prone to injury while under the influence of an intoxicant which is a danger to the student and, honestly, potentially the studio.
I think I’ll just open it up here to you: what do you do under these circumstances?