A hot yoga instructor has found herself in hot water.
Given that most people go to yoga to destress, the last thing anyone would want is to have to stomp out of a class after feeling bullied by the teacher.
But that’s what happened to Roma Abdesselam, a 29-year-old influencer who said she was scolded by her instructor for trying to take a sip of water too early in the practice.
It all began one evening in January, when Abdesselam was taking a hot yoga — also known as Bikram yoga — class at a Bode studio in NYC.
In this style of yoga, practitioners complete a sequence in which they hold 26 postures in a room that’s between 80 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit — resulting in a lot of calorie-burning and sweating.
Practitioners are discouraged from drinking water until they get to “eagle pose” — about 30 minutes in — but Abdesselam disobeyed this soft rule, and her teacher was not happy about it.
“Is this normal?” Abdesselam — who describes herself as a pro “stay-at-home daughter” — asked her 660,000 followers in a TikTok video after leaving the class.
“I was in the class and I went to go get a sip of my water from my mat and the instructor bullies me, calls me out in front of everyone and is like, ‘It’s not time to drink water. I’ll let you know when it’s time to drink water. You drink water when I want you to drink water.’ “
Disciples of traditional hot yoga discourage drinking water less than half an hour into class because it disrupts internal heat and lowers body temperature — which they say results in less flexibility and potential discomfort or nausea — and breaks concentration during the flow.
But — to some — this rule may seem arbitrary, outdated and overly controlling.
“I got so upset,” a clearly frustrated Abdesselam continued. “I didn’t get the memo she was paying my bills or she paid for me to be in that class — like, it’s a hot yoga class, of course I’m going to drink water.”
The video racked up over 2 million views and prompted a heated response, with most viewers taking Abdesselam’s side.
“Denying hydration in ANY workout class is a huge red flag,” one user commented.
What the yoga teacher says
But not everyone would agree, and the instructor remembers the incident differently.
“I thought it was innocently said,” she told the New York Times. “It was my invitation — not an order, not a royal command.”
The situation highlights the way there are different schools of thought when it comes to yoga, with some emphasizing the listen to your body approach and others — like this instructor — believing discipline and obedience are crucial to the practice.
“You are seeing in this new era, young people are having a very hard time to be told what to do,” she said.
According to a video statement from Bode NYC founder Jen Lobo Plamondon, the instructor’s behavior “does not align” with the studio’s standards and they don’t “micromanage when or how much water people drink.”
Lobo Plamondon noted that the instructor no longer works at the studio. And while Abdesselam didn’t necessarily want the teacher to get fired, she isn’t convinced by her explanation, either.
“Just because it’s always how something’s been done doesn’t mean that it needs to continue being done,” she said.
To drink or not to drink?
“While I get the concern, I wouldn’t have fired the teacher over this,” Karen Flannery, a yoga teacher and co-founder of the studio Urban Souls in Hoboken, told The Post.
“I would’ve seen it as a chance for a thoughtful conversation — an opportunity to support the teacher and help them grow through a bit of education and dialogue.”
And if there’s one thing everyone can agree on — it’s that hydrating is important.
“Yoga is about tuning in, not toughing it out,” Flannery said. “If your body wants water, take a sip — hydrated yogis move better anyway.”
The serious downsides of dehydration
Dehydration poses several health risks, including fatigue, headaches, dizziness, constipation and cramping.
“By the time that you’re already thirsty or craving water or something to drink, by then, you’re already dehydrated, usually,” Dr. Heather Viola, an assistant professor of medicine at Mount Sinai, told The Post.
Chronic dehydration can lead to kidney problems, heart issues, electrolyte imbalances, reduced cognitive function, seizures — and, in extreme cases, death.
“You want to be making sure consistently every day you’re staying hydrated, replenishing your losses” in preparation, she said.
Last month, bodybuilder Jodi Vance died in Columbus, Ohio, at 20 from a heart attack “due to complications of severe dehydration.”
