Yoga class attendee reports woman for 'breathing too loudly' during hot yoga, teacher tells her to be 'mindful': 'Breath work is FUNDAMENTAL to the practice'

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Jan 6, 2026 10:00 PM EST

Have you ever been annoyed by someone's breathing? If you're anything like me, you have. Sometimes you're in the library, and the person next to you has a deviated septum or something, and it sounds like a freight train every time they exhale. This can get under your skin pretty easily. You know it's not their fault, so you feel bad, but it annoys you nonetheless. But you can't exactly ask somebody to breathe differently. It's one of the things we do subconsciously, so it's hard to change. This becomes an "us" problem and not a "them" problem. Maybe we can move to a different seat in the library. Problem solved, and we can all move on with our lives. But is there ever a situation when you feel you should intervene in somebody's breathing? Is this ever your right to call someone out for? One woman definitely thought so, and in a strange place. 

Everyone who has ever practiced yoga knows that breathing is a fundamental part of it. One might argue it's the most important part of it. It's a practice of matching your breath to your movement, and that sometimes means breathing extra loud and intentionally. There are classes where they tell you your breath should be audible, or else you're not doing it right. There's also the added factor of it being a form of exercise, especially when it's in a heated room. As with any form of exercise, it will make you breathe a little bit harder. That's the point. 

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  • A group of women sit next to each other in meditation at a yoga class
    via Unsplash+ (Natalia Blauth)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • But one woman was so annoyed with her fellow practitioner's breathing that she made a point to call it out. Not only was she not minding her own practice, which she should have been, but she tried to make someone else feel bad about something that she had no business feeling bad about. Even worse, the teacher didn't quite know how to handle it and ended up offending the wrong person. This is a classic tale of entitlement gone too far. Everyone needs to learn to chill out a little bit, especially in a yoga class. Isn't that what you're there to do?

  • A woman in my yoga class reported me for "breathing too loud" during practice.

    I'm not even kidding. This actually happened. I (34F) go to hot yoga twice a week at a local studio. Its intense and during certain poses (especially the challenging ones) I breathe heavily. Like, that's literally part of yoga. Breath work is FUNDAMENTAL to the practice.
    via u/Hot_Personality7802
  • There's this woman who's been coming for about a month and she always sets up her mat near mine. Last week during class she kept looking at me with this annoyed expression every time I exhaled loudly. After class she went to the instructor and complained that my breathing was "distracting and disruptive." The instructor politely explained that breathing is part of yoga and that in hot yoga especially, heavy breathing is normal and encouraged.
    via u/Hot_Personality7802
  • This woman said "well it's still distracting to me and I think she's doing it on purpose to be annoying." ON PURPOSE?? I'm literally just trying to get through a difficult pose without passing out in a 105 degree room.
    via u/Hot_Personality7802
  • The instructor took me aside after and said I didn't do anything wrong but asked if I could maybe "be mindful of my breathing volume." I was honestly kind of insulted. I paid the same amount as everyone else for this class. I'm not going to hold my breath during practice because one person thinks its too loud.
    via u/Hot_Personality7802

  • Commenters added their thoughts on this story.

    Truebeliever-14 Now I've heard it all
    via u/Truebeliever-14
  • Fenig The teacher failed you on this one. This is not a You issue, it's a Her issue. The teacher's response should have been "perhaps we should put distance between you so her normal breathing doesn't distract you. But be aware that I cannot, and will not,
    via u/Fenig
  • guarantee your new neighbors will be any quieter" and even going so far as you suggest "perhaps this class is not for you" to the entitled neighbor.
    via u/Fenig
  • A group of women stretch next to each other at a yoga class
    via Unsplash+ (Natalia Blauth)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • King_of_Leprechau... "GET AWAY FROM ME!" next time she tries to setup next to you.
    via u/King_of_Leprechauns
  • Dragonrose If you see her setting up near you again, I would look directly at her and say "remember, I like to breath and I wouldn't want to interrupt you, so you might want to not set up right next to me"
    via u/Dragonr0se
  • Delicious-Swimmer... Holy shit, I've tried hot yoga and yeah it's so hard to breathe, what a cry baby.
    via u/Delicious-Swimmer826
  • Clevernickname1001 Why wasn't she told to quit setting up her mat by you if she finds it so annoying and distracting?
    via u/Clevernickname1001
  • Prior_Benefit8453 WTF. Why didn't the instructor tell that damned woman TO MOVE?
    via u/Prior_Benefit8453
  • InnerRadio7 Audible breathing is the norm in yoga. Your neighbour should be able to hear you breathe if you're breathing properly. I would write an email to the studio manager and owner. You're owed an apology.
    via u/InnerRadio7
  • Yoga was a breathing practice long before it even involved asanas. This is just absurd.
    via u/InnerRadio7
  • MorticiaLaMourante I'm equally appalled by the instructor. Honestly, I'd be putting in a complaint, because it was wildly inappropriate for them to tell you to suppress your breathing. I hope you said "fuck no" and walked away.
    via u/MorticiaLaMourante
  • 8amteetime I'd tell the instructor to be mindful of the money you'll no longer be paying for that class. Find another one.
    via u/8amteetime
  • alk_adio_ost I breathe like a damn horse in the Kentucky Derby when I'm in hot yoga. She can fuck right off.
    via u/alk_adio_ost
  • Aiden2817 The instructor took me aside after and said I didn't do anything wrong but... She is a boat-rocker and he is a boat-steadier. Call him out for enabling her behavior.
    via u/Aiden2817
  • Superb_Ad9843 Keep on breathing. You were there first. Now she comes in and wants to dictate how you should breathe? To hell with that.
    via u/Superb_Ad9843
  • Rugged Hangnail Next time she sets up near you, tell her you have asthma and she needs to move her mat to the opposite end of the room if she can't handle it. And call her ableist.
    via u/RuggedHangnail
  • mollyxz Holy flashback, when I was in 8th grade I was on the field hockey team and had been for a few years now. However, I always had heavy breathing when we would run during practice. By 8th grade that heavy breathing got worse and wheezier.
    via u/mollyxz
  • I remember we were running laps and 3 of the 6th grade girls ran past me (I was also a slow runner lol). They mocked my breathing as they ran past, imitating it and laughing. It made insecure, 14 year old me feel horrible. Anyway like a month later I got diagnosed with asthma and an inhaler made a huge difference Imao.
    via u/mollyxz
  • Regardless I'm sorry this happened to you, as others. have said the teacher really let you down here. You did. nothing wrong, you do what's right for your body.
    via u/mollyxz
  • needGuidance7920... When you leave this gym ( as the teacher was so in the wrong here), make sure to tell them why. I do Pilates a lot and sometimes we have this one guy who REALLY does heavy breathing. Is it weird? Yes. Do I care? Absolutely
    via u/needGuidance792087
  • not. Come to find out he mentioned he is at Pilates because his PT recommended it as he had a collapsed lung from a work accident and is still working through a lot of shit. Like your teacher should never have said anything to you.
    via u/needGuidance792087
  • speckofcosmicdust She would have a conniption fit at the yoga studio I go to. There's an older man who falls asleep in most classes. He snores. Loudly. Everyone accepts him. No one is upset!
    via u/speckofcosmicdust
  • SleepyKoalaBear4... Next class as she is setting up near you, very loudly exhale and loudly say "I told you NO! I will not touch you there!" Seriously, your instructor is an ass and I'm sorry she did not 100% have your back, as she should have. Next class see how Miss annoyed feels about loud grunts like the gym bros like to do when lifting weights.
    via u/SleepyKoalaBear4812
  • vegasnative I've been in yoga classes. where instructors asked people to stop excessive breathing noise. The couple of times it's happened it's been during the chill parts of class- the final couple of stretches and shivasana usually. But never during the peak work- that's wild.
    via u/vegasnative

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exercise entitled people karma karens in the wild exercising yoga class breathing karen yoga entitled people
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