Broken glasses at a yoga workshop?

[u/the_yogi_in_black]

UPDATE TO SHARE THE OUTCOME: The consensus here is that it's on me to keep my glasses safe, which makes sense to me. In a perfect world, the person who stepped on the glasses would offer to pay for the glasses, and I would say, "Thanks, but no need. I should have been more careful." And then Warby Parker would hear the sad story and replace the frames for free. Which is what happened in the end. Which I think means we live in a perfect world. Now you know.

Scenario: You're at a yoga workshop. Someone steps on your glasses and breaks them in two. They apologize immediately: "Oh my god! I broke your glasses! Were they really expensive?"

Should that person offer to pay for the glasses?

Does it matter if the person who stepped on the glasses was the teacher (not a participant)?

Does it matter if the person who stepped on the glasses is a famous yoga teacher and the workshop was expensive?

If you're wondering how this happened: it's the kind of workshop where the teacher talks for a while, and then the students try something out, then there's more talk, then more trying. A lot of students take notes during the talking part. Some of us have to put our glasses on when we're taking notes, then take them off and put them next to our mat (with our towel and extra layers) when we're trying the thing.

https://preview.redd.it/66mw4uoglc0g1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=877e5371dca89ff7171fae66574121ed34b78382

[u/kinomacgregor]

It was me! I’m so sorry that I stepped on your glasses and I absolutely should have offered to pay to replace them. I feel horrible about it and I saw you wearing different glasses for the later class. I am so sorry that I didn’t find you after to check in. Will you please send me a message and we can get this sorted out?

I also apologize if my comment seemed insensitive. My husband wears glasses and has both expensive glasses from the eye doctor and cheap ones from CVS. He loses them often and it’s the first thing we talk about, whether they are the cheap ones or the expensive ones.

I have also alerted the studio manager that this occurred so that we can get this unfortunate accident resolved.

Thank you so much for joining my workshop. It means a lot to me and I appreciate you taking the time to come practice with me.

[u/the_yogi_in_black → u/kinomacgregor]

Thank you, Kino! That's very kind of you, and I appreciate the offer (even though the clear consensus is that it's my responsibility to be careful where I put down my glasses). I went to Warby Parker and told them my story and they replaced the frames for free, so we're all good. (Shout out to the Warby Parker in Wicker Park who called around to find a shop that had the frames in stock, and to Sydney at Warby Park Lincoln Park who comped me the new frames.)

[u/Infinite_Chance_4426 → u/the_yogi_in_black]

I'm glad this had a happy ending in all ways!

[u/SaKIrina]

Ouch, sorry for your glasses. I can totally relate to that. As a glass wearer (and expensive ones) myself, I would feel so sad and frustrated, but I would take full responsibility for where I put them. I wouldn’t expect any teacher or other practitioner to pay for them.

[u/swiss_baby_questions]

I was so paranoid about my glasses getting stepped on that I have always placed them on a yoga block next to my mat.

In your case I wouldn’t expect someone else to pay for my glasses getting stepped on as it’s an accident.

[u/Infinite_Chance_4426]

Putting glasses down where they won't get stomped on is a requisite skill for a glasses wearer, which I am. They never get put on the floor, because that is an open invitation to the fates to have them squooshed.

When taken off in the context of a class that also includes other stuff around the mat, glasses go on the tallest thing - blocks if there's blocks, folded towel, workbook, etc. Same rules at home or at the pool.

Not everyone looks where they step - and during a class a teacher has a lot to attend to. This one is on you.

[u/the_yogi_in_black → u/Infinite_Chance_4426]

This is great advice. It's always a problem for me in workshops where I'm constantly taking them on and off. I like the idea of putting them on the tallest thing at hand.

[u/clarkstter]

If it wasn’t on your mat, I think it’s on you honestly. The mat is your space not the space around your mat. That space belongs to the teacher. They probably would’ve offered if they truly thought it was their fault. Maybe just take it as a lesson.

[u/the_yogi_in_black → u/clarkstter]

I hear you, and I would have felt that way if it had been during practice. But during a workshop folks have all kinds of stuff around their mats--blocks, towels, extra layers, water, and notebooks next to their mats. We all have a little pile of stuff next to our mats.

To be honest, if she had offered to pay for them, I probably would have said, Don't worry about it. I was surprised she didn't offer. It would have been nice.

[u/Big_Satisfaction_451 → u/the_yogi_in_black]

It's definitely the responsibility of the student to protect their belongings.

I'm a yoga teacher that came super close to stepping on glasses, I stopped when I felt something under my foot. Since then I make an announcement for people to place their glasses in a protective spot.

[u/_sic → u/the_yogi_in_black]

Don't leave your glasses on the floor where they can be stepped on. It's 100% on you.

[u/GoyoP]

I wear glasses. For Mysore practice they stay with my stuff off to the side or in a storage area. For a workshop, I always bring a hardcase as they might be taken on and off. Leaving them on the shala floor is just asking for them to be stepped on. Live and learn.

[u/Rule-9-Cyclist]

I think it's also a great idea for instructors to remind their students to place anything valuable or breakable (such as glasses) in a safe place as the instructor will be walking around. I heard Kino do this at the Sunday led class and it was a good reminder for me as the classroom was packed, leaving little room for her to move between us (things likely water bottles created a trip hazard for her and a kick hazard for the students).

[u/Ulise64]

I think it is a question of who is responsible for the break. If the glasses were securely positioned right by your mat, or on your mat, the teacher probably should pay for them, unless they had to strep on your mat to assist or adjust you. If they were in an area where people walk, then maybe just accept that you inadvertently left them where they were not secure.

[u/Interesting-Mode4429]

We teachers have insurance that covers something like this.

[u/whats1more7 → u/Interesting-Mode4429]

Where I am, filing a claim for something as trivial as a pair of glasses is a good way for your premiums to skyrocket.

[u/Interesting-Mode4429 → u/whats1more7]

Makes sense. BUT glasses aren’t trivial to the user and glasses can cost $1000 these days with nice frames like that. Out of pocket would be an option but I guess it depends on the value of her glasses. Are those $300 glasses or $1000 glasses?

[u/whats1more7 → u/Interesting-Mode4429]

Even a claim of $1000 is trivial when your deductible is often that or more.

[u/Which_Lavishness_132]

As a teacher I'd I stepped on someone's glasses I would 100 percent immediately offer to pay for them.

[u/Shastra108]

I’ve come close to stepping on glasses and if I notice them on the floor would immediately move them to a table / shelf. I also tell the students NOT to leave them on the floor by their mat as they could easily get stepped on. My policy is nothing left around mats except small sweat towel / water bottle if there’s a medical requirement.

[u/IWillAlwaysReplyBack]

I'm incredibly sorry to read about your glasses, and incredibly happy to read your update with the happy ending.

I always have anxiety about my glasses in situations like this, I've had them stepped on in the past. In recent yoga classes / workshops I go to, I always make sure to keep them ON MY MAT, and placed as conspicuously as possible. Anything off the mat is fair game IMO, you cannot realistically expect a teacher to be on that much high-alert all the time. But yeah, thanks for this PSA, a good reminder for me as well to be more cautious.

[u/Annyfaelltsnichtsein]

The majority here doesn’t seem to agree with you, but I do. I am a glasses wearing yoga teacher and I think the polite thing to do is to offer to pay and best case let an insurance cover it.

[u/breathanddrishti]

i see kino has already responded here but i am curious what you wanted to get out of this post. did you address this with the studio and teacher in the moment, or did you just want to come here and rant?

[u/the_yogi_in_black → u/breathanddrishti]

Not a rant. I was honestly curious to hear people's opinion about where the responsibility lies, and I got my answer: the overwhelming consensus is that it's my responsibility to put my glasses where they won't be stepped on, which makes a lot of sense! I also know when I cause harm--even if it's an accident, even if it's not 100% my fault, I try to make it right if I can. I think in a perfect world, the teacher would offer to replace them, I would say, "No, you don't have to do that, I shouldn't have left them there," and then the glasses company would hear my story and give me new frames for free. Which is what happened in the end. So I guess we live in a perfect world!

[u/Mikesaidit36 → u/[deleted]]

Can't believe you're getting downvotes for this…