To Allow Chatting or Not??? Who am I Trying to Please?

 

I have been faced with a dilemma??? The classes I teach may not fit the typical studio; but isn't that okay? When people come in to my classes, no matter the studio I teach at,  they talk with their friends, their mat neighbors and with me. Some are chatting and others are sitting quietly.  

We laugh during class and I bring in a variety of suggestions, affirmations, congratulations and life's journeys. As one of my people told me, "we laugh and yet you bring us together to build strength and embolden our practice." For this yogi, the atmosphere is what drew her to the class. The feeling of community. 

And yet, I have been faced with a dilemma... After over 15 years of teaching I have been told that my classes are too chatty. That the energy in the room is not calming. That my classes are too large and the numbers need to be smaller. If more than a certain number I should let the yogi know. Moving the chatting out into the lobby would be better. 

I approached my classes this week with the, "talk." Let's try to respect those that would like quiet before class.. We all need to chat out in the lobby and when we walk into the studio, quiet. So for the last two classes that I taught you could hear a pin drop. There were no interactions between people and no interactions with me. I felt so uncomfortable and I could see that my people did too. There has to be a happy medium. 

I know that I am not going to make everyone happy. There will be those that want quiet and others that want to have interactions between the teacher and them. Who am I trying to please? The one out of the many that I teach? Are the yogis views more important than the others because they are a negative towards me? 

What then is the approach I should take in my classes?