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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Roma Abdesselam, 29, is an influencer with 660,000 followers on TikTok. TikTok \/ @therealsahd<\/span><\/p>\n It all began one evening in January, when Abdesselam was taking a hot yoga \u2014 also known as Bikram yoga \u2014 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\u2019s between 80 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit \u2014 resulting in a lot of calorie-burning and sweating. Practitioners are discouraged from drinking water until they get to \u201ceagle pose\u201d \u2014 about 30 minutes in \u2014 but Abdesselam disobeyed this soft rule, and her teacher was not happy about it.<\/p>\n \u201cIs this normal?\u201d Abdesselam \u2014 who describes herself as a pro \u201cstay-at-home daughter\u201d \u2014 asked her 660,000 followers in a TikTok video after leaving the class. \u201cI 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, \u2018It\u2019s not time to drink water. I\u2019ll let you know when it\u2019s time to drink water. You drink water when I want you to drink water.\u2019 \u201c<\/p>\n Disciples of traditional hot yoga discourage drinking water less than half an hour into class because it disrupts internal heat and lowers body temperature \u2014 which they say results in less flexibility and potential discomfort or nausea \u2014 and breaks concentration during the flow.<\/p>\n Bode is one of the first studios to offer hot yoga in New York City. Google Maps<\/span><\/p>\n But not everyone would agree, and the instructor remembers the incident differently. \u201cI thought it was innocently said,\u201d she told the New York Times. \u201cIt was my invitation \u2014 not an order, not a royal command.\u201d 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 \u2014 like this instructor \u2014 believing discipline and obedience are crucial to the practice.<\/p>\n According to a video statement from Bode NYC founder Jen Lobo Plamondon, the instructor\u2019s behavior \u201cdoes not align\u201d with the studio\u2019s standards and they don\u2019t \u201cmicromanage when or how much water people drink.\u201d Lobo Plamondon noted that the instructor no longer works at the studio. And while Abdesselam didn\u2019t necessarily want the teacher to get fired, she isn\u2019t convinced by her explanation, either.<\/p>\n Hot yoga, also known as Bikram yoga, consists of a sequence of 26 postures. Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhile I get the concern, I wouldn\u2019t have fired the teacher over this,\u201d Karen Flannery, a yoga teacher and co-founder of the studio Urban Souls in Hoboken, told The Post. \u201cI would\u2019ve seen it as a chance for a thoughtful conversation \u2014 an opportunity to support the teacher and help them grow through a bit of education and dialogue.\u201d And if there\u2019s one thing everyone can agree on \u2014 it\u2019s that hydrating is important.<\/p>\n \u201cYoga is about tuning in, not toughing it out,\u201d Flannery said. \u201cIf your body wants water, take a sip \u2014 hydrated yogis move better anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n Dehydration poses several health risks, including fatigue, headaches, dizziness, constipation and cramping. \u201cBy the time that you\u2019re already thirsty or craving water or something to drink, by then, you\u2019re already dehydrated, usually,\u201d 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 \u2014 and, in extreme cases, death.<\/p>\n The incident highlights the importance of hydration during physical activities, including yoga. While some instructors may have strict rules about drinking water during class, it’s essential to listen to one’s body and prioritize hydration to avoid dehydration and its serious health risks.<\/p>\n Introduction to the Incident 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\u2019s what happened to Roma Abdesselam, a 29-year-old influencer who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":15334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15333","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-wellness"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/101512579.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024&w=1024&resize=1024,682&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15333"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15333"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15335,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15333\/revisions\/15335"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Incident Unfolds<\/h2>\n
Reaction to the Incident<\/h2>\n
The Instructor’s Side of the Story<\/h2>\n
What the Yoga Teacher Says<\/h3>\n
The Studio’s Response<\/h3>\n
The Debate on Hydration<\/h2>\n
To Drink or Not to Drink?<\/h3>\n
The Importance of Hydration<\/h3>\n
The Serious Downsides of Dehydration<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
\n
\nThe instructor was fired from the studio after the incident.<\/li>\n
\nPractitioners are discouraged from drinking water until they get to \u201ceagle pose\u201d \u2014 about 30 minutes in \u2014 because it disrupts internal heat and lowers body temperature.<\/li>\n
\nDehydration poses several health risks, including fatigue, headaches, dizziness, constipation, cramping, kidney problems, heart issues, electrolyte imbalances, reduced cognitive function, seizures, and death.<\/li>\n
\nIt’s essential to listen to one’s body and drink water when needed, rather than following a strict rule.<\/li>\n
\nThe studio doesn’t \u201cmicromanage when or how much water people drink.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"