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When I found yoga, it was love at first Savasana. Knowledge of the practice’s spiritual and esoteric aspects would come later, but I knew I was onto something good and continued practicing.

A couple of years later, I stumbled into the classroom of a fancy gym that claimed to have the best yoga in East Tennessee. Who could skip that? I was directed to the basement, where I unrolled my mat and prepared to be transported, as I always had been by yoga.

But not this time. It was freezing cold, the opposite of current yoga thinking. Also, it turned out that I vaguely knew the instructor, and she was not what I’d consider a “yoga person.” Then she placed a book on the floor—The Sivananda Companion to Yoga—flipped through the pages, and got the class started…in Shoulderstand.

What?!

I understood enough about the practice then to know that inversions require a little warm-up. Yet there we were—freezing, our muscles tight and placing us at risk of injury—making our way into the pose. I and the rest of class continued to follow along as the teacher, who had clearly been a dancer, proceeded to read instructions straight from the book and then perform what can only be described as acrobatic versions of poses.

The experience was terrible.

Or was it? Later that night, I felt open and calm and my body felt like home once again, the same benefits that I tend to experience anytime and anywhere I practice yoga.

That prompted me to ask a question straight out of the GenX jokebook: Is yoga—like pizza and sex—kinda good even when it’s bad?

Is “Bad” Yoga Still Sorta Good?

When I canvassed the yoga teacher community with my query, the prevailing response was an emphatic “NO!”

“Here’s why,” said Kelly Golden, founder of Vira Bhava Yoga School and author of Yoga of Resilience. “Yoga with an untrained teacher might be good exercise. It might feel good even when it feels bad in an exercise sort of way. But yoga is much more than the physical.”

Golden explained that yoga is designed to have effects that range from the subtle to the profound. “It takes a good teacher to align the practice to bring those benefits forth,” she said.

Some teachers can help take you to the most transcendent of places. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. When there’s lack of proper sequencing, cueing, and accessibility, yoga has the potential to hurt your body, mind, and spirit rather than lift them up.

How to Ensure a “Good” Yoga Class

I’m quite certain that your yoga-honed senses have helped you realize (sooner than I did) that bad sex is never worth it and bad pizza, well, depending on how hungry you are, can indeed be kind of good. But bad yoga? Use your judgment.

You can do your best to avoid uncomfortable—and potentially disastrous—situations altogether by relying on the following considerations to protect yourself and your practice.

1. Do Your Own Research

You might live in a smaller town, like me, and have fewer options when it comes to where you practice. Still, you can explore your options and try to find reliable information about the teacher or studio. Check online reviews, ask around, or hang out at a health food store and start a conversation about yoga with someone.

2. Warm Up Before Class

I used to see some yogis practice a little pre-class vinyasa and wonder why. At the time, I thought them to be show-offs. I eventually understood that they were likely safeguarding themselves. It’s not a bad idea, even in the presence of a good teacher.

3. Take a Break When Needed

Ideally, teachers will tell you to stop and take whatever pose feels helpful whenever you are dangerously outside your comfort zone. You can also do this anytime the teacher’s instruction feels unsafe to you. That might look like Child’s Pose (Balasana), Easy Pose (Sukhasana), Savasana, or anything else that works for you. You can always take a break when needed. Wait until class feels safe again before you rejoin the practice.

4. Bring Your Own Props

You likely already know what your body needs and whether you need blocks, straps, or a bolster to get the most from the poses you’re practicing. You are welcome to bring them, along with your mat, to class. If the schedule allows, you might want to arrive early at class and use your own tools and wisdom to carve out a little studio on your mat.

5. Leave Before Class is Over

If things are so bad that you feel yourself in harm’s way, don’t hesitate to quietly roll up your mat and exit the class. You don’t need to say anything. If you’re new to yoga and see a lot of students around you doing this in a class or feeling unsafe, take the hint.