Yoga Etiquette

 

BE RESPECTFUL of the other students in the room with you and be respectful of the teacher.  If you are taking a led class, do your best to follow along.  Take modifications if you need them but try not to do “your own” practice.  Practicing being respectful to others is practicing yoga.

BE RECEPTIVE.  Be open to what is being offered even if it is a different variation than you are used to doing.  Try it out.  See if you learn something new by doing something a different way. 

PRACTICE ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.  Give yourself at least 2hrs after eating before you practice.  Try not to eat anything heavy or solid that requires time to digest. 

WEAR APPROPRIATE CLOTHING that you can move in comfortably and that won't be distracting to you or others, and won't be revealing when you put your body in different positions.  Plan also to practice without shoes or socks.

BRING A TOWEL WITH YOU if you know you get sweaty when you exercise. You don't want to slip around on your mat.  There are also towels available for members at the studio, and towel service can be added to your membership for a small monthly fee.  

AVOID PERFUMES and make sure your mat, mat cover and yoga clothes are kept clean.  Strong smells and a room with lots of people doing deep breathing don't go well together.  Whether it's a positive or a negative smell you could be having a negative impact on someone else's experience in class.

BRING A REFILLABLE WATER BOTTLE.  We have a filtered water station at the studio.  Please use it and reduce the accumulation of single use plastics.  

AVOID BRINGING OPEN GLASSES, mugs or other containers into the practice room.  Use a water bottle with a lid.  Things get knocked over all the time in class.  An open container can create a big mess and become a big distraction.


AVOID CHEWING GUM.  It's hard to focus on your breath and will make doing Ujjayi breathing (victorious breathing) very challenging. 

LEAVE YOUR PHONE OUTSIDE of the practice room, or store it in your bag in one of the cubby's provided.  Make sure it is turned off.  If you absolutely must have it with you, next to your mat, for emergency purposes, let the teacher know and make sure it is on silent.  We may ask you to set up at the back of the room, so that if you have to leave in the middle of the class it won't be so distracting to others.  Unless it's an emergency, it can probably wait until after your practice is over.  Give yourself this time.  It's for your practice.  It's for you. 


LEAVE YOUR SHOES OUTSIDE of the practice room.  The space where you practice is where a lot of transformation is going to happen.  Make it special.  Taking our shoes off before we enter the room to practice is one of the ways we show respect for the space and for the practice itself. 


BE ON TIME AND READY to practice when the class starts.  Please arrive early, give yourself enough time to sign in, set up your mat in the practice room and organize any props you might need for class.  Be seated and ready to start when the class begins.


LET THE TEACHER KNOW if you have an injury, are pregnant or have any other special circumstance that may require additional modification during your practice.  Take breaks.  If you need to sit something out, sit something out.


PAY ATTENTION.  One of the first things we are learning in yoga is to concentrate.  Without being able to concentrate none of the more advanced practices are possible.  When you aren't paying attention is also when you are most likely to get injured. 


STAY FOR THE ENTIRE CLASS.  If you have to leave early due to an emergency, give yourself a moment of stillness, either in the final resting pose or in a seated position.  Close your eyes and let things settle before heading back into the world outside.  Please don't leave in the middle of the final resting pose.  This is distracting to others and disrespectful to the teacher and the other students practicing with you. 


CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF when the class is over.  Put props and your mat away if they don't belong to you.  Leave your space tidy and clean for the next class that is coming in. 


ASK QUESTIONS AFTER CLASS if something doesn't make sense to you during class, or if you need some additional guidance or support.  There are no silly questions.  Everyone was a beginner once.  There isn't always time for us to stop the class to answer questions, so, please don't take it personally.  Do your best, come down and rest if you need to, and then if you need some extra attention, or have questions, stick around after class.