Yoga Room Etiquette
Punctuality matters Be on time for class, and plan to stay for the entire class time.
Stay in the room Remember the instructions from your very first class – just stay in the room! Staying in the room is so important, both for your safety AND for the support for the rest of the class. Acceptable reasons to leave the room are the 6 “P” emergencies (Pee, Poop, Puke, Period, Pregnant, Pass out). Other than that, just sit or lie down, and breathe. If you run out of water, remember to bring a second bottle next time, and see if you can finish the class without it. Mental discipline is such a big part of what we do here.
No creativity, no resistance Each yoga style has its own particular methods, particularly the hot classes that we teach here. Class is a very prescribed sequence of poses, done in a prescribed order, and each pose has very specific instructions and technique. Unless you have an injury (which you should let your teacher know about), follow the teacher’s instructions and stay with the rest of the students. Don’t underestimate the power of everyone working together!
Keep your bodily fluids to yourself Wipe up any puddles you leave, including in the bathrooms and the lobby. If you sweat profusely, bring or rent a second towel.
Be mindful of others Keep all your accoutrements within the confines of one floor tile; make sure anyone behind you can see themselves in the mirror; and respect others’ personal space. Try to limit the “stuff” you bring in to the room – most of the time you probably don’t actually need it.
Try not to drink water before Party Time After that, try to limit your drinking to only between poses, rather than between sets of the same pose. Especially try not to drink DURING a pose – to your fellow students, this is like eating a banquet in front of a starving person.
No cell phones, pagers, etc. Be present in the room, and leave the outside world outside. If you MUST wear a smart watch, make sure it is set to Do Not Disturb.
Leave rental mats on the floor; place rental towels in the laundry basket.
After final savasana, leave the room quietly and avoid disturbing others who are still relaxing.
Make sure you sign in.