Is Your Yoga Etiquette In Alignment?
Group yoga classes are a collective practice, in which your energy is a contribution to the energy of the entire room. Are you practicing mindfulness and considering how your energy impacts the space and your actions impact those around you? Here are some things to consider:
Although you should always focus on yourself and your own practice, you should also be mindful of those around you. How is your practice impacting those next to you?
Respect the space. Only bring necessary items into the room and nothing more. Personal items such as keys, bags, phones, wallets, etc. should always stay outside the room. Only take as much space as you need, and be sure to make others feel welcome when they enter the shared space. Be willing to create space for others even if it pushes you outside your comfort zone or away from your favorite spot in the room.
Be sure to practice the basics - safety and cleanliness. Never enter the yoga room with shoes, even if you are just walking in to place your mat. If you have concerns with being barefoot in the shared space, socks are a great solution! Be mindful of excessive body odors or perfumes within the close proximity of others, and know that you are always welcome to shower before class. Also, especially in hot practice, be aware of your sweat. Towels are required for EVERYONE who practices at our studio, yes, even if you have a special hot yoga mat. Your special mat may help keep you from slipping, but it will not absorb all of the excess sweat from your practice. For safety, we encourage you to practice with a towel on top of your mat – even experienced yogis with special mats will tell you that they’ve slipped from the sweat from time to time. For cleanliness, we REQUIRE you have a towel in the room to absorb your excess sweat rather than leaving a sweat trail across the room after class. The goal is to keep the shared space as safe and as clean as possible for everyone.
Be respectful when taking modifications – we encourage you to make your practice your own, but don’t just consider your own practice, comfort and safety. Also consider these factors for those around you. If you choose to take a lot of modifications or find yourself straying from the teacher’s instruction quite often, the back row is the best place to do that. It is distracting to other students as well as the teacher and the back row is the least visible and impactful space in regard to others. It’s all about being respectful of the environment, the teacher and the people around you. Same goes for inversions. Hot yoga is not the safest environment for getting upside down. If you choose to invert, always be certain that you can do it safely within your own space and that there is plenty of space around you in case of a slip up. If you are adding inversions to your practice, please do so in the back row.
AND….just be mindful…
Please no talking in the yoga room. The silence helps us be more present and to let go of the outside world without distraction.
Always close the door behind you when leaving or entering the room. The heat leaves the room quickly when the door is open and this affects everyone’s’ environment.
Try not to line up directly in front of other students. When the room is full, this isn’t possible, but when you can, be aware of the person behind you and try to share a sliver of the front mirror with them.
Lavender towels are for relaxation and cooling down, not for cleaning your mat or yourself.
Studio gear (blocks and straps) and rental gear (towels and mats) should always be returned after class. If you accidentally happen to leave without returning something, please bring it back.
Smart watches…we understand that these are often used for fitness tracking purposes. We ask that you please silence all other alerts and smart phone functions of your smart watch while in the yoga room. If you need to have these functions on for work or emergency purposes, please leave the room to use your device.
Remember, we’re all in this together. If you ever have questions or concerns regarding your practice or etiquette speak to a staff member or instructor. Our goal is to provide all of our clients with a safe, clean, positive, compassionate and unified space to practice. We are incredibly grateful to each of you for sharing your practice and good vibes with our yoga community, our Sumit’s family. Thank you for your continued love and support.
Namaste