STUDIO ETIQUETTE

1.  Please come 10-15 minutes before your class begins.

We open the studio 30 minutes before classes begin so you can have enough time to change and get ready.  After you check in at reception, feel free to relax in our lounge or head into your yoga room to unwind before class begins. Rushing around only leads to more stress!

2.  The yoga room is a place of quiet.

Our yoga room is a very special place.  It is a place of peace, recovery, and inspiration; please treat it with respect.  In consideration of others, please unroll your yoga mat quietly and limit chatting to our lounge.  Your yoga practice begins the moment you enter the yoga room.

3.  Mobile phones or pagers are not allowed in the yoga room.  Please turn such devices off or on silent and leave them in the changing room!

4.  No shoes allowed in the yoga room.

Due to certain specific Asanas, we will touch both the floor and the mat with our hands during a session, and sometimes our face. Therefore please leave your shoes in the various shoe cubbies provided in the entry room.

5.  No food or drink in the yoga room.

If necessary, bring still water with you to your session.  We don’t recommend continuous drinking, however, as our goal with yoga is to produce an internal heat and continual water drinking hinders this.

Before and after the session, you should definitely drink plenty of water.  We have a spiced tea available at reception that also helps kindle your digestive fire – agni.

6.  Inner peace through an orderly yoga room.

Please leave large items (purses, backpacks) in the changing room and store everything else (watches, glasses, keys, etc.) on the shelf in the yoga room, so nothing extraneous remains on the floor. The teachers will go around to help you with the various positions, and the floor must therefore remain free.  In addition, an orderly yoga room clears the head and helps you unwind and calm down.

7.  Correct mat placement

Unroll your mat in the same direction as the others—parallel to the room’s wall.  Not only does this look better, it also allows better concentration during the balancing exercises. Outer orderliness goes hand in hand with inner.

8.  Please come without perfume or body odor.

Hygiene is very important to us.  Please remember that some people have allergic reactions to certain perfumes and smells.  We therefore ask you not to apply any strong-smelling items before a yoga session.  Please also take note to wear clean clothing and use a clean mat.  During a yoga session, significant value is placed on breathing.  Strong smells can be very disturbing during breathing exercises.  If possible, please shower before your session and come with clean feet.

Traditionally, one refrains from showering after a yoga practice due to the fact that a hot shower reduces the positive effects of the Asanas, namely the stimulation of your blood circulation.

We do recommend, however, that you take a quick shower before your session.

9.  Be friendly to your fellow yoga classmates.

If you have extra space near your mat and someone is looking for a spot, please be so kind as to make room.  We all appreciate when others help us.

10.  Pay attention to boundaries

If you have to stand and move around during a class, please pay attention and avoid stepping on the mats of others.

11.  Be flexible

Please don’t leave the session if you realize midway through that the level isn’t appropriate for you.  Let the teacher know and he/she will help you find an appropriate way to practice. Continue to participate as best you can.

If you have to go, please let the teacher know why and please understand that it should only happen in exceptional circumstances.  Please don’t leave the room during a session.

12.  Respect the final relaxation

Please don’t leave the session during Savasana (ending relaxation).  It is extremely disrupting for others still in deep relaxation.  If you need to go early, roll your map up on time and leave the room before the final relaxation begins.

13.  Please help keep the yoga room clean.

Put away all items you used during the session back on the shelf where you found them before.

14.  We look forward to your questions

Should you have any questions or concerns, please let your teacher know before the session. The exercises can be adjusted according to your needs.  Don’t hesitate to ask questions before or after the session.  Yoga tends to be self-explanatory, but your questions are welcome!  Your concerns are also our concerns. We want to inform you as best as we can. Come with a smile leave with a smile!