Good Afternoon Fellow Yogis,
Today I am reflecting on new beginnings. Not resolutions as much as opportunities to look @ familiar things afresh and making adjustments if needed. One thing we can all look to is our personal practice. We might ask ourselves, "Are the techniques I am using still serving me?" "Are there aspects of my informal practice that have been neglected?" One area that does not always receive enough attention is our etiquette in a group environment. In much the same way that our home meditation space is sacred to us, so we should also treat our group spaces w/ the same reverence. Here are some areas where we could all use a little improvement in order to insure that our group practice is respectful of others and thereby of greater benefit for us all:
If possible, bathe or shower prior to arriving for group practice.
Please do not wear perfume or any scent. Fragrance can be just as distracting as a cell phone ringing to the person next to you. Our goal is to move inward as we practice, and our olfactory sense is the first of the 5 outward senses to evoke strong emotional response. Also, people with allergies can be very sensitive to fragrance and other chemicals found in many personal care products.
Practice on a an empty stomach.
It is recommended that you do not eat at least 2 hours before and 2 hours after practice. Neither hungry nor full. If a special condition prevents this, eat easily digestible foods, i.e. fruit or yogurt one hour before class. Please refrain from smoking @ least one hour prior to class. Keep others in mind.
Bottled water is the only food or beverage allowed in the practice room.
Bottled water is recommended before, during and after practice. It is important to stay hydrated.
No shoes in the practice room.
In yoga, people put their hands, and sometimes their face on the floor. You are going to take your shoes off anyway, so please remove them at the door.
Abandon the competitive mind-set.
Yoga is absolutely non-competitive. It is not just a "work-out". No doubt that daily practice will make the body stronger, more flexible, and generally healthier. However, the postures are only the third limb of yoga. Our goal is super-conscious perception, sometimes referred to as God consciousness. Our aim is to calm the mind, and accelerate our evolution.
Yoga is not a fashion show.
We practice from the inside out. When you can finish your practice without knowing what the person next to you is wearing or even who else was in the room you’ll know you were truly turned inward. Please, refrain from wearing clothing with advertising or other subliminal messaging (logos) in the shared practise area.
Be kind and loving to yourself by accepting who you are.
Relax in savasana any time you need to. "Do what you can, with what you have, with where you are. " Remember: "Wherever, whenever in our life we begin yoga, is perfect." No experience or flexibly is required. Your practise is about you.
Acquire and use your own mat if @ all possible.
Even when a studio offers mats and props for use, there is no substitute for having your own personal, portable "space." There are psychological, spiritual and hygienic reasons for this. In the same way, please be mindful to stay off someone else's props. Walking or lying on another person's mat or blanket is extremely inappropriate.
Enter the Yoga room in silence.
Please do not enter and start visiting. Go right into meditation or stretching. Your practice starts when you walk in. Visit with one another after exiting the class outside the building. Remember, the studio is our shared sacred space.
Never bring a cellular phone, pager or any electronic device into the practice room.
This does not mean turn off the ringer, because sooner or later you will forget. Leave it in your car. Remember, stress is 100% self-induced.
Arrive on time.
Entering class late is very disruptive and disrespectful to the other students, and also to your nervous system. Consider being prompt as part of your practice.
I look forward to seeing each and every one of you as we move forward in the new year. It is a joy to share the teachings!
With Deepest Respect and Optimism,
S.
Today I am reflecting on new beginnings. Not resolutions as much as opportunities to look @ familiar things afresh and making adjustments if needed. One thing we can all look to is our personal practice. We might ask ourselves, "Are the techniques I am using still serving me?" "Are there aspects of my informal practice that have been neglected?" One area that does not always receive enough attention is our etiquette in a group environment. In much the same way that our home meditation space is sacred to us, so we should also treat our group spaces w/ the same reverence. Here are some areas where we could all use a little improvement in order to insure that our group practice is respectful of others and thereby of greater benefit for us all:
If possible, bathe or shower prior to arriving for group practice.
Please do not wear perfume or any scent. Fragrance can be just as distracting as a cell phone ringing to the person next to you. Our goal is to move inward as we practice, and our olfactory sense is the first of the 5 outward senses to evoke strong emotional response. Also, people with allergies can be very sensitive to fragrance and other chemicals found in many personal care products.
Practice on a an empty stomach.
It is recommended that you do not eat at least 2 hours before and 2 hours after practice. Neither hungry nor full. If a special condition prevents this, eat easily digestible foods, i.e. fruit or yogurt one hour before class. Please refrain from smoking @ least one hour prior to class. Keep others in mind.
Bottled water is the only food or beverage allowed in the practice room.
Bottled water is recommended before, during and after practice. It is important to stay hydrated.
No shoes in the practice room.
In yoga, people put their hands, and sometimes their face on the floor. You are going to take your shoes off anyway, so please remove them at the door.
Abandon the competitive mind-set.
Yoga is absolutely non-competitive. It is not just a "work-out". No doubt that daily practice will make the body stronger, more flexible, and generally healthier. However, the postures are only the third limb of yoga. Our goal is super-conscious perception, sometimes referred to as God consciousness. Our aim is to calm the mind, and accelerate our evolution.
Yoga is not a fashion show.
We practice from the inside out. When you can finish your practice without knowing what the person next to you is wearing or even who else was in the room you’ll know you were truly turned inward. Please, refrain from wearing clothing with advertising or other subliminal messaging (logos) in the shared practise area.
Be kind and loving to yourself by accepting who you are.
Relax in savasana any time you need to. "Do what you can, with what you have, with where you are. " Remember: "Wherever, whenever in our life we begin yoga, is perfect." No experience or flexibly is required. Your practise is about you.
Acquire and use your own mat if @ all possible.
Even when a studio offers mats and props for use, there is no substitute for having your own personal, portable "space." There are psychological, spiritual and hygienic reasons for this. In the same way, please be mindful to stay off someone else's props. Walking or lying on another person's mat or blanket is extremely inappropriate.
Enter the Yoga room in silence.
Please do not enter and start visiting. Go right into meditation or stretching. Your practice starts when you walk in. Visit with one another after exiting the class outside the building. Remember, the studio is our shared sacred space.
Never bring a cellular phone, pager or any electronic device into the practice room.
This does not mean turn off the ringer, because sooner or later you will forget. Leave it in your car. Remember, stress is 100% self-induced.
Arrive on time.
Entering class late is very disruptive and disrespectful to the other students, and also to your nervous system. Consider being prompt as part of your practice.
I look forward to seeing each and every one of you as we move forward in the new year. It is a joy to share the teachings!
With Deepest Respect and Optimism,
S.
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