Basic etiquette is an expression of the fundamental premise of yoga which is ahimsa or non-harming to self and others. It’s a great practice of developing awareness of your world and of those that are sharing it with you. The following suggestions are designed to help us all experience more spaciousness and friendliness toward ourselves, each other and our environment.
CHECK-IN: Always register with the front desk at least 10-15 minutes before class begins. Extend your practice by being conscious of your responsibility to the front desk staff who are taking care of a lot of people, phones, money as well as assisting you any way they can.
SHOES AND CELL PHONES/TEXT MESSAGING Make sure you leave your shoes in the shoe racks and turn off your cell phone. Please do not use your cell phone for talking ANYWHERE at FLOW including the bathrooms, hallways and reception area, and of course, the studios. Please do not engage in text messaging.
BE ON TIME: Please be seated in the classroom a few minutes before the start of class. Each class is organized with a beginning, middle and end, all of which contribute to your experience. If you come in late, not only will you miss something but you will disrupt the class experience for someone else as well - - and you know how that feels when it happens to you. To avoid this happening more than once a class, please wait until the teacher has opened the door for all latecomers to enter together.
LEAVING EARLY? Though we hope you will plan to stay for the entire class, if you absolutely have to leave early, be sure to practice Savasana (corpse pose, deep relaxation) for at least five minutes and leave before the beginning of the class Savasana. It is impossible to leave quietly enough to avoid disturbing others once the general Savasana has begun.
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS: Think of the studio as a special sacred place where you can take refuge. With that awareness in mind, please:
- Be mindful of how you place your mat on the floor - - try not to unfurl it with a loud “fwap!” but unroll it quietly in respect to your neighbors.
- Organize your practice area with neatness and consideration of those around you.
- If you are socializing before class, that’s okay but be mindful of others who may be meditating in the studio.
REFRAIN FROM WEARING SCENTS: Many of the people here are sensitive or allergic to various fragrances and scents.
GUM AND FOOD: Just like in school, please refrain from chewing gum in class. Do not bring food or beverages other than water into the studio.
PRACTICE “PROPASANA” Please return all props to their appropriate place at the end of the class. Blankets need to be refolded to their original “Tadasana” shape. They are “trained” to fold a certain way. If you are unsure about what that is, please ask your teacher. Blocks should be arranged on the shelves alongside other blocks. Belts should be rewound into a palm-sized spiral and placed in the belt basket. Strings replaced to the string basket. Eye pillows should be replaced in the eye-pillow basket and eye-pillow tissues put in the garbage. If you really love using an eye pillow, it’s nice to buy your own.
NOISE CONTROL: Please be aware that while you are in the reception area and hallways, others may be in Savasana in one of the studios. Please keep your conversational volume on low.
RENTAL MATS &PROPS: Because we want you to use clean, safe props while you are at FLOW, we provide some props and clean them regularly, and we ask you to buy and own others. After you have been practicing yoga for a while it is recommended to buy your own mat, which will deepen your practice. For those of you who tend to sweat profusely during practice, you should bring a had towel to class or rent one from FLOW.
Thank you so much. Flow Yoga SLC is glad to be a part of your practice