Manners! You either got em or you don’t, areweright? Please and Thank You still go a long way in this world, but when it comes to yoga studio etiquette, being conscious of others and behaving in a socially yog-acceptable way is often elevated to the next level.
We’ve all been there, sitting peacefully in class when some yahoo running late tumbles in like the Tazmanian Devil on gummiberry juice. Ahimsa you say, non-judgment you repeat silently to yourself. Meanwhile you’d prefer to show this special person your boot-in-the-butt asana out in the parking lot.
Luckily, we have handy videos like this cheeky one here from Tejas Yoga, as well as our conscience, to guide us through the steps of yoga studio etiquette.
Here’s part 1. Pass it on to the ones you love, and the ones you don’t love. We hope they’ll tackle the dreaded mobile phone faux pas next. Patanjali conveniently forgot to include technology in his Yamas and Niyamas.
What are some of your yoga studio etiquette nightmares?
——
Earlier…
My favorite one right now is this gal who comes to class regularly and is ALWAYS late. Not too late, like 2-3 minutes. Then, she finds the spot that causes the most amount of interruption. There can be plenty of open space but she’ll squeeze into a spot and make others move. It’s fascinating.
I think we all have someone like that in our class. I see it as a desperate need of attention and count my blessing that I am not like that.
Maybe she thinks she’s less conspicuous in among the group… or, you know, totally oblivious.
In addition, I have a variety of students that when they do come late, during quiet meditation, they say in their normal voices “HI! SO Sorry I’m late!!”
Stinky mats. If you can smell it, I can smell it.
if I’m late, I usually skip. I hate interrupting practice….Id have to agree with Stella though, the mat problem is the worst – air it out and clean it regularly PLEASE. It’s a Yoga Studio not a Hockey locker room
Pantanjali may not have addressed technology in the yamas and niyamas, but he did devote an entire limb of yoga to the concept of pratyahara.
Sure, some things like talking on phones and coming to class late show a lack of pratyahara on the offender’s behalf and even a disrespect to the yoga teacher. But shouldn’t the other’s in class be focusing on themselves and not worrying about what is going on around them?
I find the suggestion that everyone should set up quietly so not to disturb others’ peacefulness to be very amusing. Do whatever you want next to me in yoga class and I probably won’t care because my focus is not on you, but inwards on myself. I practice and meditate in the real world, not in a cave. If I needed ideal conditions for this, I never would have made it past the first attempt.
Your classmates rudeness is a good opportunity to cultivate your pratyahara!
Right on! We never know what challenges a person faces just getting to class. So, if you got a problem, with someone else’s problem, I say “Om it out”
Om Shanti Baby
Amen!!!
Thoughtful post!
Love your response!
Anon,
I think it is important to remember that not everyone attending a yoga class is a yogi/yogini. You may be quite adept at focusing inward and not being ruffled by outside noises but not everyone is at your stage. I don’t think it is too much to ask people to be quiet and respectful upon entering. You wouldn’t arrive at a funeral service by causing a commotion would you?
Funeral service.
Really?
Yes, really. What is so confusing about this? There is proper etiquette at a funeral, a church service, graduation ceremony, etc. Why is it too much to ask people to observe etiquette practices at a yoga studio?
I love this response!
I’m actually kind of surprised how irritated some people seem to get in yoga class – seems counter-intuitive to the purpose of yoga! People stepping on your mat, getting too close to your mat, wearing a thong or bringing their purse to class? Who cares! Don’t focus on that and as Anon put it, practice your pratyahara.
As my instructor always puts it: Yoga is no time to be territorial or judgmental. I try to really practice that.
While I do find cell phone ringing and talking during class annoying (I am human!) I refuse to let it ruin my practice.
My lovely Mum took part in a 6 hour yogathon with me a couple of weeks ago. She did great apart from when she dozed off then loudly apologised during each gorgeous savasana…
Please wear deodorant; please come clean to class; please don’t step on my mat or, really, anyone’s mat that is not YOUR mat; be QUIET in the space or go chat outside; leave your ‘very expensive’ purse at home or suck it up and leave it in the lobby; no cellphones. OHMYGOD STOP SNAPPING YOUR MAT THIS ISN’T CROSSFIT.
Thank you!
Random strangers stepping on my mat drives me crazy – I consider it a sacred space – not to mention unhygienic and just rude. I probably need to let this one go 🙂
The next time someone does it, you could follow them to their mat, pick your nose and wipe it on the corner. Then smile beatifically 🙂
If your cell goes off please own up to the mistake and get up and shut it off. It’s happened to me and yes, it’s embarrassing but I think it’s kinder and more courageous to get up and turn it off.
( please don’t answer it right outside the room either -go outside if you have to )
I think ringing cell phones in class are hilarious. One time an especially amusing ringtone brought an entire class into laughter. Great class!!
If you are let you set up in the back of the room. One woman in my class always comes late and sets up in the front of the room super close the me and my friend who are usually in the front. After she slaps her mat down she then goes back and forth to get her props.
If you are going to wear thong underwear…….please wear an appropriate pant or shorts that will cover it when you do yoga poses. Everybody behind you does not want to see your thong hanging out. Thank you very much!!
We, the men in the class, forgive you for wearing comfortable and functional underwear. And it is ok to be sexy in class – we’ll survive spending some time around beautiful women in a non-sexualized context.
Sorry, seeing someone’s thong hanging out is anything but sexy on a man or a woman. Keep that image for the bedroom not in a yoga class. 🙂
It’s not about you and your perception of their body.
My (not) favorites are: people who walk into the studio on their cell phones. Not just into the yoga business, but INSIDE the studio. If you can’t stand to be away from your mobile phone for even an hour or two, just stay home with it taped to your head.
Also, in a small Bikram studio I used to go to years ago, I got kicked multiple times and had people park their mats practically right on top of mine. I know a lot of studios — not just the infamous Bikram’s — are famous for “packing ’em in to make money”. If I’m paying 20 bucks a class, I think I should get at least 6 inches of space around my mat. That and the studio’s probably breaking a fire code by admitting that many people.
I wrote a whole post on this! http://www.sticksnstonesblog.com/2012/08/the-five-people-you-meet-in-yoga-and.html?m=0
You, too, should get over yourself, and learn to accept the humanity of others. And check your attitude.
I am one of those guys who gets into the studio early & starts flowing. I’m 57, and I need to warm up slowly and a comparatively long time. And, yes, I do eventually get into some non-beginner poses. But – shock – I’m not doing it for the amazement of others in the room (who are not overwhelmed by the short fat old guy’s yoga). This is my practice. If you don’t like my practice, perhaps you should stay home, so you don’t have to watch someone practicing yoga.
Perhaps you should get over yourself and quit trolling every comment on this article. Namaste.
Trolling is something different. This is disagreeing with people who have such a huge sense of entitlement that they think that everyone should conform to their standards of studio behavior.
It is wrong to try to control the actions of others. It is a burden that you bear that you want to.
How are you not trolling? Enlighten me, oh wise one. When you use accusatory language in your commentary, you are giving off the impression that you are setting out to upset people. You’ve done that on multiple comments on this post and quite frankly, that says more about you than it does me. I wrote this post simply because I was tired of encountering people who fart in class and decided to throw in a few more annoying behaviors in there. It was your choice to take it personal. It sounds like you need to take your own advice and learn the practice of non-judgement.
He’s got a point, Hana. There is a fine line between being a troll and being an ass. He’s no troll.
Most people who hide under the otherwise-noble label of “troll” just want to be an ass.
On the other hand, most people accusing someone of “trolling” are just too polite to call someone an “ass”.
I’m sure Dale would agree that inner peace does not preclude correctly identifying the blue sky or the common ass.
I agree – Dale is no troll and his comments are in now way offensive. Criticism can be difficult to take, I guess.
Thanks Hana! I loved the post, especially the loud Om’er. My pet peeve is the heavy breather/loud singer/grunter. The grunts are the worst! It is usually a man and the grunts, combined with the heavy breathing sound similar to sex sounds and I get repulsed by the thought of icky guy having sex! 🙂
What is your beef with the struggling newbie?! Give them some encouragement, don’t shame them in your blog post as one of the worst people in a class! Similarly, what is the problem with an experienced person taking that time before class – not DURING class – to run through some of their own favorite poses? And as long as the sweaty guy cleans up his sweat, he can’t really help the rest, short of rubbing his whole body with deodorant, but then you’d complain that all you can smell is that.
I think you maybe have let your repressed bridezilla come out as a yoginizilla.
Agree! Some of the comments here are pretty sad. Live and let live.
Sorry but I don’t get it. Not trying to argue etc. but most of these aren’t issues.
The new person? Well everyone has to start somewhere! We were all new and learning. Why berate them?
Show-off – well if you’re paying attention to them, you’re not concentrating on your own practice. I just go within when I do yoga.
The Om – different people breathe differently. As long as they aren’t talking I could care less. I also know a lot of people struggle with breath so as long as they continue to breathe, I’m happy! : ) And I’ve never heard a yeller before though so that would bother – but it’s never happened to me.
Sweaty – you can’t control that. It’s biological. They aren’t sweating purposely to annoy you.
Never encountered a humming guy, but farting is biological too. It’s not like they do it on purpose. I’ve never seen anyone in yoga do it on purpose.
I just chillax – do the yoga – feel great afterwards and hope everyone had a great practice. If you let people annoy you for being, well, human then you’ll never enjoy the class.
Students that come to class reeking like cigarettes. Its really hard to focus on my breathe during practice when I smell that toxic smell. I would take body odor over that anytime. I have stopped going to certain classes because of this. If no cell phones can be a policy can’t no smoking? I don’t like leaving a class with a headache from deep breathing cigarette smoke. I love yoga being open and accepting to all, but if it effects other student’s health, I personally have to draw the line.
And, there is now research to support the harmful effects of “third hand” smoke:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/third-hand-smoke/AN01985
It’s not just unpleasant, it’s harmful!
Not just ciggie smoke but strong perfumes, including deoderants can be hell for people with allergies or respiratory problems.
Interesting concept, so I read the article. You got it wrong. The author defones 3rd hand smoke as “Thirdhand smoke is generally considered to be residual nicotine and other chemicals left on a variety of indoor surfaces by tobacco smoke.” So you are not experiencing 3rd hand smoke. If you were practicing on a mat that usually lived unrolled in a smoking area, then possibly the smoke would combine with other pollutants on the mat or in the smoky place, and form 3rd hand smoke, which then would transfer to your skin. But just smelling the stinky smoker odor isn’t 3rd hand smoke.
You’ve got an interesting read on the article, Dale. I continued reading past the first paragraph where the author defined thirdhand smoke “generally” and kept going to the second paragraph.
In the first sentence of the second paragraph the author gives examples of thirdhand smoke clinging to, among other things, hair, skin, and clothes.
It’s pretty clear that a person could simply be near a cigarette and introduce thirdhand smoke to the studio via skin, hair, workout clothes, mat, or anything else.
You say you “read” the article. I do not think this means what you think it means.
Agree – I am extremely sensitive to smoke that clings to smokers’ clothing, hair, skin, etc. and this includes my own daughter (unfortunately). As a former smoker I am not passing judgment, just stating a fact. I might add, my first day at a class in my teacher’s home, I was surprised to discover that she had a dog (adorable, too) who came into the class with us and would walk around asking for rubs, etc. – but always settled down when class began. I am nit allergic but I know people who simply would have been in misery, unable to stay for more than 10 minutes. My point is that she did not consider that folks may be highly allergic to animals and never told me beforehand that there was a dog not only in her home, but in the studio itself. It’s an awareness issue,, I guess.
This has made my day. I wish all positngs were this good.
No smoking in the studio, yes. No smoking within a certain radius of the building is enforceable if the landlord wants to. But no smoking within a certain timeframe before going to class? Not enforceable. Good for them for wanting to improve their health in one way – hopefully it gives them the peace and calm to give up the smoking, too.
Yes, I do agree with you on this…progress not perfection! But tough on those who are environmentally sensitive…something to discuss with the teacher beforehand if it is a real health concern for you and not just annoying or bothersome.
People who are that sensitive should stay home. It is a lot to expect a teacher to implement and enforce a no smoking before class policy. It seems like it is only really privileged Americans who are so sensitive.
The other night a yoga instructor asked me to not smoke before coming to class-did not give a time frame. I had had a cigarette maybe 20 minutes before class, before I went in the building I febreezed my hair and clothes and chewed mints I febreeze to the point that I am soaked with it I do this before every class (been doing yoga for 20 years) no one has ever smelled smoke on me believe me after she said this I asked every one in the studio if I smelled like smoke and to be honest and every one said no I did not most said they did not realize I smoke. She has to be very very sensitive to smells to have smelled anything (thats what the other classmates said) She made it sound like I reeked (according to 12 people I did not) and she would not let me in anymore if I smelled like smoke I pay 100 a month for those classes can she really do this? If I did really reak of it I would get it- been going there for over a month and thats the first mention of it also-
The Febreze is a huge problem for me, actually. I cannot be around it at all. Perhaps what she’s observing is that you are dousing yourself in perfumed chemicals to cover the smoke smell – which *does* linger, you just don’t notice it because you are a smoker – making the whole thing worse. Asking every single other person in the class is a bit much.
But yes, she can make these policies for her studio, no matter how much you pay.
My yoga studio etiquette nightmare was actually because of a teacher. I have been skinny my entire life and I have a genetic liver disease (mind you neither of these have anything in common with one another or anything to do with my yoga practice. I function just like any other person and need no special treatment because of it.) This teacher would mention my weight every time I went to class. Things like, “Maybe you should go eat something after class.” or “Are you sure you should be doing yoga? You may lose more weight.”
One day, another smaller girl came to class and my teacher told me to go talk to her about my liver problem because “maybe she has it too”. She said this loudly in front of the entire class, leading to me having to explain my genetic liver condition to everyone in the class.
I told her in confidence on my sheet when I signed up for her class and she apparently talked to everyone about it. I would have people I didn’t even know come up and ask me how my liver was doing. Needless to say, I don’t take classes there anymore.
I would suggest discussing this with the teacher and express your dismay on her betrayal of your confidence. If this doesn’t work, contact the manager/owner of the studio.
She was the owner of the studio. I did talk to her about it, but she didn’t understand the problem.
That’s too bad. Sorry to hear. It sounds like you may need to vote with your feet; walk out and find a new studio.
The perfect example of a teacher/instructor that should be studentless. Maybe there aren’t any “bad” yoga teachers, but some are way better than others.
I had an Iyengar yoga teacher during class poke my little bit of extra weight around the midriff and announce “this is where your work is”. And on another occasion asked me to demo a pose on the floor which led to a comment in front of the class that was something like, “it’s like rolling dough”. Now mind me I am a size 8 and not overweight only mid life parimenopausal. It was to say the least a little humiliating. But I am not vain enough to really care. However it made me reflect on the motives sometimes of “teachers” and the level of their own development. For certain it was due to jealousy. I’ve spent time in India and not a yoga teacher but have much more experience then her and I realized she always found a way to put me down. She had a skeletal figure, genetic but also very proud of it. She gave me a birthday card with a cartoon of an older woman with a muffin stuffed in her mouth … (I used to sometimes eat a muffin with my coffee after class with her). SO. It’s interesting to watch this dynamic of yoga “teachers” so attached to their identity as “teachers” that they are threatened by anything that is not their “student”.
Good for you to take class elsewhere.
Nothing worse than a teacher who lacks respect for their students…well, maybe a studio owner who doesn’t get it either.
Oh, hear hear … I just blogged about that topic on my nutrition blog. Yoga teachers and valorizing the underweight.
I’ve an eating disorder now … if my former yoga teacher only knew …
Honey, you need to not own, manager, or work in a yoga studio. You have disregarded he fundamental lesson of life & yoga – inner peace does not depend on controlling the actions of others. Pretentious, obnoxious, and elitist, you are. Full of Spirit, you are not.
Wow. And your response so loving, compassionate and non-judgemental also. Perhaps understand the light-hearted nature of the article? Taking oneself very seriously is not a tenet of yoga either.
No, I totally missed the non-existant lightness of the video. This is just a mean girl.
Are you always this miserable and argumentative or did this article hit a nerve, Dale?
Yeah, I have to agree with Dale. A studio is responsible for their atmosphere, and there is certainly a need for a variety of atmospheres – some quiet, solemn, and focused, others more cheery, noisy and vibrant.
One studio I attend has everyone start in a reclining bound angle pose with support underneath the back/head, practicing slow ujjayi breath and eyes closed until the class formally starts. Obviously people aren’t going to be talking while doing this, and incoming students will naturally move quietly and calmly.
Another studio I attend has music playing, lights on, and constantly has teachers-in-training in classes, whom all know each other very well and are catching up. They start class by having everyone turn to their neighbors and say hello.
Neither is better or worse than the other; they both serve their purpose. Unfortunately this video is trying to say one etiquette fits all. That’s not true for a single yoga pose and for me goes against the purpose of yoga – it’s not about form, it’s about mindfulness. Being able to stay calm despite an annoying neighbor is a much more valuable quality to cultivate for life than being able to balance on one leg.
Etiquette= Respect yourself and respect for the others you are sharing space with. It’s not intolerant to want to have discipline & etiquette in the room. Here’s my list:
1. Mat snappers. No need to announce you’ve arrived. Just put it on the floor and unroll it. You do not need to snap it open from a standing position.
2. Noise. The heavy heeled foot stompers who stomp stomp stomp across the room. Big noisy clanky key rings and crinkley bags. Giant metal klean canteens filled with ice cubes..which often are so heavy and slippery they are dropped and spilled loudly on the floor. And the inability to disconnect from you cell phone for a few hours. It shouldnt even be present in the studio.
3. The “bring my drama to the studio” folks who catch up ,chat and discuss their drama before and after class while others are meditating. I came to the studio to get away from my day…not hear about yours. I recognize it can’t be a complete sanctuary but if you must chat…do so outside the room.
4. Loud, dramatic, uncontrolled mouth breathers. Postures are corrected individually…why is breathing not corrected or addressed individually??
Melinda, your desire to control the minutia of other people’s actions is not healthy for you. How much energy do you waste and stress do you produce with this nonsense?
Mat snappers snap their mats. Maybe you should not let small sounds bother you. Ditto keyrings and people who walk loudly. Wow.
People who catch up before & after class are called “friends”. They do that. Maybe if you were friendly, you would have friends to chat happily with before class. Hmmm?
Loud breathing. Wow. Really? No lion’s breath around you, then. Be sure to let the teacher know.
Sanctuary. Look, it’s a yoga studio – not a sanctuary. Check out the 8 limbs of yoga, & note that all o fthese practices are designed to still the fluctuations of your mind. Note that the practices are not designed to still the fluctuations of the world, but your mind.
When these sensations of annoyance wash over you, you might want to experience them, experience your annoyance, and then let that go, & return to your meditation on your own breath. According to Patanjali, anyway.
I agree Melinda. All day long in an office I’m bombarded with small noises and annoyances that I have to put up with. I’d really just like one hour (or 90 min – depending on class) of my day communing with others, albeit silently.
A healthy dose of ADD makes it harder to me to ignore “background” noise than most. To some, it’s not background noise (like the table next to me eating chips) – it’s like it’s right in my ear. My issues are my own. That is why I work each week to let the jingle of the keys and chit-chatters bother me less. That’s part of my journey.
Even if your yoga class is nothing more than a glorified stretching exercise (you’re not there for the mind-body connection), I think it should be obvious that this isn’t a normal group exercise class and some consideration should be given.
When you walk in and see someone meditating before class, loudly talking on your phone or with a friend (IMO) is the same as interrupting someone during Sunday prayer service.
I think several levels of the Limbs can be followed here – from Satya (maybe someone needs to be told, being late is unacceptable) to Ahisma (serenity now) to Tapas (directing our energy inward rather than towards giving annoyances our time).
Hmm, I guess if you just eliminate the guys from the class you’ll not have any problems.
Wow, I’ve never been on this website (I can via a link to the video) – but people are really mean! Especially you, Dale! Wow.
Namaste!
To be fair Sandra, I never noticed him commenting until this article and I check out this site almost daily. Try not to let him deter you too much. The veil of anonymity can bring out the worst in everyone.
As a teacher, my main nightmare is the person who’s never done yoga before, comes in late, and (for example) has no idea where to find the mat they’ll need for class. You can bet that: they’re disoriented by the new environment; probably stressed by transportation delays getting there, and; maybe intimidated or feeling guilty because they know they’re late.
If for no other reason, they’re in need of immediate attention to minimize their discomfort, find them a spot, and get them into the flow of class. Without the benefit of having a minute or two to speak with them before class starts and get them settled in, I’ll now have to lead the class while settling them in and they’ll have to get settled in while doing class, simultaneously.
Far from the ideal introduction to yoga class.
If the late newbie is your nightmare, why not set out one or two extra mats (and props, if needed) for the inevitable latecomers before a busy class? I have seen teachers do that and found it very helpful.
And what is to keep you from getting off your pedestal, approaching the newbie and softly giving him/her a few pointers while the rest of the class keeps on doing what they’re doing? I actually appreciate it when a teachers walks around the class noticing things.
I brought my young (9 year old?) daughter to class many years ago and she seemed to develop sniffles and a little coughing as the class progressed (again, someone who us highly allergic to environmental smells, dander, etc.). The teacher leaned in while doing an adjustment on her and gently suggested that she might want to skip class next time if she wasn’t feeling well. My daughter, who is a sensitive, was horrifically embarrassed and humiliated by this. I think what the teacher said was perfectly reasonable and appropriate but perhaps she could have discussed this with her privately after class. It’s all about how and when you say things, inmy experience. And I loved that teacher. And we are all imperfect humans. Namaste,
What a patronising piece of garbage! And this is only part 1! Delivered in a tone of voice generally reserved for pre-schoolers. This is superfluous nonsense, dreamed up by people who live in constant disappointment because others don’t meet their expectations. Grow up, Tejas Yoga!
It’s disappointing that you would choose to post this rubbish in order to win traffic to your site.
I teach in a small studio: at the end of one of my classes, while my students were sitting in meditation before the closing Om, I actually had someone walk in and set up his mat for the NEXT class while ours was still going. I was tempted to throw it back out into the lobby but didn’t. I also had a student that brought an electronic cigarette to class and was grabbing puffs between poses before I quietly and gently asked him to please leave it for before or after class.
Did you consider that maybe he thought the end of your class was the start of ‘his’ class?
I’ve had that happen before, more than once – students not paying attention, desk staff who don’t bother to say anything…
You could have just politely let him know that your class was still in progress and asked him to wait outside until the students exited.
I would have, except he didn’t stay. He put down his mat 20 minutes before my class ended and then walked out of the studio, presumably to run an errand before the class he wanted to attend started.
I think yogis may need to chill a bit. 🙂
Every once in a while there will be a group of 4 friends who maybe haven’t seen each other in a while, and after class they run to one of the friends mats and begin having a full on reunion.
Well, I have noticed that if I do have some sort of pet peeve, I will surely get a multitude of opportunities for my peeve to become aware of my own reaction and deal with it, at which point, I just observe it happening, alongside every other thing that happens that I don’t bother to react toward.
There is nothing in the world that is out there causing us to react, it’s all on us, our choice is all there is.
I actually practice at home a lot and when I go to a class, I appreciate the business and the flowing energy around me. Sure, I find myself watching and judging more than I should sometimes. But mostly I find classes a nice addition and a change to my regular practice.
If classes are so distracting, stinky and annoying, why not practice in the pristine confines of your home with a few choice friends? There are so many excellent yoga videos you can use, why go to all the hassle of getting to a class if your are going to hate it there?
Agreed Tiny! I just went through the whole series of comments and it was, for the most part, mean and small. I think ther’s only one rude yoga class behavior– not making room for the people who do come in a minute or two late. The truth is, that latecomers show up stressed– give them a break and let the flow happen by integrating the, into the class. Stop being a floor hog and make room. Sometimes I am early, sometimes I am late. Always I am kind and happy to be in class with you. If you can’t meditate around noise, look at meditation differently. Yoga isn’t about your westernized uptightness and discipline, nor is it about the teachers who interpret it that way– that isn’t yoga at all. You are taking your time to do this– let your time be joyful– you chose this.
Typos unintended– sorry– iPad.
I am extremely impressed with your writing skills as
well as with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself?
Anyway keep up the excellent quality writing, it is rare to
see a nice blog like this one nowadays.
There are already so many comments on here; please forgive me for piling on but I don’t think I see this one mentioned. I’m fine with the smells, accidental jingling, lateness. I try not to judge. But people who take up a huge space with their mat and don’t move over when they can see that their mat is preventing a few more people from squeezing in to a crowded class need to be more mindful and aware of their bodies in the present moment. Yoga is about love and compassion and our relationship to the rest of the world.
Denisem, I was going to say the same thing. I am ok with most other “annoying” habits of others. But the non-movers when the class is really full really bother me. I think it’s because yoga is meant to be a kind, healing space, and it’s a sort of snobbish, selfish attitude that happens in those occasions. It’s when someone looks at you, makes eye contact, sees the situation that you are trying to put your mat down and there’s no space, and if they just moved their own mat a few inches, there would be enough room…… but they decide that they’d like to stay right where they are and ignore you instead. That really gets on my nerves! (But when the teacher comes over and orders them to move, that always makes things better!)
Yes Lisa I guess that’s why it bothers me. This is a shared community space. I think the Sanskrit name for this is sat sang. We’re in it together. My teacher never gets mad or bothered by late people and greets them with a big smile. Then he helps them find a spot. When he does that we learn more about yoga than any asana can teach us.