Hot Yoga 101 Etiquette

June 15, 2016 9:10 pm

Whether you’re new to Hot Yoga or a seasoned pro, following these basic rules of etiquette will help ensure you have the best experience possible at our studio:

Sign in: If you’re already a member of Hot Yoga 101, make sure you sign in for your class by scanning the barcode on your key tag or, if you need assistance, speaking to one of our front-desk staff. If you’re coming in for the very first time, you’ll need to let a staff member know so that they can get you properly set up.

 

Be on time: Make being on time a part of your practice – in fact, make it a habit to arrive early! Having students come into class after it’s started can be distracting for others, so give yourself enough time to sign in, change, set up your mat and towel and, if possible, lie quietly in savasana for a few moments before practice begins.

 

Practice patience: Wait until the previous class has left and staff members have finished mopping and tidying up before entering the hot room to put your mat and towel down. Check the sign on the door if you’re unsure whether it’s OK to go in.

 

Shoes off: Bare feet are a must in the hot room, so make sure you take your shoes off – either in the changing room or right outside the door – before you enter.

 

No scents: While a mild-smelling deodorant is perfectly fine (in fact, it’s encouraged!) for yoga class, perfume, cologne and other heavily scented body products, like moisturizer, should never be worn in the hot room. So, observe good general hygiene but save the scents for your post-yoga after-shower celebration!

 

Be silent: While we greatly encourage you to socialize with other students in the lobby and locker room before and after class, there should be zero talking once you enter the hot room. Not only will your fellow yogis thank you, those few silent moments before class begins are ideal for meditation or intention setting, making no chit-chat not just good etiquette but also very beneficial to your practice.

 

No phone: Just like a movie theatre or airplane, the hot room is a ringtone-free zone. In fact, you’ll need to leave your cell phone and other electronic devices in the locker room, preferably on silent, while in class. If you are an on-call health-care worker or need quick access to your phone or pager for some other reason, please speak to staff and the teacher prior to your class.

 

No glass: Glass water bottles can break and, given our bare-feet rule, are therefore not allowed in the yoga room. Plastic and metal drink containers are fine.

 

Stay put: Set an intention to stay in the hot room for the entire class – there are plenty of good reasons for doing so. Not only you will miss important elements of the practice if you leave (and deny yourself important opportunities to break through challenging moments as they arise), there’s also the heat and your fellow yogis to consider. If an emergency situation requires you to step out, notify the instructor if possible, leave quietly and re-enter the class between postures.

 

Follow the teacher: At the end of class, rather than rushing out, wait until the instructor leaves the room. When you are ready to exit, do so as quietly as possible.

 

Tidy up: Take everything you brought into the hot room out with you when you leave class. If you’ve rented a mat or towels from the studio, be sure to place these items in the appropriate bins. We’ve also got trash bins for tissues and recycling boxes for plastics and cans.

 

Shower 101: Please be aware of others waiting for showers. Keep your showers short, and leave the stall clean for the next yogi in line.

Park it: For those who drive, we provide 2.5 hours of free underground parking. You’ll need to stamp your ticket twice at the front desk – but please be gentle with the stamper! It gets a lot of use ☺

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