Class Etiquette

1. Arrive On Time
Arrive at least 10 minutes before the class is scheduled to start. Please do not park in the private lot to the right as you enter YHC. If you do arrive late, be sure NOT to enter the yoga studio during the Pranayama breathing, wait until first set is complete. You may enter quietly and respectfully before 2nd set begins. We ask that you not make a habit of being tardy for class. Please do not ring the door bell after the door is locked and the class is in session.

2. Remove Your Shoes
Shoes are left under the bench in the Men's and Women's Dressing areas, not by the entrance to the yoga room.

3. Turn Off Your Cell Phone
Make a habit of doing this as soon as you get to the yoga studio. If you need to have your phone with you for an urgent matter, please let the teacher know that you have it on vibrate and that this is just for today.

4. Listen to and Respect the Teacher
When you enter a yoga class, you sign on to respect the teacher for the next 90 minutes. You may discover halfway through the class or even sooner that you don't care for the teachers style, this is part of your yoga practice, listen to your own breath and stay for the class just the same. Please be respectful to yourself, your fellow students and your teacher by staying for class. Leaving a class because you do not care for a teacher is disrespectful. Your teachers are here to help, and they have worked hard to receive their certification and they are, just like you, here to learn about Yoga by practicing and teaching this amazing Bikram Yoga! The owner, Regina welcomes feedback via email. Regina will respectfully share this feedback with the teachers appropriately. This is the very best and most respectful way to handle a teacher you are not enjoying, not by directly asking him or her or whatever the case may be. We ask that you follow the teacher's instructions, take your Savasana, and chalk it up to experience.

5. Speak quietly
Speaking softly to your fellow yoga students before class is wonderful. During final Savasana we ask that you kindly wait until after you exit the yoga room to resume conversations with your fellow yoga students.

6. Keep Variations Appropriate
If you are pregnant, we will assist you in finding alternate postures. Always ask your OB-GYN if it is ok for you to attend a hot yoga class. The temperatures range from 103-112 degrees. Bikram yoga is beginning yoga and it is challenging. In all classes we may have brand new students, students that started a few weeks or a few months ago as well as students who have been practicing for years. We will assist you in simplifying the asanas so that you will know what to do if for any reason you can not do what the rest of the class is doing, this is our ongoing pleasure. If you are more advanced we still ask that you stick to doing Bikram's 26 pose series as it is being taught and NOT to do your own postures, doing so takes away from the class energy and confuses the newer students. We enjoy the synchronized, energy creating class experience and this is just one of the may beautiful things of a Bikram class, that all levels practice together.

7. Do Not Leave the Yoga Room During Postures
It is fine to leave class for a few minutes to go to the bathroom: There is no need to ask the teacher's permission. The best time to go is when there is a period of rest, either at the first water break which at Yoga Health Center/San Carlos is after Eagle pose or after the 55 minute standing series is over while the class is in their first Savasana (relaxation) before we begin the floor series. Walking out during the asanas or in front of someone during our standing balancing series is never ok. You will not earn your teacher's respect if you routinely dodge out during difficult poses.

8. Mat Policy
We will gladly lend you one of our YHC mats for 30 days only, after that we ask you to please buy or bring your own. We sell very good quality non-slip sticky mats. Please spray a borrowed mat with tea tree oil (in the yoga room) before you leave. If the mat you borrowed is very wet, you need to bring more towels and change them out during class. Please do not walk on any yoga mat as you enter or exit the studio. A students' mat is their sacred space and we want to keep them clean.

9. Do Not Skip Savasana!
We all work as a class and Savasana is part of the class energy and this is not a time to do a few crunches or extra sit-ups. After final Savasana is over (3 minutes) this is acceptable. Your final relaxation in Savasana is an important part of your practice as well. Don't plan to leave class early every time. If you must, tell the teacher in advance and take a short Savasana before you go. We (the teachers) do our best to end on time and we include Savasana in our 90 minute class and remember this just takes a moment or two and it is meant as part of your practice.

10. No Perfumes or Scents
Due to the very close proximity of our neighbors during yoga practice, YHC asks all students to please shower before coming to class and avoid the use of strong perfumes. Strong smells, both natural and commercial, and from certain foods can be offensive to some and can have a negative effect on the yoga experience.

11. No Talking During Class
Bikram Yoga is a dialogue class with a continuous stream of instruction for all the students in attendance. If you have any questions we welcome them after the class..