Eugene School of Yoga

Etiquette


General Etiquette and Information


1. Please bathe daily, preferably before class.  Avoid perfumes and scented lotions.

2. Clean feet with pumice or other abrasive if you are a gardener/barefooty type.

3. Borrow mats are for new and visiting students and unforeseen circumstances.  Store borrow mats on the bottom shelf only.

4. Regular students must have your own mats, marked with your name or personal symbol. A sharpie is available upon request.

5. If you sweat to the point of dripping, please consider acquiring a cotton practice rug.

6. Please discard “sour” practice items. Items become sour when left wet without being aired out, i.e. balled-up practice clothes or rug left in washing machine or bag.  Wet items should be fully aired and drying within 1 hour of practice.  Preferably open on a line, not bunched on a hook. Direct sunlight when possible will keep your favorite yoga duds naturally disinfected.

7. If you practice with sour clothes, you will likely receive fewer adjustments.

8. Remove your mat from the shelf carefully. Pull with one hand, and hold the other mats with the other.

9. Return practice mats to the appropriate shelf, rolled neatly.  No long spirals. If you practice with a rug, try folding the rug and mat in half, and then rolling tightly.)

10. Please keep your personal items out of Kevin’s office corner.

11. Lost and found items are kept on the shelves immediately to the right of the mat shelves. Items will be kept in the studio for two weeks.

12. If you are running late for class, please do not enter during the opening chant. .

13. If you arrive after the chant on Mysore days, please feel free to chant alone, silently or aloud.

14. Please be aware when it is appropriate to talk, share and joke and when it is time for silence.  No set rule - just paying attention.

15. If you leave while the group is in rest after led class, leave as quietly as yogically possible.  (See #1 Early Morning Etiquette.) You may leave your mat where it is and the instructor of the next class will roll and replace it on the shelf.

16. Refrain from loud handstand dismounts near the heads of resting yogis.

17. Resting after practice is very important for effective integration.  5-15 minutes recommended.  Deeper practice = longer rest.  Rest at least until heart rate and breathing have returned to normal.

18. Please laugh at Kevin's jokes, even if they are not funny.



Early Morning Etiquette


Practicing before 7:30am is welcomed and encouraged on Mysore days. Please understand that this is Kevin’s practice time in preparation for the day, and be mindful of the following extra mandates:


Enter as quietly as reasonably possible. This includes the subtlety of footfall, the removal of garments, the setting of bags, the opening of velcro etc., and the proximity of all of these things to Kevin, and particularly KEVIN’S HEAD DURING REST (generally between 6:30-7am).

Please step your vinyasas forward and back (instead of jumping) while Kevin is in rest after practice.  Softer practice is also a general courtesy which may be extended to anyone resting after practice. 

Unless absolutely necessary, please do not engage Kevin in conversation until after he has made his mocha.


Dietary Suggestions


  1. 1. Do not eat for several hours before practice.  Asana is most effective on an empty stomach. If absolutely necessary before practice, small amounts of fruit or juice or bland crackers are recommended.

  2. 2.Refrain from drinking water during practice.  It douses the internal heat necessary for deep asana.

  3. 3.Do not eat immediately after practice.  Spend the first 30 minutes/1 hour hydrating before taking a meal.

  4. 4.High energy, low volume foods are recommended in general.  Fats, carbs and proteins are all necessary in moderate amounts.  Avoid processed sugars and heavy foods at night.