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In recent years, many yoga teachers have noticed an increase in some less-than-ideal behavior among yoga students. By that I mean showing up to class 15 minutes late, using devices during class, completely ignoring the teacher and instead attempting different (and usually quite challenging) poses, and other poor yoga etiquette.
It’s possible that students, whether new to yoga or not, are unaware that these behaviors are even an issue. But I’m not the only teacher who, frankly, is exhausted by constantly attending to a handful of students who disrupt class, distract others, and set the example that it’s okay to act in inconsiderate ways.
So I created a list of basic yoga etiquette as a reminder for anyone who attends yoga classes. It’s a simple way to honor the tradition of yoga, the students in class alongside you, and the space teachers are trying to hold for everyone.
10 Essential Yoga Etiquette Rules
Adhering to these simple acts of awareness help ensures everyone derives the most out of their practice.
1. Be on Time
Back in the day, yoga studios used to lock their doors minutes before class even started. If you arrived at the start of class, you were considered late and were not allowed to attend. Teachers and studios have become far more lenient, although it’s still important to honor the start of class by showing up on time.
The initial moments of class set the stage for your entire practice. Not only do you not want to miss this, but someone walking in late is distracting for other students, especially when they need to make room for your mat.
And if you show up 10 or 15 minutes late, you’ve missed the majority of the warm-up, which means your safety becomes compromised by abruptly jumping into class.
My rule is you can attend class if you’re no more than five minutes late. Like many of us, I try to maximize the time in my day and I run a little late here and there. However, if I’m more than a few minutes late to a class I’m attending, I won’t intrude. I don’t want to compromise others’ experience.
2. Move Mindfully Before and After Class
You’ve probably experienced students rushing into the studio and quickly unrolling their mats with a loud smack on the floor. That sound can be super jarring for fellow students who are sitting in meditation or unwinding with their eyes shut. And it completely messes with the vibe or tone that the teacher is attempting to create in the room.
So be courteous and set your mat, belongings, and props down with awareness. The term “vinyasa” means “to place in a special way.” As we build awareness, we can apply this concept to everything in life. That means avoiding throwing blocks or blankets to a fellow student and doing your best not to knock over your (or someone else’s) props or water bottle as you transition between poses or come into Savasana.
3. No Loud Noises (That Includes Talking)
Most of us modern day yogis (ie humans) are stimulated all day long by news, notifications, and noise from our social platforms, our work, our families, and so on. There is something uniquely special about walking into a quiet room and embracing that space.
But it can also be super fun to connect with friends and like-minded practitioners before and after class. To honor everyone’s need for both quiet and connection, please step outside the studio and into the lobby or locker room to chitchat with others before class. Also, since talking during class is super distracting to your teacher and fellow practitioners, please save your questions, feedback, or additional commentary until afterward.
4. Turn Off Your Devices
Much of the gift—and the discipline—of yoga is unplugging from the demands of the contemporary world and feeling free of obligations. What a gift!
There is no need for your device to be near you in class. This is your time. It affords you time to slow down, pause, tune inward, feel, rest, surrender, come back to yourself, and simply be.
That means…
No devices.
No selfies.
No texts.
No emails.
No calls.
No notifications.
No grocery deliveries. (Yes, this actually happens.)
There are special circumstances in which phones are essential. If you are a physician on call, it’s helpful to notify the teacher before class. Same applies to those who may need to respond to an emergency text related to their children or anyone else in their care.
If you a data-oriented practitioner and can’t practice without knowing your stats, please turn your device on “do not disturb” before class.
5. Honor the Space
Yoga teaches us, as a baseline commitment, to honor the space you’re in, the space inside you, the space you inhabit, and the space that surrounds you. It also asks you to be respectful of your neighboring students.
Whether you practice yoga at a gym, a boutique studio, or a shala, you are in a shared space in a public setting. Make space for others to practice alongside you. For example, when practicing in a crowded class, be willing to move your mat to accommodate practitioners who enter the studio after you.
Also, if there is ample space in the studio, avoid creating a mess around your mat by keeping your belongings neatly near you or moving them to a cubby or a locker. I have a regular student who loves to have a whole slew of things to support them in their practice. Their mat space ends up looking more like a yard sale than a sanctuary space and ends up taking more space than needed and creating a distraction for fellow students.
6. Follow Along
Throughout the last decade, yoga classes for “all levels” have become common. These classes cater to students of drastically different ages and experience levels. Most yoga teachers will be qualified to meet you wherever you are in your practice, but in all-levels class settings, we have to address the needs of everybody in the room.
It’s likely that not every cue in class will be attuned to you. Try to follow the sequence as instructed and always adjust a pose as needed or come into something that’s safer for your body.
But going rogue and doing your own thing the entire time can be a distraction to both the teacher and students. Please do not show up to a public class and do this. I humbly admit that I have sometimes been guilty of this. I enjoy varying my practice when I feel inspired. But sometimes the most “advanced” practice can be to follow along in a community setting and demonstrating to your fellow students they are supported in their practice, too. You might even become aware of something you hadn’t noticed before.
7. Be Kind to Yourself
The negativity bias we have as humans can easily take over, especially when we practice something new to us in a communal environment. Watch the negative self-talk and offer yourself some compassion and kindness throughout class. Be kind to your mind and your body. Always and in all ways. Take breaks when necessary, drink some water, and use props as a way to enhance your practice.
Acknowledge yourself for all of your extraordinary efforts! Let it be that simple.
8. Practice Stillness During Savasana
Yoga teachers are stewards for stillness. In fact, the physical practice of yoga was designed to be a precursor to seated meditation by allowing us to shake off the excess stress in our physical bodies so we can find a comfortable seat and drop into a more mindful state of being.
But that doesn’t make sitting or lying still easy. In his book Light on Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar wrote that Savasana “is the most difficult of yogic asanas to perfect, but it is also the most refreshing and rewarding.”
Allow yourself several minutes at the end of class to rest and recover rather than jump out of class early. It is always worth it.
9. Stay Until the End
If you need to leave early, please inform the teacher before class begins. Also, place your mat near an exit, take an early Savasana toward the end of class, and quietly leave class before everyone else settles into their final resting pose so you don’t disrupt the quiet.
10. Put Your Props Away (Neatly)
Most yoga studios lack the staff to clean and stack all the props in between classes, so it becomes everyone’s responsibility to help organize things. This relates to the first niyama, or act of living our yoga, which is a term called sauca. This principle refers to cleanliness or purity and can be interpreted in many ways. One of those ways is keeping the studio’s props clean and orderly for the next class.
Or, in other words, leave things better than how we found them. After all, we ourselves leave our practice better than we arrived. It makes sense we’d want to do the same for the others and the space that supported us.
