Basic etiquette is an expression of the fundamental belief of yoga which is “ahimsa” or non-harming to self and others. It’s simply a practice of developing awareness of your world and all of those that are sharing it with you. Since practicing yoga at a studio may be a new experience for you, we would like to offer the following guidelines designed to help us all experience more spaciousness and friendliness toward ourselves, each other and our environment.  It is important to us that we work to follow the yogic ethical principles in the way that we all live together within our little space.

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NEW STUDENTS: PLEASE refer to our FAQ page for many commonly asked questions.

BE ON TIME really means BE EARLY. Please try to arrive 10-15 minutes early. Be sure to sign-in at the front desk by printing your name clearly so that we can get an accurate count. Extend your practice of “ahimsa” by being conscious of your teacher’s responsibilities before your class and your fellow students who have arrived on time and are already settling into the flow.

VISITING THE STUDIO: Our doors are kept locked at all times for safety except 15 minutes before class and 15 minutes after class. Our classes begin and end on time. Once class begins, the front door is locked. We cannot make any exceptions in order to minimize class disruption.

Please DO NOT ring the doorbell if you are more than 5 minutes late for class. It is our policy that the door is locked 5 minutes after the scheduled start time of all classes. Arriving late disrupts other students and takes away from the overall experience. We are sorry, but we cannot make exceptions. Please join us for another class another time.

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If you are visiting us, please ring the doorbell only once. If we don’t answer after the first ring, we are in a private session and unable to answer the door. Please email or give us a call with any questions you may have and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

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POWER TO THE PEACEFUL! (BE QUIET) When you arrive at the studio, be mindful that there may be bodywork appointments going on in the other rooms. Speaking in a quiet voice will also assist you in finding calm and ease from the moment you walk in the door. Turn it all off. Take a deep breath. The studio is a quiet, sacred place. Leave your shoes and street clothes in the cubbies and turn off your cell phone as soon as you walk up the stairs.

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VARIATIONS Keep in mind the level of class you are taking and allow yourself space to practice Tapas (the strength of confronting and then being unaffected by inner urges to create an outer show). If it is a basics class, stick to the basic postures as the teacher instructs unless otherwise directed. If poses seem too difficult, modify, and if you are unsure of how to do that, just ask.

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LEAVING EARLY: Though we hope you will plan to stay for the entire class, if you absolutely have to leave early, please let your teacher know BEFORE class begins. Also, be sure to practice Savasana (corpse pose, deep relaxation) on your own for at least five minutes and leave before the beginning of the class Savasana. It is impossible to leave quietly enough to avoid disturbing others once the general Savasana has begun.

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ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS Think of the studio as a special sacred place where you can take refuge. With that awareness in mind, please: Be mindful of how you place your mat on the floor – – try not to unfurl it with a loud “fwap!” but unroll it quietly out of respect for your neighbors. Organize your practice area with neatness and consideration of those around you. (a wonderful practice in Ahimsa/non-violence and Saucha/Cleanliness).  If you are socializing a bit before class, be mindful of others who may be centering themselves before class

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PRACTICE “PROPASANA” (Saucha/Cleanliness) The asana practice continues after your classes. Return all props to their appropriate places, which should be right where you found them, at the end of the class. Blankets need to be refolded to their original shape. They are “trained” to fold a certain way. If you are unsure about what that is, please ask your teacher. Blocks should be arranged neatly on the shelves alongside other blocks. Belts should be rewound into a palm-sized spiral and placed in the belt basket, and please try to roll mats back up as tightly, and neatly as possible.

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MATS: Love your yoga mat. We do have mats for use in the studio and although we do clean them, it is not as hygienic or as meaningful as practicing on your own mat. If you borrow a mat, please use our non toxic cleaners to wipe down the mat before you roll it up to put it away (practicing Saucha/Cleanliness) We also sell high quality mats made from sustainable materials (in observance of that first principle of yoga “ahimsa,” non-violence)

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Thank you for continuing to support community & practice at The Space Above. We appreciate your feedback, questions and comments so please feel free to let us know about your experience.