GUIDELINES

Please leave your shoes, bag, clothes and other belongings outside of the practicing room and only take in those belongings you really need during the practice (mat, towels etc.).
Personal hygiene is an integral part of practicing Yoga. If possible, you should take a shower before the practice. Do not wear lotions, scents, and in general avoid perfumed products. You and your gear, including your mat, rug, towels and clothing, should be clean. After the practice, please wipe up any sweat around you on the floor and your mat.
Refrain from eating at least two hours prior to and 30 minutes after your practice. Drink plenty of water during the day after your practice, but do not take water bottles into the practice space or drink immediately before/after class.
Start and end times are flexible according to the length of your practice. Try however, to start your practice at the posted starting-time of the class, so that we can all chant the opening mantra together. If you come later please enter silently and wait for the teacher to show you your spot. Chant the opening mantra in silence.
Please respect and follow the traditional Ashtanga method as taught by the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and his grandson R. Sharath Jois. Please do not add or skip postures or in other ways deviate from the traditional Ashtanga sequence unless acknowledged or requested by your teacher.
Please refrain from unnecessary talking. Enjoy the silence of the room and the sound of your breath.
Stay on your own mat and refrain from assisting other practitioners.
If required, patiently wait for the teacher to come to adjust you if she/he is busy adjusting another student. Have a towel at hand which the teacher can use when adjusting you.
Do not practice any new Asanas unless given to you by your teacher. Please do not ask for Asanas. Each student is given their practice according to their ability. Postures are given, one by one, in a certain sequential order. When you practice Yoga in the Mysore-style setting, it is important to wait for the teacher to give you each new posture. The act of waiting gives your teacher the opportunity to teach you the posture correctly or to adjust you in it. Waiting also is an opportunity to express respect for your teacher and the practice.
Do not underestimate the effect of Ashtanga Yoga. It is a very effective self-therapy for personal development – physically, mentally and spiritually. Consider a balanced practice integrating both activation and release, engagement and softening, as the means to your progress.
If you feel emotionally upset during or after your practice (joy, sadness, irritation etc.), accept the feelings and bid them welcome. If this feels difficult, you are welcome to speak to your teacher about it.
Respect the student-teacher relationship and follow any request from your teacher, unless it would cause you any pain. Inform your teacher about any physical or mental issues (injuries, depressions etc.). Never accept any adjustments that would cause you pain. Ideally, you should follow only one practice and one teacher.
It is a nice gesture and part of the tradition to say goodbye to your teacher when you leave the room.
Respect your limits and be loving towards yourself. Acknowledge that your body and mind will feel different every day; listen to what your body tells you and practice in your own rhythm. In particular, your breath should always be smooth and even; if you cannot maintain such a breath, do less.
Do not ever skip taking rest after the practice. The final deep relaxation at the end of your practice is very important, so do not leave the room without doing it.
Resist watching other practitioners during their practice. There are nine different Drishtis (gazing points) in Ashtanga Yoga on which to focus your attention. In addition, watching others is rude and encourages comparison. It may make you envious of those who are doing more advanced Asanas than yourself, which will eventually lead to frustration. Abandon the competitive mind-set. Yoga is absolutely non-competitive; you are not even competing with yourself. Cultivate contentment (Santosha) with where you are at the moment. Be happy with whoever you are, wherever you are and whatever you do and do not have. “Practice and all is coming!”
It may be tempting to “wipe down” as soon as you begin to sweat, but learn to tolerate it and move through your postures with as little interruptions as possible, not taking any extra breaths than the practice requires (if not necessary). Sweating during practice is good, since it transports toxic substances out of your body. According to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in “Yoga Mala”, rather rub the sweat into your body.
Do not practice with a fever. Practice consideration towards fellow practitioners by not coming to class with a bad cold or any other contagious ailment or skin condition. Practice at home or rest until you have recovered.