Ashtanga Yoga Bangkok
Teaching
Mysore Class Guidelines, Rules and Etiquette
Question : Guruji, what makes
a good student?
Sri K. Pattabhi Jois : Obedience
All students should be aware of the following :
It is your responsibility to ALWAYS notify the teacher of any injury you may have prior to the start of every class.
Physical adjustments are an accepted by Ashtanga Yoga students and teachers, as a necessary and useful part of the practice. If you do not wish to receive them you must inform the teacher before commencing your practice. Students MUST notify the teacher IMMEDIATELY if an adjustment causes them discomfort or pain.
Avoid eating a snack 1-2 hours prior to class start time. Avoid eating a heavy meal 3-4 hours prior to class start time.
Please do not bring any unnecessary items into the yoga room. Cellphones are absolutely prohibited! Other unwanted items includes your watch, glasses (that you are not wearing), bag and water bottle. It is very tricky for the teacher and other students to have to navigate around a congested room with everybody's stuff in between the mats. Plus it creates unnecessary tension for other practitioners who may be concerned about falling out of a pose onto your items, and hurting themselves/damaging your items. If for some strange reason, you feel it is absolutely necessary to bring your items into the room (excepting cellphones - which are absolutely prohibited!), please keep them at the back or side of the room adjacent to where you are practicing only. Do not keep them anywhere near where another student is practicing. Please do not place your items near the teachers stuff, and do not place them near Guruji’s picture.
Do not consume any liquid during your yoga practice. Drinking liquid during practice creates a disturbance in your system. It makes bandha control more difficult and cools the body down, so the internal heat created by the breath and the bandhas to will be diminished. Instead, drink plenty of water no later than 1/2 an hour before you start your practice, in order to keep the body well hydrated.
Students are required to shower before the start of class. Please do not wear perfume and perfumed deodorants.
Students are requested to enter and leave a class with minimal noise and disruption.
If you arrive when others are already practicing, please roll out or move your mat slowly. Noisily throwing your mat down can be very disturbing, and flapping mats create draft on a sweaty body next to you, which can be very distracting and unpleasant.
Stay within your space physically and energetically. We are very vulnerable during practice, and students next to you might feel invaded by overly noisy breathing or movements.
Do not step on another students mat.
No talking! Students are not permitted to have conversations during class unless it is with the teacher.
Refrain from assisting other practitioners in any way, and refuse any help or guidance offered by another student.
Please respect and follow the traditional Ashtanga method as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Please do not add, skip or in other ways deviate from the traditional Ashtanga sequence of yoga asanas unless acknowledged or requested by your teacher.
Please do not take any new asanas unless agreed upon with your teacher.
New asanas will not be given on Tuesdays, due to the aggressive nature of the planet Mars which exerts a strong influence on Tuesdays.
Do not watch another students practice during your practice. It is not helpful for you, or for them. Everyone in the room should feel comfortable and unselfconscious.
Yoga is non-competitive. Do not compare your practice to that of another. Do not compare your rate of progress with that of another. Respect the teacher’s judgment regarding your level of practice.
Regular practitioners should not practice on Saturdays, or on Full or New Moondays.
If a student is practicing beyond primary series, the last practice of the week should be the Primary Series only. If the Moonday falls on a Friday, then the Thursday practice should be Primary only.
If a student is practicing beyond Intermediate Series, the first practice of the week should be the Intermediate Series only.
If you need to leave early, let the teacher know in advance. Finish your practice 10 mins before you need to leave, take some time for relaxation, it is crucial that you rest at the end of your practice.
Ladies. Please take 2 - 4 days rest (“Ladies Holiday”) during menstruation. Please see Authorized Ashtanga Teacher Kimberley Flynn’s informative short video for more information.
Be patient! It might take many years to master some poses.
For more general information please see Ashtanga Yoga: Ann Arbour’s excellent booklet : House Recommendations 2013.
Useful article “Best explanation for why you should wipe sweat back into the body” about sweating, drinking and showering in relation to the practice.