A little thoughtfulness goes a long way in a shared room – partly for the people practising alongside you and partly, I think, because the small rituals around a practice are part of the practice itself. Here are a few things worth knowing, whether you’re walking into your first class or your hundredth.
Give Yourself A Few Minutes
Try to arrive a little before class starts, enough time to find your spot, unroll your mat and gather whatever props you might want – a block, a blanket, a strap – without rushing or disturbing anyone already settling in. It’s a small window, but it tends to make a real difference. Those few quiet minutes before we begin are often where the actual arriving happens, well before the first pose.
Running in right as class starts means missing the warm-up that prepares your body for what follows and it has a way of unsettling the room’s quiet a little too. If you know you’re going to be properly late, it’s usually kinder to yourself and the group to wait for the next session, when you can be there from the first breath.
If something comes up and you can’t make it, just send me a quick message – I’d always rather know. And if life’s making regular classes tricky for a while, a private session can be a good way to keep your practice ticking over until the rhythm settles again.
What To Wear and a Note on Comfort
Choose something comfortable that lets you move freely through the full range of a class – twisting, folding, getting up and down from the floor. Beyond your own comfort, it’s worth keeping your fellow students in mind too, simply so everyone can stay focused on their own practice rather than anyone else’s.
Eating, Drinking and Timing It Well
A full meal within two hours of class tends to sit awkwardly through forward folds and twists, so if you need something beforehand, a light snack – a piece of fruit, a small handful of nuts – usually serves you better than a heavy plate.
During class itself, it’s best to avoid eating or chewing gum and to keep drinking to just enough to wet your mouth if you need it – most of your hydrating is better done before and after, rather than mid-practice.
Bare Feet, If You Can Manage It
Practising barefoot helps your feet do their job properly – better grip on the mat and genuinely better balance, since bare feet can sense and respond to the floor in a way socks simply can’t. It’s a small thing, but it makes a noticeable difference.
A Note on Scent
Even a scent you love might not sit well with someone practising right beside you, especially once breathing gets deeper. Going light on perfume, essential oils or scented lotion before class is a small, easy kindness to the room.
Let Me Know What I Should Know
If you’re carrying an injury, managing a medical condition, or would simply rather not receive hands-on adjustments during class, please do let me know beforehand. Any hands-on cues I might make are to support alignment and ease, but always with your comfort as the starting point – your preference is respected, always, no explanation needed.
Sharing The Room
Classes can fill up, and a little awareness goes a long way. If someone’s clearly looking for space, a small shift of your mat can make all the difference. Staggering mats so everyone can see helps too, as does simply being mindful of the edges of someone else’s space.
One Last Thing: Phones
Please do switch devices to silent before we begin. A notification mid-Savasana (Corpse pose) has a way of pulling the whole room out of the moment, not just you. If you’re waiting on something urgent, it might be kinder to yourself to skip that particular class and come back when you can properly switch off.
None of this is about getting it perfect – it’s simply what helps a shared room hold its quiet a little better, so everyone, including you, gets the most from the hour.
If you’re curious to go further, the Practice and Poses section is there when you’re ready to get on the mat.
If you’d like to try a class, I teach in Bebington and Hooton – you’d be very welcome to join us.
If you’d like a little more structure to guide you, Coming Home to the Body is a gentle course on alignment, awareness and ease – a good place to begin building your own practice.