RULES & REGULATIONS
CLASS TIMES, PAYMENTS AND CHECK-IN
Class times
The beginner’s class, taught by Ekta Ghale, is from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The general class, taught by Usha Devi, is from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. from Monday through Saturday.
Requirements for general class
To attend the general class, you should have some experience in the Iyengar system.
Check in before class
Before entering the yoga hall, check your name at the front desk. You may not sign into a class under the name of another student, even if that student is not attending the class.
INSIDE THE YOGA HALL
Bathing
Please bath and wash your feet before class or self-practice.
No personal belongings
Do not keep water bottles, bags, mobiles, or other personal items inside the yoga hall. Leave them in the back of the prop room or in the cabinets located outside the hall.
No food or drink
Do not drink or eat food inside the yoga hall. This is a temple of Sage Patañjali.
No outside mats
The mats are hygienic and cleaned weekly.
No photographs
Do not take photographs inside the yoga hall, unless you have permission.
SELF-PRACTICE
Time
Self-practice is from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Please do not leave the hall later than 11:30 a.m.
Practice
Practice what you have learned in the class. Do not practice what is taught outside the Iyengar system.
Attendance
If you have not signed up for class, you cannot attend self-practice.
One-week rule
Beginner students may not attend self-practice until they have attended one week of class.
Air circulation
For proper air circulation, the windows should be open and the ventilators should be turned on.
CLASS
Arrive to class early
Be inside the yoga hall ten minutes before class starts.
No inversions
Do not practice inversions before class. Practice or sit quietly on a mat with one block.
Be quiet
Do not talk before or after the class.
No notes
Do not take notes during the class, even when you are only observing.
Ventilators
The ventilators will be turned on before class. They must remain on for the duration of the class. At no point should you turn them off or attempt to cover them with the curtains.
Centerline
Students, in the centerline, should sit at the front of their mats. Students sitting to either side of the centerline should sit at the back of their mats. From there, students alternate sitting at the fronts and backs of their mats.
Partner work
If asked to do partner work, pair up with a person of your same gender. Experienced Iyengar students should pair up with newer students. Do not talk excessively.
Menstruation
If you are menstruating, modify your asanas accordingly. Never do inversions or abdominal work. When necessary, follow the menstruation sequence.
APPROPRIATE DRESS
Dress
This yoga hall is part of Patanjala Yoga Kendra, so please dress properly! This means wearing modest clothes that do not inappropriately expose or reveal your body. Do not come to class in your street clothes or wear your yoga clothes outside on the street. If you are dressed inappropriately, you may be asked to leave the class.
Appropriate
— Short-sleeved t-shirts with high collars.
— Comfortable, modest shorts, closed around the thighs with elastic; Iyengar shorts.
— Tucked-in t-shirts.
— Long hair held back in a ponytail, bun, or braid.
— Women wearing bras.
— Wearing underwear.
Not appropriate
— Shirts with thin straps or low-cut fronts
— Long, loose, baggy pants or short shorts that aren’t closed with elastic
— Clothes made of loose, flowing fabric
— Loose hair
— Wearing perfume or heavy jewelry
— Wearing socks
Changing clothes
Change your clothes in the washrooms located on the ground and first floors or in the changing area at the back of the prop room. Please be respectful of the staff and guests staying here, and do not change in the reception area, the communal areas, the yoga shop, or the hallways.
YOGA RULES & REGULATIONS
Iyengar Yoga
Students of Iyengar Yoga begin with elementary asanas or postures, with an emphasis on the standing poses. As their study progresses other postures are added including forward bends and backbends, inversions and restorative poses.
Much emphasis is laid on an introduction to alignment and sequence, the understanding of which is a requirement for perfect practice.
Students are encouraged to develop their own home practice, without which the study of Yoga is incomplete. Students do not have to be young or athletic or flexible to begin their study. Guruji's method can be adopted and modified to students of any age and physical condition.
Some Important points while practicing Yoga Asanas
The ultimate goal of Ashstanga Yoga is Vivek Khyati (Discriminative Discernment) leading to Kaivalya (Absoulute Freedom). Guruji all the time emphasises that neither freedom nor beatitude is possible without discipline.
Without firm foundation a house cannot stand. In the same way without the practice of the principles of yama and niyama, which lay the firm foundation for building character, there cannot be an integrated personality. Practice of Asanas without yama and niyama is mere Acrobatics. Discipline does not arise from one's own mind, it has to be learned from outside. External discipline puts you on the right path. Only a disciplined person is a free person. Patanjali says the rules of yama and niyama are the mighty universal vows. They are the golden keys to unlock the spiritual gates.
— Regularity and Punctuality are essential parts of discipline. Pupils should be present and ready ten minutes before the commencement of class.
— Its only under unavoidable circumstances that the Pupils are permitted to remain absent.
— Yoga demands cleanliness and purity, Students should wash their hands and feet before entering the yogashala. It is desirable to have a bath before coming to the class. The yoga clothes should be washed everyday. Kindly do not use perfumes and strong soaps in the class.
— The body is sustained and influenced by the food we eat. It is desirable to take Sattvik (pure) food which is free from eggs, meat, fish, onion, garlic and too much spice, oil and fat. Impure food makes the body dull and stiff, such a body resists the inward flow of consciousness and prevents subtle experience.
— Avoid drinking tea or coffee or smoking, drugs and alcohol are strictly forbidden. Their effect on mind and body reverses all spiritual efforts. They create confusion, weaken the energy and destroy the sense of discipline and responsibility. They have no place in true Sadhana.
— Yoga should not be practiced immediately after food. Five to six hours should elapse between eating food and practicing yoga. A cup of milk, herbal tea or fruit juice or fruits may be had an hour before starting yoga. Food may be taken half an hour after yoga.
— Regular bowel movement aid in keeping the body healthy and pure, one should establish the habit of moving one's bowels every day in the early morning. If the bowels are not moved, the asanas do not come smoothly and subtleties are not grasped. It is harmful not to move the bowels daily, therefore a conscious effort should be made to cultivate this habit.
— Yoga clothes should be clean, decent and comfortable. Proper shorts for men are recommended. The chest or upper part must be covered by a banian (vest worn under shirt) or T-shirt. Women should wear under pants, shorts or Iyengar style bloomers, bra and T-shirt.
— Those who practice other systems of yoga should practice only the Iyengar system during the course. They should not join courses elsewhere at the same time, because different systems can clash, producing adverse effects.
— Yoga is a Darshana, a mirror to look at ourselves from within.
— When the mind is controlled, stilled and silenced, what remains is the soul. It is the quest of the soul, The Spark of Divinity within us, which is the very purpose of yoga.
You are responsible for understanding and following these rules. If you do not understand, please ask the front desk or a senior student. They will be happy to help you!