1.  Wear comfortable clothes.  Layers are good.
In some classes we move a lot, in some we don’t!  Be prepared.  We don’t care whether you’re wearing the latest nike/lululemon yoga pants or comfy primark leggings, as long as you’re comfortable.

2.  Arrive Early.
At least 5 mins or more so you can store your belongings and get a mat.  In some classes we do Savasana (relaxation) and you don’t want to miss this.  If you’re late and the class has already started their savasana or warm up it is at the teachers discretion if you’re allowed to join in.  This is so it isn’t disruptive for the rest of the class and you don’t miss important warm ups that you need for some exercises.  This may mean that you lose a class off your class pass.  We understand that sometimes public transport/traffic/work/life doesn’t run so smooth.  We respect our class, teaching and the people who have attended.

3.  Leave your shoes, phone and worries at the door.
Turn your phone off – make sure it doesn’t vibrate.  Our studio is a shoe free zone so that we can all walk, lay, sit, stand without worrying about what we are on. Your phone is a distraction, we can hear when it vibrates in the storage boxes.  One of the reasons you have come to our class is to have an hour to yourself, that means no distractions from phones.  If you are on call, worried about someone/caring for someone who may need your help – please tell your teacher.  You can leave your phone with reception who can let you know if that person is calling.  Or together we can find another solution.

4.  Ask questions.  We don’t know what you don’t know!
Don’t be afraid, or embarrassed to ask a question.  We don’t know what you don’t know, and we LOVE talking about our classes, the exercises, the human body, movement, different classes.  Let us be the experts and pick our brains (our ego’s love it!).  You don’t know why bare foot is better than socks, ask.  You don’t know why one leg pulls when you do a certain exercise but the other leg doesn’t, ask.  You don’t know where the toilets are, ask.  You don’t know the difference between a block and a brick, ask.

5.  We want to know about you.
Tell us about you, why have you come to class – do we need to know anything that will help you enjoy class more? e.g. injuries, special considerations.  We will do all we can to help you enjoy your class.  That might mean extra cushions or blocks in certain exercises, a modification or an alternative.  Maybe you come to class because you just want some peace and quiet, tell us!  What seems like general information to you can make a big difference in what we teach you.  The more we know about you the better you class will be.  Your class is about you, not us.

6.  Don’t compare yourself to others.
Your class is about you.  Not us, not the person stood in front or to the side of you.  You.  Some of our clients have been coming to us for years, some months, some weeks and some days.  Some have injuries, some have movement restrictions, some are perfectly fit and healthy and want to work hard, some are fit and healthy and want to take it easy.  We like every one.  We don’t care if you can do a perfect triangle/trikonasana, plank, roll down, etc…  We don’t care if you can’t either.  We care if you’re enjoying what you’re doing, learning about how your body moves, moving and feeling better.  If any of those things aren’t happening, please tell us.

7.  This isn’t about how you look, its about how you feel.
See above!  It’s not about doing the perfect pose/exercise, its what you learn as you do the pose/exercise.  If you feel rubbish, ask yourself why.  If you feel great, enjoy it!

8.  You don’t have to be flexible or fit.
Even we aren’t!  There’s no measure of what is flexible or fit in our studio.  There are no minimum standards.  As teachers we may appear to be fit, flexible, strong.  In our opinion we are because we believe in what we teach.  We all practice what we preach.  That doesn’t mean that you have to be like us, or any one else in the room.  Look for improvement in your own practice, tell us when you improve (we probably spotted it before you because we have eagle eyes!).

9.  If its causing you pain TELL US
We can help.  EVERY SINGLE EXERCISE OR POSE CAN BE MODIFIED.  All of them.  All of our classes are perfect for people who are having pain in their joints, especially back and hip pain.  If you’re experiencing pain in an exercise or pose we can either modify it or give you an alternative. Don’t suffer in silence.

10.  We’re all there to have fun, you can laugh and smile, we’re not a serious studio!
You need to pay attention to what you’re doing.  You need to give the exercise/pose the respect it deserves.  But you need to smile as well!  You need to enjoy what you’re doing, its not a chore!  We think we’re hilarious… our most popular classes are the ones where people are having fun and enjoying what they do.  Anyway, there’s aways someone who does a Pilates or yoga fart and that sets the gigglers off…

Ok, it was a lie, there’s 11…

11.  Our poses/exercises aren’t perfect either!
Read number 8.  We are always practicing because we have aches, pains, imbalances, all the things you do.  But we’re still not ‘perfect’.  There’s no such thing as a perfect pose, or exercise.  We aim for progress, not perfection.  So should you.