As the colder weather is upon us, the warm yoga room seems even more appealing!

What does this mean for you?

• Classes will be busier.  If you have a “favorite” spot, get here earlier than usual.  Be ready to set up a little closer than usual, to accommodate for more bodies in the room.

• Holiday traffic! This is the time of year when an extra 10-15 minutes is added onto any commute.  Especially those that pass a shopping area!  Be prepared!

• How you space your mat in the studio. It’s going to be busier, right! Got it.  It’s going to take more time to get there. Ok, got that!  Which means we will have more later comers, to an already more full room.  Make sure you are putting enough space between your mat and the person next to you, mindfully.  Imagine where the next mat will go, and will they have space to sneak in.  We will be leaving a couple spots open at the start of class to ensure our late comers have space too.

• What to do if you are late: Every one of us, for one reason or another has been late.  The hope is, we will all get there on time (if not early, remember the tips above?) but if YOU are the one who is late: come in quiet as a mouse!  Tip toe into your spot and find your way into the sequence.  Even if that means a child’s pose when everyone else is already flowing.

• How late is too late to come? In all cases, a little yoga is better than no yoga. So, if you NEED your yoga that day, there is no “too late.”  On the other days, 10 minutes would be the maximum time to come in late and still get the entirety of the class.  Keeping in mind this “late arrival” is to be used as a last resort.  If you do continue to be the late comer— consider changing the class you’re attending to a time that suits you better.  

• We might run out of blocks or rental mats. With busier classes, that means more people renting or using our stash of studio equipment.  If you usually borrow a mat, towel or block this might be the time of year to purchase one to avoid the risk! (We have great gear at the front desk!)

• More yoga means more use of your gear. Yoga clothes, like all hard working clothes, hold in the sweat and funk.  Washing your clothes right after practice is key.  We have all had that ball of sweaty clothes that doesn’t make it right into the laundry…..  and then there’s no amount of washes that gets that stink out for good.  If you have one of those items of clothing that immediately stinks the second it gets a little sweaty- its time to get rid of it.  If you can smell it, everyone else probably can too.  This goes for yoga mat towels and mats.

• All mats need to be cleaned or they will smell GROSS. If you immediately roll up your yoga mat after a heated class, the funk will permeate the mat and never go away.  This goes for all mats.  Even the really expensive ones.  To ensure your mat doesn’t end up nasty, air dry your mat when you get home- or in the back of your car. If your mat is a more expensive brand like Lululemon, Manduka, Jade and some others the best way to clean these is to spray with an antibacterial mat spray and then leave out to dry outside.  If you have a mat that is Giam brand or a thin one from most large department stores, these can go directly into the washing machine on a gentle wash. When they come out they will be soaking wet! Hang to dry. It will take a couple days. All yoga mats that are not specific for hot yoga will eventually peal, and disintegrate underneath you.  The more washing that takes place, the faster this happens.  Some, like Manduka brand have a LIFE TIME warranty to ensure the life of the mat.  Check them out at the front desk.  The GRP model is made just for hot yoga.  

• Parking lot and front walkway not always cleared of snow and ice. Our classes are far earlier and a lot later than most grounds professionals keep. The teacher leading the class will do their best to help with walk way snow removal, but none of us have a plow attached to the front of our car 😉 

• Watch out for weather updates. All class cancelations will happen first on our schedule.  Please check our main schedule on the homepage to see the most up to date classes. We will also have notices on Facebook and instagram.

• Eyes on the schedule for changes and holidays. Staff share circles, our Christmas party, guest teachers, holidays etc will impact the schedule.  Please double check for the most accurate info.

• No shoes in the cubbies. The snowier it gets, the wetter everything else gets.  Please keep all shoes and boots out of the cubbies to keep things clean.

• Leave personal items you don’t want stolen in your car. Don’t stash anything in the cubbies you are worried about being lifted.  YI is NOT responsible for lost of stolen items.

• Have friends sign the waiver before they come. Bringing a friend? Awesome! Make sure they fill out the waiver before they come.  Find the link here http://yogainnovations.com/register-for-classes/ or follow the button on the homepage.