How to Create a Space for Practice
Traditional Ashtanga and Mysore classes can be quite different from a conventional yoga or exercise class. The Mysore room is not simply a place to perform postures; it is a space to develop an independent practice within a supportive community.
Ashtanga has often been described as “meditation in movement.” Through the vinyasa system, we learn to synchronize breath, movement, and attention until the practice itself becomes a moving meditation.
For this reason, it is helpful to think of the Mysore room much like a meditation hall. We cultivate noble silence, mindfulness, and consideration for others from the moment we enter until the moment we leave.
These guidelines are intended to help everyone experience the Mysore room at its best.
1. Enter Mindfully
The practice begins before the first Surya Namaskara.
Enter the room quietly and with awareness. Step lightly across the floor, place your mat calmly, and prepare for practice without unnecessary noise or conversation.
Be mindful that your presence affects the people around you. Everyone has come to practice, and protecting that atmosphere is a shared responsibility.
Place your mat gently, knowing that “throwing your mat down” will have an impact on your fellow students.
2. Be Clean and Considerate
Please arrive freshly showered, in clean practice clothes, and with a clean mat. Although you may think “I will shower afterwards…” you will find that by practicing “clean” you will feel lighter and in a better headspace.
Bring your own towel to receive adjustments.
Avoid perfumes, colognes, and other strong fragrances. During practice, we share a relatively intimate space, and strong odors can be distracting or uncomfortable for others.
Cleanliness is not simply about hygiene; it is also an expression of consideration for the community.
3. Keep Your Practice Space Simple
Bring only what you need for practice: your mat and essential props.
Keep personal belongings, bags, phones, jewelry, and other objects outside the practice space whenever possible. This keeps the room uncluttered and reduces distractions and tripping hazards.
Please keep water bottles outside the practice area as well. In general, avoid drinking during practice unless you have a specific reason to do so.
A tidy practice space allows both the physical and mental space to remain clear.
4. Arrive on Time and Give Yourself Enough Time
The Mysore room is available from 7:00–8:45. You are welcome to begin at 7am (when the studio opens), then we join for the Opening Mantra at 7:15.
If you have limited time, Mysore practice is flexible: you can work through an appropriate portion of your practice rather than feeling that you need to complete everything.
Whenever possible, however, give yourself enough time to settle in, practice without rushing, and finish with an appropriate closing and rest.
If you need to leave early, let the teacher know and finish your practice in a way that allows you to leave quietly without disturbing others.
5. Set Up With Awareness
Because we have a large room, we use some simple parameters to maintain a sense of structure.
Please set up your mat on the window side of the room, creating neat rows. Depending on the number of students, there may be two or three rows, so use good judgment and make efficient use of the available space.
As you move toward the closing sequence, you are encouraged to move your mat to a quieter area of the room where you can enjoy your closing postures and Savasana without the activity of the main practice area around you.
6. Stay With Your Practice
Once you begin, stay with your practice as much as possible.
There are countless opportunities for distraction in a yoga room. The purpose of the Mysore environment is to gradually develop the ability to remain present from the first breath of Surya Namaskara through the closing sequence.
Let your breath be your anchor.
Avoid checking the mirror unnecessarily. While an occasional glance can provide useful feedback about alignment, excessive mirror use can shift attention away from the internal experience of practice.
Likewise, avoid looking around at other students. Keep your gaze with the practice (and your drishti) rather than comparing yourself with the people around you.
And please do not give adjustments or corrections to other students. Leave the teaching to the teacher.
When speaking with the teacher during practice, keep conversations brief and relevant. There will be time before or after practice for longer questions and discussions.
7. Follow Your Sequence
Your practice is developed gradually and individually.
Do not add new postures to your sequence on your own. As you become ready, postures will be introduced sequentially by the teacher.
At the same time, remember that you do not have to complete an entire series every day.
Every practitioner has a different sequence, different circumstances, and a different body. Your practice may also change from day to day.
If you have an injury, pain, illness, pregnancy, or another concern that may affect your practice, speak with the teacher before beginning. The practice can always be adapted to meet your circumstances.
8. Respect Individual Practice
One of the beautiful things about Mysore practice is that everyone is practicing together while doing something slightly different.
Some students will be practicing a short sequence. Others may be working through a much longer practice. Some may be moving quickly; others may be moving slowly.
Try not to compare.
Your practice is not a performance, and the person on the mat next to you is not your benchmark. The goal is to develop a practice that is appropriate for you.
9. Practice Regularly
Be consistent before you are heroic.
Traditional Ashtanga emphasizes regular, often daily, practice. But regularity does not necessarily mean practicing six days a week.
Perhaps you can attend Mysore once a week. Perhaps three times. Perhaps your schedule allows daily practice.
Whatever your circumstances, establish a rhythm that you can sustain.
If you can only attend one Mysore class per week, make that day a commitment and supplement it with an appropriate home practice when possible.
The benefits of yoga don’t come from the occasional heroic effort. They emerge through returning to the mat again and again.
10. Leave the Room Quietly
The practice does not end the moment you roll up your mat.
After Savasana, gather your belongings quietly and leave the room with the same awareness with which you entered.
Avoid unnecessary conversation in the practice space, particularly while others are still practicing or resting.
The atmosphere of the Mysore room is something we create together.
By practicing with awareness, respecting one another, and protecting the quiet of the room, we create an environment where everyone can go a little deeper into their own practice.
Ashtanga Yoga Groningen 
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