How Should I Prepare for Class?
Stay Hydrated!
Yoga Mat & Towels
Yoga Mat & Towels
Bring a large water bottle (we have a filtered water filling station available for your use). To ensure the safety and comfort of our yogis, we do not allow glass bottles anywhere on the premises. BPA free water bottles & electrolytes can be purchased in studio.
Yoga Mat & Towels
Yoga Mat & Towels
Yoga Mat & Towels
Bring a yoga mat, a yoga mat towel such as yogitoes and a hand towel for class - it can get pretty sweaty! If you don’t have a yoga mat or yogitoes towel, we sell them in studio.
Props
Yoga Mat & Towels
Comfortable Clothes
Props such as yoga blocks and straps are optional, but highly recommended. Props can help students practice asanas and pranayama more effectively, efficiently and at ease. Available for purchase in studio.
Comfortable Clothes
Comfortable Clothes
Comfortable Clothes
Make sure you wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move and stretch easily. Stay away from anything too baggy, as you will probably find yourself upside down at some point. Shoes and socks are not worn in class. We recommend either yoga wear or shorts and a tank top.
Empty Stomach
Comfortable Clothes
Empty Stomach
Come with an empty stomach. We recommend not eating a heavy meal for at least 3 hours before class.
When should I arrive?
- Our doors open 15 minutes before the start of class. Visit our Contact page for our reception hours.
- We strongly recommend that you arrive at least 10 minutes early so you have time to sign in, change, and get settled.
- On your first visit, plan to come at least 15 minutes before class to fill out a waiver and release, sign in, and pay for class. This will also allow you some time to ask questions and to check out the facility. To save time, we recommend you print and complete the Waiver prior to arriving.
What should I know before my first class?
If you are starting yoga for the first time, it is important to know your boundaries. If you were not a runner, yet decided to run a marathon, you would train and build up to it. Look at yoga the same way. While it's important to try to improve upon your practice, it's equally important to recognize that yoga is a process. You build at the pace that suits you. Don't run the marathon on your first try!
What should I expect from my first few classes?
Many find their first couple classes to be the most challenging. Often this is because it’s new and unfamiliar. You will find that you will learn the postures quickly and become familiar with what to expect. Come with no expectations - just a light heart, open mind, and a well-hydrated body. Most students feel amazingly detoxified and relaxed after their first class.
However, as with any form of exercise, different conditions and situations require a period of acclimatization. The benefits of yoga are immediate and as it becomes more familiar (within 1-3 classes), you’ll forget about all the other factors and begin to focus on your yoga practice. Many of us even come to crave it, increasing our practice from once or twice a week to everyday, feeling a void when we don’t practice regularly.
Studio Etiquette
Before Class
During Class
During Class
- To ensure the safety and comfort of our yogis, we do not allow glass water bottles (including silicon covered glass) anywhere on the premises.
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day before coming to class. Hydration is very important.
- We recommend arriving 15 minutes before class begins, however, if you don't arrive at least 5 minutes prior to class time you won't be allowed into class out of respect for the yogis already laying in savasana in the studio.
- First time students, please arrive 15 minutes before class.
- Leave valuables at home and please do not bring any personal items into the studios, as this takes away floor space from your fellow yogis. All you need is your mat, towel, keys and lots of water.
- Turn off cell phones and leave them at home or in your vehicle.
- Because the heat amplifies any odours, please refrain from heavy perfumes, soaps, colognes or smoking before class.
- Voices carry, so please remain silent or speak in whispers when waiting in the hallways and reception areas prior to class.
- When you get into the studios, please align the top center of your mat with the small “breathe” stickers on the floor. This ensures that everyone has enough space to practice comfortably and that we follow government regulations for physical distancing.
- If you’re new to yoga, please place your mat in the second or third row, so you can learn from the more seasoned yogis in the front row. The row closest to the mirror is the front of class.
- Please refrain from talking once inside the yoga studios. Many students use the time before class to quietly meditate and center themselves as they prepare for class.
During Class
During Class
During Class
- Never hold your breath. Breathe, Breathe, Breathe!!!
- Drink water whenever you feel it necessary. Hydration is very important.
- Do your very best to stay in the room once you enter. If you’re feeling dizzy, lightheaded or nauseous, lie in savasana or child’s pose. Leaving the room can sometimes increase feelings of sickness or anxiety. Most people respond better by simply lying down and focusing on deep breathing. It’s okay to sit out at anytime.
- If you need to leave class, wave your instructor down so he/she can guide you out of the room safely, while maintaining physical distancing of other students in the room.
- Practice stillness between postures.
- Honour the silence in the room by moving quietly.
- Focus on only yourself in the mirror.
- Do not talk during class.
After Class
During Class
After Class
- Out of respect and safety for the teacher and your fellow yogis, leaving class early (before or during savasana) is not permitted.
- Observe silence during and after the final savasana (meditation).
- If you've left a sweat puddle around your mat, please wipe it up with your own towel. It makes the floor slippery for others leaving the room.
- Leave the studio quietly and promptly after class, to allow us enough time to sanitize and clean the studio and facility, in preparation for the next class. Guests closest to the door exit first, while those farthest from the door exit last. Respect others.
- Please note our lockers are temporarily closed.
What if I feel headachy, nauseous, dizzy or lightheaded in class?
This is perfectly normal, especially for the beginner. The most important thing to do is to breathe deeply, pace yourself, do the best you can, and rest when you feel the need (lie in savasana or child’s pose for as long as is necessary to feel back to normal). Do your very best to stay in the hot room once class begins. Leaving the room can sometimes increase feelings of sickness or anxiety. Most people respond better by simply lying down and focusing on deep breathing. Learn to listen to your own body and take care of yourself in class. Yoga is a personal journey and each and every one of us attending class is probably in a different place and at a different level. Drink lots of water before class to make sure you are well hydrated. A headache is a symptom of dehydration and holding your breath. Feeling tired or wiped out after class is a sign that you need to breathe more in class.
How many time per week should I practice to see results?
Any amount of practice is beneficial, however, if possible, you should come to class a minimum of 3 to 4 times per week for maximum benefits. It’s especially beneficial to practice hot yoga as much as you can as a beginner. This will help your muscles develop muscle memory. Each time you practice, muscles are built and conditioned and your skeletal structure is properly aligned.
It does not take long to see the results of hot yoga. Depending on the frequency of your practice, results occur in as little as 2 weeks, with a regular practice of 4 classes per week. Remember every body is different and unique, as are the results.
What if I'm not flexible?
It's important to understand that yoga is not about flexibility. This misconception keeps many people from coming to yoga class. Yoga is about stretching your spine and body in all directions. From the very first class you will learn the concept of "trying the right way", enabling you to receive the benefits of each pose according to your own ability.
Most people are inflexible or become inflexible over time. Muscles and joints stiffen from under-use, which often occurs as we age. Many jobs require long hours of sitting or bending. This can compress and disfigure the spine while causing muscles to conform to this incorrect alignment. Yoga helps to alleviate stiffness and creates flexibility, keeping the spine supple and in correct alignment. If you are not flexible, that’s more reason to begin yoga practice.
Is this a cardiovascular workout and can I lose weight?
Yes! Regardless of your fitness level, yoga can be challenging. Muscles are toned and strengthened and all of the body’s systems are brought into balance. With consistent and dedicated practice you will lose pounds and inches. Hot yoga and unheated power flow classes burn a minimum of 600 calories.
Is there an age limit to practice at Breathe?
We are proud to offer non-heated classes that are accessible to everyone, including pregnant women, kids, seniors and even cancer survivors. In order to help us keep the studio a zen and calming environment for everyone, we have some kids guidelines. See the next question to view.
Kids under the age of 14 are not permitted to join drop-in classes at Breathe. Teenagers 14-17 years old may attend provided their waiver form is signed by a legal guardian. Practicing in the hot studio under the age of 14 is not permitted due to the fact that sweating keeps the body from overheating. Sweat glands generally do not mature until puberty.
What are some important thing to know before I bring my child to yoga?
- To ensure everyone has a zen experience, we do not permit anyone under 14 years of age to attend drop-in classes at Breathe.
- Practicing in the hot studio under the age of 14 is not permitted due to the fact that sweating keeps the body from overheating. Sweat glands generally do not mature until puberty.
- Teenagers 14-17 years old may attend provided their waiver form is signed by a legal guardian.
- We do not have a place to store strollers so please leave them in your vehicle.
- If your child is being disruptive in class or in the common areas, we ask that you remove your child from the facility out of respect for your fellow yogis (big and small).
- If you are not attending class with your child, please be waiting for them in reception before the end of their class.
- Please take any soiled diapers with you to dispose of at home. Poopy-diaper-smell does not create a very “zen” atmosphere.