Mat Placement

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Pamela0414
Participant

July 31, 2010 at 4:40 pm

Post count: 58

#1894

Hi.

I have been practicing for about 6 weeks now. I choose to not be up in the very front of the class because I find being right in the mirror with myself distracting. I also am not a great balancer. My heart rate gets high and I have to take Savasana breaks. Out of respect for other students I feel I shouldn’t be right up front.

I get to class early and put my mat in the room in a place I feel comfortable.After I lay down in Savasana before class, many, many times someone sets up their mat directly in front of me. I can’t see any of me in the mirror. I thought part of the etiquette was to make sure you alternate so everyone gets a partial view of themselves.

Is is wrong for me to ask the person in front to adjust a little and I will adjust a little? Should I not care? Maybe I should just let it go and not let it disturb my practice?

Thanks,

Pamela

bonmar
Participant

August 5, 2010 at 11:35 pm

Post count: 220

#7528

I totally agree with you and I can’t understand why people do this. It’s like any other thing we might be doing in life where we want to see – someone plunking themselves directly in front of you is just plain rude. No, it’s not wrong for you to ask the person to move the heck over!

Dontcha just sometimes wonder if maybe you’re invisible???

Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
Forum Owner

August 9, 2010 at 3:46 pm

Post count: 3048

#7535

Hi Pamela

It doesn’t matter what your ‘story’ is about where you choose to practice and why. What matters is your own mindfulness. If you are bothered there are ways to move either laterally on your mat. Or indeed, take the time to simply make a request to your neighbor to move their mat. In most cases even requesting that they stand say on the left of their mat while you stand say, on the right is sufficient to allow yourselves to have eye contact in the mirror.

It’s quite amusing that people feel compelled to stand bang in the middle of the mat. Make the request for mindfulness and make whatever small adjustments and then let it go. If it happens a lot then make a request to the studio teachers to invite people be mindful of their impact on others.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Pamela0414
Participant

August 9, 2010 at 6:03 pm

Post count: 58

#7537

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I have been really trying to make it a part of my practice to avoid distractions. I do move on my mat. I just didn’t know if it would be rude to ask a person to do the same. I have decided it is my discipline to not let things bother me along with the sweat, my hair in my face, other people’s noises, movements and talking in the classroom. So I am letting it go. I am choosing to set up in a different place.

I asked someone to move once and felt guilty afterward, that was more distracting than the person just being in front of me. I am learning new things. I guess it is part of my practice.

Thanks again. 😀

Namaste.
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