Do You Get to Yoga Class Early to Claim “Your Spot”?

There’s nothing better than being tucked away in your safe spot in the yoga room. I mean doesn’t it feel good to practice in the same spot every day? The lighting is the same, the teacher’s voice is the perfect distance from your ears, the heat in the room is exactly where you want it to be, you’re the perfect distance from the door.

I’m here to give you five reasons you shouldn’t get attached to your yoga spot. Moving around the room is good for your practice and for your fellow yogis.

Be Aware of Your Patterns

Do you like things that are the same? Are you afraid of change? Are you stubborn? Are you controlling? For the most part, we can all answer yes to these questions. Practicing yoga in the same spot is a small, but important expression of these negative personality traits. Help yourself break these patterns by moving your mat around the room. Take a challenge and for the next month move your mat in a different part of the room every time you take class, and then let me know what happens.

Allow Someone Else to Try That Spot

In some yoga studios, there are better places to practice than others. I remember during my time in Dupont Circle in Washington D.C., some people had to practice against the wall or behind beams. Let your fellow yogis try the “good” spots from time to time!

Class Feels Different…and That’s Okay

When you practice in different parts of the room, class feels different. That’s mostly why we like to place our mats in the same spot each time, because the asanas always feel different so it’s nice to have something remain the same. But feeling different in class will bring on new thoughts (good and bad) which presents the perfect opportunity for growth. It’s good if the teacher’s voice sounds close and holds you accountable more than if you were practicing in the corner.

Disruptive to Other Yogis

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been laying in final savasana only to be disrupted by someone hovering over me waiting to take “their spot”. Or someone places their mat and towel right next to me, claiming the space after I depart, and also disrupting my final few moments of class. Even if you know where you want to practice, don’t be a jerk and steal someone else’s precious savasana time.

Push Yourself Harder & Trim Those Abs

Practicing in the front row, next to the teacher or beside advanced students will naturally push your class to new levels. Sometimes I head to the front row when I’m feeling lethargic, just so it forces me not to “dial it in” while in the back row. As I’ve outlined HERE, practicing in the front row also helps you trim your abs, since you’re closer to the mirror and naturally will focus on engaging your core more. Sometimes being next to the teacher is what we need to help get ourselves over that “hump”.

So give it a try, move around and reap the rewards!

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