Guidelines & Policies

The Centered Place studio is fully equipped with everything you need. There is no need to bring for sticky mats or other equipment — just yourself! Here are some suggestions to help you get more from your yoga class.

We find that observing the following suggestions creates an environment of mutual respect and safety and creates a nurturing atmosphere where our students can restore and rejuvenate in comfort.


Be on time — Arrive several minutes early to give yourself a chance to settle in.  Arriving late makes it more difficult for you to relax and enjoy the guided relaxation that starts the class. You might also disturb others. If you do arrive a few minutes late, enter very quietly. If you are more more than ten minutes late, do not enter. It will be too much of a disruption, and you will miss the required breathing practice that is taught at the beginning of class.

Eating — Eat light before class. It’s hard to do yoga on a full stomach. Allow two hours between your last meal and the start of class. It is not necessary to starve yourself. If you must eat, snack on something light like fruit, yogurt or cheese and crackers. We provide light snacks at the studio for your journey home.

Dress — Wear loose-fitting clothes that are comfortable. Blue jeans are not yoga attire. Do not wear belts because they restrict movement. Some students wear sweats. If you choose to wear shorts, we suggest biking-style shorts.

Shoes — Shoes are not allowed in the studio. Please leave them in our mudroom before entering the studio classroom.

Perfume — Please refrain from using fragrance of any kind, including scented lotions, hair spray and aftershave products. They can trigger asthma attacks and cause allergic reactions in other students and teachers.

Pets & pet hair — Some students have allergies to pets, especially pet hair. Be aware if you are bringing your own pet’s hair to class.

Jewelry — Heavy bracelets can interfere with your practice and can impair the teacher’s ability to adjust you in a posture. Please remove any large pieces of jewelry prior to class.

Drugs & alcohol — Please refrain from using nontherapeutic drugs or alcohol while attending classes. If you have a medical condition that requires the use of an inhaler, glucose tabs or nitroglycerin, please be sure to bring these with you and remind the teacher at your first class.

Pagers & cell phones — Please turn off pagers and cell phones to prevent disturbing the class.

Smoking — Please refrain from smoking immediately prior to class as the odor lingers and can disturb others.

Water bottles — It is not necessary to bring a water bottle into the studio. We have filtered water available in the studio. The best time to hydrate yourself is before or after class.

Parking — Please take a few moments to look at the parking map on the Contact Us page. Make sure you pull all the way forward — in the long driveway on the side, in the shorter driveway in front of the studio, and on the gravel driveway parallel to the street in front of our home.

After class, be considerate of any students whose cars you have parked behind. They might want to leave promptly after class. If you want to stay awhile after class, you can move your car and return to the studio.

Also see

Who We AreSvaroopa® YogaSvaroopa Vidya MeditationOur Beautiful SpaceStaff