Updated September 29, 2026 12:26PM
I have a confession. I’ve been the student who frantically whispers “I’m so sorry” as I walked into class seven minutes late, trying to be graceful and awkwardly smiling at anyone who threw me a look. I’ve packed up my things and left class during Savasana, likely disturbing everyone around me, simply because I had somewhere to be. I have sighed obnoxiously loudly, poses I wanted that were wildly different thanf what was being cued by the teacher, even dozed off and started to snore while everyone else was sweating through a power sequence.
The teachers in these classes definitely noticed me and my unintentionally annoying behavior. I know because I have also been the yoga teacher and the fellow student noticing others conducting themselves in the exact same ways.
I can only hope everyone approaches these momentary lapses of grace—their own and those of others—with some measure of empathy rather than judgement. Because we’ve all been there. It’s entirely human to feel frustrated about class being interrupted. Yet sometimes we can be a little too interested in what’s happening beyond our mat and need to turn our awareness more toward what’s happening on it. I know it’s something I’m working on.
And if any of us think we’ve never done a single annoying yet forgivable yoga offense, a little satya or truth, might be called for.
10 Common Etiquette Gaffes During Yoga Class
See if you recognize yourself in the following scenarios.
1. The Sneaky Late Student
You know this student. They peek in through the cracked door, glancing around while people are settling into Child’s Pose and listening to the teacher chat about life. They get waved in, then quietly (or so they think) tiptoe to their spot. As the mat thuds, they look around sheepishly, as if acknowledging the noise would somehow preclude the rest of us from hearing it. (We all heard.) They unzip something, clink their water bottle down, and sigh aloud as they finally find the pose.
Everyone wants you to be here. But we’d appreciate if you could be a little quieter.
2. The Handstander During Meditation
Me: “Find a comfortable seat. Close your eyes. Notice your breath.”
Student: Decides, before I have even finished my sentence, that this is the ideal time to kick up into Handstand.
Me: I watch as several other students crack their eyes open, trying to see what’s causing the audible commotion. Sometimes we catch each others’ gazes and there is an unspoken, “What the hell is happening right now?” followed with a shrug and a sense of, “Well, I guess we’re doing this.” I find the responses to these rogue inversions an unspoken part of the teacher-student confidentiality agreement—and some of my favorite moments in class.
3. The Competitive Breather
Before you come for me, yes, ujjayi breath is supposed to be audible. Audible. Not alarming. Sometimes, I can hear a person’s breath from across a room of 40 yogis, over the music, as I am cueing poses aloud.
I blame this on all of us teachers likening ujjayi to Darth Vader breath. That said, there’s no denying the fact that there’s something extremely satisfying about sighing so loudly that people look over to see if you’re doing yoga or something else. Maybe just dial down the intensity a little.
4. The Mat Creep
You know how at the beach someone will lay out their towel right alongside yours even though there’s an entire stretch of shoreline available? When it happens in the studio,with mats, it can be even more awkward. One student breathing right on top of another, swinging their arms into someone else’s space, or bending into a wide-legged forward fold inches from their neighbor’s face when there’s plenty of room can be…interesting.
I’m not saying don’t be neighborly. But let’s respect personal space, people.
5. The Person Who Can’t Wait
There’s a reason there is a pause between yoga poses. Yet sometimes there’s someone who seemingly cannot be still. Every chance for rest is an extra Chaturanga, every opportunity for a quick breath is a chance to come into an arm balance. If this is you, it’s worth asking, what would I need to sit with or confront if I waited and allowed myself to be still and quiet?
6. The Block Negotiator
Me: “Use your blocks.”
Student: Confidently waves them off and proceeds to fight for their life in Triangle Pose with the blocks they declined sitting six inches away.
Me: As the teacher, I quietly tell myself that I’ve done what I can. Time for a little aparigraha (non-attachment).
7. The Oversharer
Me: “How’s everyone doing today?”
Student: “Funny you should ask…”
Suddenly me and everyone within earshot is hearing about the ex, the boss, the sister-in-law, the gluten sensitivity…
I smile, trying to be present, while also doing the math because class starts in two minutes and there are 28 other people whose existence I would like to acknowledge.
8. The Pose Corrector
Me: “Step your right foot forward…”
Student: Leans over and tells someone else to use their other foot or “Look at me” as they demo how to do the pose.
Despite the best of intentions, that can create an awkward moment for everyone. Because suddenly and confusingly, the other person has two teachers—and chances are only one of us has been trained to teach. Maybe you can rest content that simply by doing the pose, you are effectively modeling it for anyone around you.
9. The “That’s My Spot” Person
Nobody assigns it. There isn’t an official seating chart. Yet after practicing somewhere long enough, students tend to lay claim to specific square footage on the studio floor.
Whenever I teach somewhere regularly, I start to know exactly where each student practices. Linda’s in the back corner. Mike is by the wall. Julisa always ends up in the second row. Because witnessing someone new to a class unroll their mat in a regular’s spot is always an experience. It’s like watching a telenovela. Nothing is illegal or wrong, I just know what’s about to happen. Then I watch as the drama unfolds.
To summarize, the regular will walk in, pause, and wonder how crazy it would be to ask someone to move over so they can have their usual spot. Maybe the student speaks up. Or maybe they just look longingly at their regular space the entire hour.
Everyone understands. And now you understand the need to arrive at class a little earlier to secure your space.
10. The Savasana Escape Artist
The room is finally quiet. The best part of yoga has begun. Then…
ZIP. Velcro. Metal water bottle clangs against the floor. Footsteps and the door creaks open. Then it slams shut.
Sometimes life doesn’t allow space for the full hour of a studio class. But if you know you need to exit early, sneak out before Savasana starts. Not during. Everyone in the room, students and teachers alike, will appreciate it.
