Saving spots at yoga class

[Anonymous]

What is the etiquette for saving spots in a yoga class?

I go to a very popular and often waitlisted yoga class. People arrive 20 minutes before class. Lately, a group of friends are reserving spaces for each other by setting out yoga mats. People who arrive before class starts, but not as early as the early birds end up with awkward spots at weird angles. What is the etiquette for reserving spots in group classes?

In case it’s not clear I’m the one who arrives 10 mins early and I am ending up with the worst spots in class, right next to the wall with no room to move. The reserved spaces fill in after I arrive. It’s annoying to me, but should it be? (a couple of times traffic has been kind and I manage to arrive 20 minutes ahead, which is why I know these spots are being reserved by a group of people.)

[Anonymous]

I'd ask the studio to address this issue. First come, first served. If people want to be by their friends, both parties need to get there early to put down their mats together.

[Anonymous]

Oh hell no

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd ask the studio to address this issue. First come, first served. If people want to be by their friends, both parties need to get there early to put down their mats together.

This. It's not worth trying to confront or address the group, that likely won't go well for you since you are outnumbered. Speak privately with the studio manager if you can (maybe even over the phone so it's quasi-anonymous) since places like that can be insufferably cliquey.

[Anonymous]

(1) You are right to be annoyed. You are arriving early and winding up shoved in a corner while people who arrive after you are getting prime spots because of this. It's rude.

(2) Having experienced this before, I bet you anything these women are also not making an effort to arranged the "saved" mats in a way that maximizes space in the room. When I've seen this, they'll put out the mats really spread out like you might for a class that isn't full, but then the class will be full and they'll have tons of space in the middle of the room and everyone else will be squeezed to the side.

I'd both say something to the studio (via email or a call) and ask for a policy on saving spots because it's limiting your ability to get the most out of class even though you come early to every class, and I'd also speak up in class when it's directly impacting you. Like if you wind up with weird spot agains a wall in the corner, I'd ask the instructor if this can be addressed on the spot because you don't have room where you are or can't see well. Force them to rearrange the mats so there is room for everyone. There really shouldn't be "bad" spots in a class like that -- capacity for the class should be based on how many people can fit into the room comfortable so that everyone has enough room.

[Anonymous]

Only if you are a Boomer. Same thing at any resort…

[Anonymous]

I’m a yoga teacher. What the early birds are doing is obnoxious but I think acceptable. You just have to get there earlier. It’s like people reserving space at a free-for-all outdoor concert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only if you are a Boomer. Same thing at any resort…

OP here. I’m 40 and btdt and moved towels at a resort because they were hogging up space with nobody there. I have no problem doing that but I would never see those people again and there was zero confrontation. A yoga class is different because I see these women every single week.

I feel validated at my annoyance. I would never say anything to these women in person because it would make an extremely awkward situation, weak and weak out. But I think I will email the studio privately. It doesn’t just affect me it affects other people who don’t have a spot . To the 10:00 poster, you hit the nail on the head. The mats are spread out, and other people have to squeeze in but, that’s not exclusive to this friend group. I really think they should have markers on the floor so people know where to set out their yoga mats. Right now it’s a free-for-all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a yoga teacher. What the early birds are doing is obnoxious but I think acceptable. You just have to get there earlier. It’s like people reserving space at a free-for-all outdoor concert.

How is it acceptable? You’re right, if you get there early, you get your pick of the spots. But the people who are arriving later, not early, have their spots reserved for them by friends and that is not cool. You’re enabling click behavior if you’re not managing your class and yoga studio well.

I don’t see a weekly yoga class, the same as saving spots at a lawn concert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a yoga teacher. What the early birds are doing is obnoxious but I think acceptable. You just have to get there earlier. It’s like people reserving space at a free-for-all outdoor concert.

I'd get there earlier. I don't think emailing the studio is going to do much for you, especially with what pp yoga teacher said above.
Yes, it's annoying that you have to show up earlier but maybe you could use the time for stretching or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a yoga teacher. What the early birds are doing is obnoxious but I think acceptable. You just have to get there earlier. It’s like people reserving space at a free-for-all outdoor concert.

A free-for-all outdoor concert has much more space than a yoga studio.

I would say something to the director.

[Anonymous]

If it's a waitlisted class, that means that they are turning away a max number, and everyone should fit comfortably.

They need to lessen the class size, or like a pp said, the first people are spreading too much. They need to tape Xs on the floor for the idiots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a yoga teacher. What the early birds are doing is obnoxious but I think acceptable. You just have to get there earlier. It’s like people reserving space at a free-for-all outdoor concert.

I'd get there earlier. I don't think emailing the studio is going to do much for you, especially with what pp yoga teacher said above.
Yes, it's annoying that you have to show up earlier but maybe you could use the time for stretching or something.

I guess that’s what I’ll have to do. When I go to yoga class it’s directly after work. I can’t leave work early, I leave work right on time and it’s all dependent on traffic for me. I think 10 minutes is as early as I can usually get there unless I happen to hit traffic and traffic lights just right. Thanks everyone for at least validating my annoyance. It is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a yoga teacher. What the early birds are doing is obnoxious but I think acceptable. You just have to get there earlier. It’s like people reserving space at a free-for-all outdoor concert.

Another yoga teacher here, and I don't agree. When I see stuff like this happen in my class, I will gently ask people to move around so that everyone has a decent spot. I've also asked people who are saving spots to only do so in the back row, closest to the door, specifically so that if someone arrives late, they are not walking right to the center of the room after class has started. I also don't like beginning class with empty mats right in front of me, so I don't allow spot saving in that front row.

To me it's very different than saving spots at an outdoor concert because, as someone else mentioned, at a concert you'll never see the people you are taking space from again. I want my class to be a welcoming space for all my students and I definitely don't want it to feel competitive or like there are favorites or people who get special privileges. State of mind is so important for yoga and I want people to feel peaceful and accepted in my class, not shoved to the side or like they need to rush to get there in order to get an okay spot.

I've literally had everyone pick up their mat and move it before class started in order to get a more equal distribution of space and made sure everyone can see me and will have room to move.

[Anonymous]

Can you ask them to save you a spot too?