New Students

Welcome!

Oakland Yoga StudioThere is no need to preregister for classes, just come on in for class.

New to yoga? Be sure to choose the right class level….

    • If you new to yoga and are not in very good condition due to lack of activity, injury or other reason, please start in a Level 1 class where the teacher will take more time for the transitions between poses and offer more modifications.
    • If you are new to yoga, in good or very good condition and have some background in dance, martial arts or another modality that has given you good body awareness then you can start in a, Level 1-2 class.
    • If you are new to Barefoot Movement, but not new to yoga, please refer to this page for more complete class descriptions to find the right class for you.



      • Be sure to check the calendar on the website, it is up to date and will show any recent changes or substitutions.

      We accept cash, checks, debit and credit cards at the studio.

      Inform Your Teacher

      If you are pregnant, have any injuries or other conditions, please inform the teacher before class begins. If you are already familiar with how to modify your practice or if would like assistance from the instructor, let them know.

      Waiver of Liability

      You will be asked to fill out a Waiver form when you come for your first class or event at the studio.

      Etiquette and Practice Guidelines

      Arrive on Time
      For your personal safety and as a courtesy to others, we encourage our students to arrive to class on time, to participate in the warmup, and to stay until the end. We usually lock the door at the top of the stairs 10 minutes into class for security reasons, and instructors are not available to let anyone in after that time since they are in the middle of leading their classes.

      Stay for the Entire Class
      If you do need to leave early for any reason, please inform the teacher before class begins. However, we do recommend planning to stay for the entirety of the class to receive the most benefit from your practice and to pay respect to to the practice itself, your commitment to your own practice, to the teacher and to your fellow students.

      Cell Phone Use
      Please do not use your cell phone during class. We encourage you to silence your phone, rather than set to vibrate mode, or even turn it off entirely. That said, if you need to silence (no vibrate) your phone and leave it near your mat because you need to be ‘on call’ for whatever reason, we understand. Please check with the instructor first, before doing that, to let her/him know of your circumstance.

      For our workshops, if you would like to take notes, please stick with good ol’ fashioned pen and paper. We have found that it causes too much of a distraction both to the teacher and to the other students to use devices such as phones, tablets, computers for note taking. (It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why it is more distracting than paper, perhaps because these devices are portals into the wide world web, regardless, thank you for honoring this request).

      Scents and Smells
      Practice good hygiene, please come to class clean. Also, because of other students’ allergies and/or sensitivities, we ask that you refrain from using any sort of scent including: lotions, essential oils, etc. before coming to class.

      Attire
      Be sure that your clothes actually clothe you. Shorts need to be long enough to cover ‘private parts’ no matter what the asana. It is appreciated when waist bands are high enough to keep the buttock region under wraps, even when in full forward bends. Holes located in unfortunate places need to be mended.

      The Reception Area is a Quiet Zone
      Use a soft voice while in the reception area, the sound does carry into the studios.

      Avoid Drinking Water During Class
      If you need to drink water during class, for any reason, by all means, please do so. As your practice becomes more advanced, more refined, water consumption during class will impede the benefits of the practice and, hence, your progress. Drinking water, or anything else, during class, falsely affects your temperature, gives the body something more to digest (really, the practice is enough), and serves as a distraction. Please do drink water after class!

      Studio Mats and Props
      You are welcome to use the mats and props in the studio. Please put them away ready for the next person to use; we provide mat cleaner and towels in each studio to wipe down the mats after use. Please put props away in an orderly way, for example laying blankets flat so that they stack easily.

      The Barefoot Movement Facilities, Parking, Transportation and More!

      Check out the Location page for all sorts of useful information, you’ll be glad you did.

      Be in Touch!

      We appreciate hearing from you. Send an email with any comments, suggestions, questions… At the studio you can leave a note, just slip it under the office door which is next to the bathroom.