It's great to drink a lot of water, but needing a bathroom break
during yoga class can be annoying — it's hard enough concentrating not
to fall while in Tree Pose!
If this is you, or you ever find yourself needing to leave class early,
here a few tips that will keep you from disturbing the class.
- Position yourself near the door. If you know that
you have to leave early, or expect that you'll need a bathroom break,
place your mat near the door. Now you can make a quick getaway when you
leave that doesn't avoid walking over or in front of fellow students.
- Be as quiet as possible. If you do have to leave
during class, make as little noise as possible; the last thing you want
to do is disrupt another student's practice. Grab your mat and open and
close the door as quietly as you can. You can roll up your mat and
organize your belongings once you're outside of the class.
- Time your breaks strategically. I like to take my
bathroom breaks when the class is in a more gentle, forgiving pose, or
going through a basic flow sequence. Leaving the class while students
are trying to master a challenging pose may disrupt their concentration
and cause them to lose focus or balance. Along those same lines, I also
try and avoid leaving during Savasana. If you know ahead of time that you need to leave early, ask your teacher if there's a good time for you to make your exit.
