The Newtown Yoga Center
is a  trauma  aware and kindness based studio.

What does that mean? It means we understand that everyone coming through our doors has a story, a background, a personal history that we may not know about. We do not offer hands on assists unless requested or given permission. Most teachers stay on their mats while teaching, with exceptions for adjusting the room temperature, or offering a prop to a participant in need. Your personal safety, comfort and privacy are at the top of our concerns. We understand that emotion flows, that it’s not easy being human, and the Yoga classroom culture should be a safe haven and sanctuary.

We encourage a please and thank you environment, we welcome in new faces knowing how much courage it takes to walk through those doors. We also understand that its more important to adapt the pose to the body, than the body to the pose. Language is trauma informed which means choice is at the forefront of each practice. You do what you can and honor your unique internal experience.

Studio Etiquette

What do I bring? You’ll want to have your own yoga mat and bring it. We have a couple of loaners here but strongly encourage you remember to bring your mat, for lots of reasons: germ theory being number one, your yoga mat is your personal space, arriving with it is showing up ready for practice and the first step in mindfulness. You can’t drive your car without the key, your yoga mat is the same thing! Because we have such few loaners it’s helpful to the community when you bring your own. Reminder not to walk on each others yoga mats, this is where they place their face and hands and is for all intensive purposes, sacred space. 

Food? Water? You can bring water or tea into the studio, we have a water cooler here as well. We do not allow coffee in because if it spills, it will smell like Starbucks forever - we are coffee lovers, just not in the classroom! We have had some diabetic participants over the years and if you have a blood sugar/pressure or health concern please let the teacher know and by all means keep your glucose tabs or support nourishment near your mat.

What do I wear? Stretchy pants or shorts, t-shirts or tank tops, we always encourage wearing layers as body temperature will fluctuate depending on the practice. The athleisure wear options out there are really adaptive, there are lots of great options! It doesn’t matter here how much you paid for your pants, we aren’t focused on that, wearing pants and being comfortable is more important than name brands. The real “status” of how “great a yogi you are” is how kindly you treat others and your own body and heart, the clothes are fun and functional but the real yoga happens on the inside. We typically practice barefoot to encourage strengthening proprioception in the feet and prevent slipping, but not everyone likes their feet bare. Socks with the grips on the bottom can be helpful for those who prefer it.

How do I sign up? If you are ready to join a group in person you’ll want to head over to the Classes page and check out whats on the menu. Private sessions are also available for those not ready for a group practice or for those going through big life events or transitions or recovering from an injury or surgery. Sometimes private sessions are really beneficial to gain extra skills and confidence before joining the groups. For those who are not ready to commit to a series, a weekly community class might be the way to go. If you have never done yoga you’ll want to look for beginner friendly classes, Saturday at 10am, Tuesdays at 7:30pm or Sundays at 10am. If you are ready to jump into a series, Essentials of Yoga is our true beginner alignment series, it is co-ed and open to respectful kids and teens ages 12 and up with a responsible adult present. For biological males we also have a dedicated Yoga Mechanics for Men series that caters to male skeletal and muscular anatomy (typically less flexible, different shaped bones, joints etc)

What is Online? For those who want to try the classes and not ready to be in person or live far or can’t make the drive to Newtown, we do have an online app called Peace on Demand®, you can live stream any of the weekly classes with Aline. In addition to the live streams, you can enjoy the recordings and a host of other offerings on there including nature and visual videos that include binaural beats, solfeggio frequencies, meditations for sleep, resources for mental health support, videos for how to prevent and care for yourself during anxiety or depressive episodes, along with anatomy education and more. The Peace on Demand® app is a separate subscription and not included with the in person classes.

What if I’m sick? After the whole pandemic “experience”, we are all at this point well versed in considering others wellbeing and have a solid sick protocol. If you are sick in any capacity please stay home, or if you have the Peace on Demand® app you can join us online. We are mask optional, sometimes seasonal allergies or the beginning of a cold are difficult to discern, if you aren’t sure wear a mask or stay home, we do have medical masks here if anyone needs one. If you have been exposed to Covid-19 please stay home, take good care of your self and let us know. when you are ready to return to classes. Got that cough that wont’ go away, please consider joining us online or staying home until you feel better.

Religious Concerns? As a modern, Western yoga studio, we are as neutral as we can be while at the same time honoring the roots of the practice. You can be of any religion or no religion, from any background or belief and enjoy these exercises. A lot of folks come to yoga and then go to their religious or spiritual affiliation after! For some people yoga practice is part of their connection to some form of private or personal spiritual beliefs, for others it’s just fancy stretching, we honor where everyone is coming from. The heart of yoga is help you feel more comfortable in your body, and more present in your life. The asana practice itself has been empirically proven to enhance cognitive function, lower blood pressure, lower stress responses and builds strength in the muscular and respiratory system. The physical movements also builds the neural pathways for increased empathy for self and others and sometimes even pours over to compassion which is at the heart of most belief practices. You can have any belief system and enjoy the body focused benefits of yoga. We keep things simple here and our ultimate goal is that all backgrounds are respected, and that everyone feels safe to be who they are.

Studio Rules

By joining yoga classes at this studio you agree to and honor these paradigms for practice here, any questions please reach out!

• Timeliness Asteya in Sanskrit means “ non- stealing” and time is in that category. Classes begin exactly on time and typically we do lock doors at the start of class for a number of reasons:

• We start on time to honor the practice and we end on time to honor the student, you can expect this respect of your time from us.

• Psychological safety: It is incredibly disruptive to already stressed out nervous systems, your own included, when someone arrives late and the entire class has to move around to accommodate.

• Life traffic and obstacles happen, if you can safely send us an email at least 15 minutes before the class starts we can accommodate this up to 5 minutes late and make space in the classroom and keep an eye on the door. The phone is on perpetual silence and we do not answer calls before class, only emails.

• Security. We lock doors to prevent disruptions and to protect your personal items while you are in practice. We have cameras on the front door and lobby and parking lot as additional security. The teacher needs to pay attention to the bodies in the room and not have to worry about people outside the class coming in and out.

• If you feel being locked out when you are late is unfair after reading these considerations, please send an email and let’s have a conversation about it and what you propose might be a helpful arrangement for you. All conversations will be heard, it is up to the studio owner to make the final call.

1. No soliciting. Networking is awesome, but not at the studio. Students are coming here for relaxation, take it outside. Please do not ask to host an essential oils workshop.

2. Cellphones, need to be placed on do not disturb or off. If your phone goes off please own it and take the time to get up and turn it off. No one's judging you, and honestly everyone has had it happen at least once and will be grateful for you turning it off and your consideration. If you are a medical professional on call or have a family member in need and have to have your phone nearby please let the teacher know so we can support you.

3. No photos of students without their permission. In the age of social media and selfies we love that you are proud to be here! If you are going to take a photo in the studio, please be certain that no one else is in it without their exclusive permission and specifically ask if they are okay if you decide to post it. Personal privacy and safety are very important in this vast internet experience. Please refrain from taking photos during yoga practice, it’s distracting and takes away from the experience for yourself and others. Our teachers do not take photos during classes with rare exceptions during workshops or events. If you are in one of those events that might have photos taken you will be asked if you prefer to not have your photo taken or posted or if you are comfortable. Your privacy and permission are at the top of our priorities.

4. Talking? We are a chatty, bubbly community and love to connect and laugh and catch up, depending on the class it is sometimes like a party when you walk in the door, not your normal yoga experience! We love that you get to be yourselves and enjoy catching up with your yoga buddies! In the same breath, everyone comes in from a long day differently and we want to be respectful if someone wants to rest quietly on their mat and not engage. You’ll always be met with kindness here and we understand and honor you.

5. Scents: The studio has medical grade air purifiers on at all times during classes, and when helpful the windows open, it is a smaller space and consideration for others is really important. We do not allow essential oils in the studio. We have students with respiratory sensitivities and lung cancer survivors. Please consider not putting on heavy perfumes before walking in for the same reasons. We do light incense at the very beginning of the day to open up the studio, it’s usually burned out by the time students arrive, however, if you are sensitive to the smell in the air please let us know ahead of time and we will pause that.

6. Safety Probably the most important on this list. Please use Common Sense Wisdom on the mat. You are not obligated to participate in any activity you are not comfortable with. The most “ advanced” yoga is knowing when you back off, or when to engage and that is what we practice here. You have a right to let the teacher know if you do not want to be touched. Typically our teachers do not adjust or walk around but you need to know you have a voice, whether its here or at another yoga studio. You have a right to honor your body and personal space. Lastly, if any activity doesn't feel good, don't do it! Everyone still gets Savasana and gets all the yoga brownie points. The most important thing is that you feel safe, comfortable and heard, welcome and included.