COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS

This principle encourages compassion and kindness in our physical, verbal, and mental actions. 

We acknowledge that our words and actions have an impact and will be mindful of both. This can show up in many ways, but here’s just a couple that are especially important to us:

• We have a zero-tolerance policy for racism, hate speech, and/or bullying on any level within our studios. We will make it our collective responsibility to speak up when we witness these in our community. 
• We recognize our LGBTQIA+ community and will be mindful of using folks’ correct pronouns. We also acknowledge that pronouns can not be “seen”  and encourage the community to ask someone’s pronouns before assuming. 
•  At ODD, we encourage body neutrality and focus on what our bodies can do for us rather than what they look like. We will be mindful of commenting on our own and others’ bodies, keeping in mind that we can’t “see” health.
• We acknowledge that we all have different physical boundaries. Before engaging in any physical touch, we will ask for consent first as we seek to create a space where everyone feels safe and empowered in their own bodies

Satya emphasizes honesty in both speech and actions, including being truthful to oneself.

At ODD, we encourage you to be your fullest, most authentic self. We will work together to make this community a brave space that allows others to do the same. This means embracing a culture of kind over a culture of nice. Letting someone know that they’ve crossed a boundary or fallen short of the community agreements is kind and helpful for all of us. 

Santosha is the practice of finding contentment and gratitude for what one has in the present moment.

We will allow space for discomfort and be ok with not knowing, both on and off the mat. We will also acknowledge that we are human and may fall short of these expectations. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it, apologize, and continue to learn and grow from it.

Asteya promotes the idea of non-stealing, not only in terms of material possessions but also in terms of sharing space with others and being mindful of stealing others’ time and energy.

We will acknowledge that this is a shared space and that we are not the only ones in the room. We will be respectful of other’s time by being on time for class and entering the room quietly and respectfully when we are not. We will acknowledge that this community and shared space are part of the ancient and sacred roots of yoga and will treat them with the respect they deserve.

Saucha encourages cleanliness, not only of the body and thoughts but also of our surroundings. 

• We will respect the studios as sacred, shared spaces by: limiting our technology use to the lobby unless needed for medical reasons or emergencies, entering the room quietly, respecting each other’s space and mat, and helping each other by making room for people as they come in.
• We will not bring kids and animals into the space unless specified kids’ yoga classes or other given permission, respecting the fact that studio staff is not responsible for caring for our pets or children. 
• We will remember that we are not the only person in the space, being mindful of our volume, our smells, and our clothing. We will not monitor our body scent and limit the use of strongly scented products and/or odors. We will be mindful that our clothing covers any areas meant for private eyes only.  

This principle encourages self-study and continuous learning. We will acknowledge that we all come into this space with different privileges and continue to learn to recognize our own. We will strive to respond as opposed to react and continue to check in with ourselves on and off the mat. 

Finally, Ishvara Pranidhana asks us to acknowledge that there is a force greater than ourselves that we can surrender to. We will remember that we are a part of something greater, and these agreements serve both ourselves and this community.