Sometimes people ask about the use incense and candles in the classes. If you’ve come to the yoga classes on the Mornington Peninsula, you may have noticed that we don’t use them.
There are a few reasons for this. The main one is that many people are sensitive to the smoke of incense and/or the scent of candles. It can cause an allergic reaction or just be a little unpleasant.
Either way, it’s not what we want. Especially if you are working hard with breath of fire or sitting quietly in meditation.
That’s also why we don’t use oils or sprays in the room before or during class, even though they are readily available at The Garden, where the classes are held. The essential oils are popular – some people come from surrounding suburbs such as Seaford, Carrum, Frankston South and Mount Eliza especially to pick up their favourite – but we don’t use them in the class.
Similarly, as teachers, many of us use unscented deodorants. It’s all about making your experience as comfortable as possible.
And the other big reason for not using incense and candles? Many studios are concerned about the potential fire hazard. I’ve never seen a candle accidentally kicked over in a yoga class, but the potential is there.
So despite the beauty and – for some – the nice scent of incense and candles, we prefer to leave it to The Garden’s salt lamps and the Kundalini Yoga music to provide the pleasant ambience for our senses.