Greetings Yoga Practitioners 
Think of this forum as a yoga studio. I’m David Chapman, owner of this studio. There are people congregating in our little studio from different cultures, religions and backgrounds, who are new or very advanced with their practice, and have had wide ranging life experiences. The goal here is to create a space within our studio for yoga to be practiced. Not just asana, but all eight limbs of yoga. In order for this to happen, we ask that you conduct yourself like you’re in a yoga studio. As such, we ask the following of you:
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Be Respectful: Would you show passion for a particular subject and debate with another that you were sitting near in a studio? Sure. But I would hope you would be respectful of that person. You wouldn’t attack them on a personal level and you might try to understand their position while presenting your own. Should you be disrespectful and/or attack someone, the following infractions may be applied but those are just general guidelines and each case will be looked at independently.
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You would not walk into a yoga studio and start selling your wares to students there without first talking to the owner. If you want to sell something, contact me. Or, you’re welcome to have information about your website in your signature which can be edited here. However, you can’t create a link until you have 25 posts. In addition, you must have at least 15 posts before you can create a normal link. If you advertise your wares or website (or any website in your first post), you will be banned. It is a pet peeve of mine. If you establish yourself as a major contributor here, I will probably give more leeway, but as always, talk to me.
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If you saw something you felt was wrong with your little yoga studio, I would hope that you wouldn’t stand up in front of everyone in the studio and complain. If you were respectful, I would think you would contact the owner. As such, if you have a problem with how I run this studio or see wide ranging issues, please contact me privately so we can discuss it, don’t start complain threads, they will be removed and your posts moderated for one month. SHould you decide to leave, your account will not be deleted, simply logout. We wish you well.
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Not every studio is right for everyone. This studio may be the perfect fit for you, or it may not quite be what you need. Either way, it’s all good. But if you decided a studio wasn’t right for you, would you stand up before everyone as you were about to walk out the door and yell, “I’m leaving!” I would hope not. I’d hope you would share with the owner your reason for leaving then exit peacefully. As such, please don’t start, “I’m leaving” type threads, they will be removed and your posts will be moderated for one month.
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If you saw a trouble maker come into your studio or some issue arise and the owner wasn’t around to deal with the problem, I hope you’d bring it to their attention. As such, please report problem posts, your help is greatly appreciated.
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At your yoga studio, if you had a specific problem, the more information related to that problem you provided, the more likely people would be able to help. So, if you have a yoga related question, post what you think would be too much information. The more information you provide ranging from your sex to weight to diet and everything and anything that might be remotely pertinent, the better.
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Sometimes there’s someone at your studio that bothers you for some reason. I would hope that you would try to work it out privately with them and do your own internal work to improve upon the situation. But if you still had trouble and liked the studio, you’d probably try to ignore that person. Well, you can ignore people here too.
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This yoga studio has TONS of books and essays and articles written by its members on a variety of subjects. You can use the search function to search for what you’re looking for. However, don’t be afraid to post a new thread if you still need help or want to discuss something.
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Please give credit where credit is due. If something you’re sharing was written by someone else, please share your source.
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Going to a new studio can be daunting. We welcome you to stand up and introduce yourself and if you’re an established member of this studio, helping others feel at home by welcoming them is appreciated as well. We’d love to form a tight knit community.
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Be honest with yourself, practice satya. Are you REALLY knowledgeable and wise enough to share advice or answer a particular question? If yes, great! If not, please do not as people’s mental, physical, and spiritual health is at stake.
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Please try to be as descriptive with your thread titles as possible. “Help” is not so good. “Rounded back in downward facing dog” is great.
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Would you try to be two different people at your studio? Of course not. Be who you are. Don’t act a certain way because you think it will allow you to fit in, remove the masks. And please, do not create multiple accounts, that might get both of them banned.
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If you have a suggestion for a new rule or a change to this studio, please contact me privately.
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Most of these rules don’t apply to the religion forum otherwise I’d have to hire a team of special forces moderators.
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You cannot take back what you say in a yoga studio. As such, we do not remove threads or posts here except under VERY special circumstances. Think before you speak and take responsibility for what you say.
As always, I am here to discuss any issues with you. Contact me any time. Thank you I hope you enjoy our little studio while you’re here and some great yoga can be practiced.
Regards,
David
[B]Last edited 05/01/11 at 12:20 Central Time[/B]