Dearly loved students at Haft Vadi whose feet we are trying to keep clean!

We have a bit of a tricky situation at Haft Vadi this winter, because the fire marshall has said we can’t leave any shoes in the hallway by our door, so we’ve been bringing them in. Since we all, dancers and yogis alike, are barefoot and laying on the floor during our use of the studio, the cleanliness of the floor is really important, but given our situation, very hard to maintain. So I’m just proposing a couple ideas to minimize the mess, and of course the instructors will redouble their efforts to clean the studio floor as well as the hallway outside frequently. The yogis travel between the studio and the side room in their bare feet to collect their equipment, so making a big mess just in front of the door is not a great idea, or gravel, salt and slush will get tracked into both rooms.

There are three rugs before you get upstairs. Say hi to each of them so we’re not tracking as much ick into the building. The more stomping you can do before you reach the staircase the better, too, because the stairs can be slippery when wet! Kicking the building (lovingly and gently) with the side of your foot before stepping inside will release a lot of the slush from your treads much more effectively than wiping your feet on the rugs. But do that too. Three times.

We’re not allowed to leave anything in the hall outside the door (fireman’s orders), so we take our boots off outside then carry them in and place them on racks inside the studio. Then the next part which everyone finds hard to remember is to carry them out again before putting them on. Your boots and shoes did not magically get cleaned while sitting on the racks! Please never wear them inside the studio, before or after class.

The best would be if we could leave slushy boots in the upstairs lobby and then put on slippers or crocks to get to the studio, thereby keeping the hallway in front of the studio door as clean as possible.

Just some suggestions to help keep you more comfortable during classes at Haft Vadi!

Happy winter!