Would it be rude to get up mid class and move my mat away from someone who is clearly sick?

This is Ashtanga Yoga Tech Support. Real questions from the yoga community, answered.

The Question

I set up my mat today and someone set up right next to me. No big deal except this person was clearly sick. They were sniffling the entire time and kept stop to blowing their nose and depositing the used tissues on the floor near the mat. I didn’t want to cause a scene or be rude but I really wanted to move my mat away from them. Not the first time this has happened and I’m pretty sure it was the same person both times. submitted by /u/Pleasant-Pumpkin-339 [link] [comments…

— via r/yoga

Our Response

Move your mat.

You're not causing a scene. You're making a boundary.

Pick up your stuff. Walk ten feet away. Set it back down. Keep practicing.

If they ask why, tell them. "You're sick. I'm moving." That's not rude. That's honest.

And if this person keeps showing up sick? That's a teacher problem now. Talk to whoever runs the room. They need to handle it.

Community spaces only work when people respect basic stuff. Like not leaving used tissues on the floor. That's not yoga etiquette. That's just… being a person.

You don't owe anyone your proximity when they're spreading germs and littering bio-waste next to your face.

Move the mat. Every time. No explanation required.