Yoga Cues: Easy and Efficient

My authentic yoga “parentage” was within the Iyengar system. Recognized for its precision, and for inventing the yoga props we use right this moment, the Iyengar system offers a superb basis. In workshops, academics—together with BKS Iyengar and his daughter, Geeta, each of whom I studied with in 1989—supplied alignment cues about as quick as you may course of them, and generally quicker. As a hypermobile individual, I typically flopped into flexibility-focused asanas with out a lot thought as to how I used to be working towards them. Iyengar-based yoga cues helped me refine my observe, in order that I wasn’t merely persevering with my unhealthy alignment habits.

However generally, after I’d attend conventional Iyengar workshops, I’d depart with an agitated nervous system. I’m guessing it’s because the pace with which alignment cues had been being disseminated made it tough for me to combine all of them. There merely wasn’t time for me to course of them, really feel them in my physique and make changes based mostly on what my very own physique was telling me. After which there was the truth that many academics “barked” out yoga cues, slightly than sharing them. This methodology of instructing generally made me really feel pressured to carry out, and generally put me on edge.

I’ve since branched out to review with plenty of different grasp academics, most notably Donna Farhi and Judith Hanson Lasater. Each studied within the Iyengar system many years in the past and have since solid their very own paths. Each nonetheless think about wholesome alignment to be necessary, however their concepts about alignment, and the best way they impart them, are totally completely different from their Iyengar coaching.

Simplifying Yoga Cues

Each Donna and Judith construct their courses round just a few rules and permit time for particular person exploration. This fashion of presenting data is more practical, a minimum of for me. It’s a technique I’ve adopted in my very own instructing. It’s because I consider that our personal expertise in our observe is finally our greatest trainer. Giving college students time—and silence—to probe for themselves offers college students extra company. It offers them the power to determine what’s finest for their very own our bodies and minds at a given time. In spite of everything, I can’t presumably know what’s finest for one more individual.

A Few Concepts for Simplifying Your Cues

This record is under no circumstances exhaustive. I’m certain that folks studying this may have concepts of their very own that may assist academics cue extra successfully. Listed here are just a few ways in which have labored for me:

• Establish an anatomical focus in your class. This may be something—no matter is alive for you on the time. For instance, you may set up a category round alignment for a specific space of the physique, say, the pelvis or the shoulders. Then remind college students to present consideration to what they’re feeling in these areas as you progress via your sequence. Spending a whole observe on consciousness of a specific space of the physique offers college students extra time to combine—and keep in mind!—what they’ve realized.
• Cue college students on the best way to transfer into poses, after which allow them to marinate of their expertise. My Iyengar coaching taught me the significance of cueing college students as they transfer into their asanas. I discover it efficient to cue alignment whereas they’re getting into a pose. After that, I’d make just a few options for the place they may wish to direct their consciousness, however I additionally give ample time for silence whereas their our bodies unfold into every asana.

I’d love to listen to from you—academics and college students—what you discover useful in both designing or receiving yoga cues.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and commenced instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Aware Yoga, Aware Life: A Information for On a regular basis Apply and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third e-book is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and folks sextet Pink Rock Rondo, whose DVD gained two Emmy awards in 2010.