Sequencing to remember
Can you remember the best yoga class you ever took?
What was it about that class that stands out in your memory? Was is the atmosphere of the studio? The location? Or perhaps it was just a deliciously well-thought-out class that left you feeling balanced and peaceful. Chances are the sequence of that class was a large part of what implanted it as a stellar experience.
How do we embody that kind of magic as teachers ourselves? How do we guide our students through an experience, rather than just a string of poses? What really makes a class sequence “good?”
A strong class sequence is safe
Know your students. By gathering information about who is in the room and what their needs are, we can be sure to offer the modifications and postures that can benefit our students on any given day.
Education on anatomy, physiology & pathology is crucial to ensure you have the most up to date knowledge about how to assist and protect your students, who will present with a wide array of issues and challenges. We don’t have to know everything, but it is important that we seek to continually learn so we can better support our students. This can be in formal trainings, by reading articles and books and especially by talking to your students about their experience and asking lots of questions. This way, when you meet another student with a similar concern in the future, you will be better prepared to make educated guesses about how you can support them in their practice.
A strong class sequence is flexible
Aparigraha – non-attachment is the key to a flexible and effective class sequence. I once had a brilliant class plan I had worked on for days, where the entire class would be spent prone (face down on the floor) to create grounding, explore different ways to approach our postures and bring introspection to the class. Then, 5 minutes before we began my friend who was 7 months pregnant walked into the room! I made a choice in that moment to let go of my plan in order to create an inclusive experience for this student who was not in a position to lay on her belly for 75 minutes. Yes, it was difficult to shift gears and turn on my active thinking brain but it was worth it to include all of my students and I was able to reserve my lesson plan for another day when the circumstances were more appropriate.
In practicing non-attachment, we remain present for our students. Instead of going through the motions of our script or sequence plan, we can watch, listen and respond to what is happening in the room. Just as we encourage our students take lessons off of the mat and into their lives, this ability to go with the flow will impact our personal life as well, helping us let go of our pre-conceived ideas of what “should” be and instead allowing us to ride the waves of life.
Starting with a planned sequence is allowed
Of course, we can’t be expected to know intuitively what to teach, when and how right away. I spent years writing all my lesson plans on post-it notes with a basic bell curve sequence arc. I found that by separating my sequence into sections based on the basic positioning of the body (sitting, hands and knees, standing, laying down), the length of the class felt less daunting and I was able to time myself better. I would spend about 10 mins sitting in warm-ups, 10 minutes in sun salutations, 15 mins in cooldown etc.
Most of my lesson plans for the first few years looked like this, with variations on the postures :
- SIT – cat/cow, neck stretches, side stretches, twists
- HANDS & KNEES – cat/cow, thread the needle, tiger pose flow
- DOWN DOG – FORWARD FOLD – STAND
- 3X Sun salutation A
- Warrior 2, triangle, half-moon, reverse warrior – other side
- Forward fold, down dog, cobra, bow pose, child’s pose
- SIT – forward fold, twists, head to knee pose
- LAY DOWN – happy baby, bridge, twists, hamstring stretches with strap, supported fish pose with block
- SAVASANA 😊
*I actually would draw a smiley face on all my post-it notes to remind myself I had survived teaching yet another full class!
Having no plan is allowed too!
Listen up! Try leaving space for your students to tell you what they need that day. Providing time to connect with your students before class helps inform your sequence so it is relevant to the people who are actually in the room. If one of my students comes in and shares that they’ve had a rough morning, I might think of a way to nurture their body and soul in the class, perhaps with a reading or quote or incorporating a restorative posture for the heart and nervous system. When someone tells me their hamstring is acting up, I can omit or include different poses and exercises as well as use language that helps them make an informed modification that day. Other students will also benefit from filling the need for that specific student and your class will feel fresh and personalized.
Practice teaching without a plan. Practicing without a lesson plan prepares you for the days when you simply can’t stick to the sequence because of distraction. Life happens, and when you are teaching lots of classes there is bound to come a day when something throws you off just before your class begins or even during the class itself. I have had numerous large life events (family illnesses, fights with partners) as well as classes where the environment was less than ideal (tree removal just outside the window, powerful windstorms making students nervous during class and students having issues that distract from the class) and in those moments I took the time to breathe, close my eyes and speak the words I needed to hear. By centering myself with my class, even if they don’t know anything about what I am going through, my classes became even more authentic and powerful. My students may not know I sometimes need those words just as much as they do but they can certainly feel the honesty behind my words.
Meditate and tap into your own practice. Many of my best classes happen when my meditation practice is consistent, and I show up open and responsive to the energy in the space. When I’m calm centered and focused I can walk into the room and read the energy of the students to guide my lesson plan. I truly believe that the best teaching comes though you if you remain consistent in your own practice and energetically open.
Know the arc of your sequence
My first few years of teaching classes followed a standard “bell curve” arc.
We began sitting or lying down and slowly made out way through warm-ups off of the floor, building to a “peak pose” and then sliding down the other side of the curve into cool downs and savasana.
However, this is not the only way to teach a yoga class. Depending on a number of different factors, this shape may change, and we might choose to begin in a different place with our students, placing the peak of the class at different times as we move toward a specific goal.
Consider the factors that affect the arc of your sequence
The time of day your class is offered will sometimes affect the shape of the sequence arc you choose. For example, a 5:30am class will likely begin very slowly and build gradually to a peak toward the end, waking students up and leaving just a short savasana so they can get in their cars and head right to work. A 12:00pm lunchtime class may need to get moving quickly and keep students’ energy up so they can return to their day refreshed. And an 8:30pm class may start with more energy and gradually slow down, relaxing students and preparing them for a sweet, long savasana and a great night’s sleep.
Other factors may include the style of your class, length of time you have, age, ability level, attention span, current events, weather and theme as well.
Themes play a role in your sequence too
A style of yoga is a type of class with a specific manner of approaching the practice or that incorporates certain postures. A theme is something that can be integrated into almost any style. Non-attachment, for example can be integrated as a theme into restorative yoga or yin yoga, vinyasa yoga or even yoga with goats.
Themes give your students a feeling of purpose in their practice and often remain with them after the class as they continue their day or in future classes they attend. Themes are where we move from leading poses to teaching yoga concepts and integrating the deeper aspects of yoga into our classes for students to explore.
Examples of categories of themes might be:
- Body parts (yoga for shoulders, hips, feet etc)
- Props (blocks class, straps class, wall class etc)
- Yamas & Niyamas
- Subtle body elements
- Holidays
- Weather
- Aging & transitions
- Self-care & self-compassion
- Moon phases
- Nature
- Partners & community
& so much more!
How to set up mats for a different experience
Speaking of partners & community, the direction you have your students place their mats can change the energy and intention of the practice as well and drive home your theme or greater lesson.
The feeling of turning your students inward into a circle removes the teacher/student hierarchy that can sometimes come from everyone facing front and you standing in the front of the room. Having students change direction and face a new wall or face a partner can change the experience they have that day and make their practice feel new and fresh again. It also helps them release their attachment to their “spot” in class.
When we work with trauma informed yoga and anxiety, it can be helpful to have predictable consistent placement of mats but in a studio based, everyday class mixing it up can challenge both you and your students and make your practice stronger.
Review your classes after
You will have days where you feel like you were connected and open and the class was perfect. You will also have days where you walk out of class feeling like you missed the mark. Regardless, keep teaching and be sure to sit with your feelings on how the class went. Remember that tomorrow is another day, and you can choose to change your approach or try again and see if a different group of students responds better to your plan.
Be honest with yourself about what you liked and what your student’s reaction was and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.
When students provide feedback, keep some of it and let some of it roll off your back. If a student doesn’t “like” a class, it is often due to a personal reason. Maybe it was difficult for them, or they were in a mental state where they couldn’t fully connect to the theme.
The question isn’t so much about whether a class is liked or disliked. The question is “who is this class for?” All yoga classes can be good for someone. There is always someone out there who will benefit from your lesson plan or teaching style, so give some though to who might benefit from that class and who might have difficulties with it and why. Feedback that gives you real value is the kind that tells you why that class was difficult or different than what they were expecting. You can use this information to make educated guesses in the future about when to teach certain concepts and how.
There is no bad yoga. There’s simply a time, place and audience for different approaches.
For more information and class sequencing tips, enroll in our advanced teaching skills course here
