Teaching Tip: Respect the Clock

Teaching more than 1 yoga class in a day?
Keep reading for a tip based in Ayurveda (and other philosophical systems)!
The short version?
Learn to harness the energies of Sun, Moon and Fire for slight tweaks in your sequence to respect the times of day and their unique energetic needs.
Did you know that our asana's have energy?
Yep!
And different categories of asanas, generally speaking, will have similar energy.
We can look at this from many different angles:
1. doshas - ayurveda considerations of constitutions, imbalances, and seasons
2. chakras - subtle energy centers located along the spine (and other places)
3. vayus - directions or patterns that energy moves
Each topic is enough for a lifetime of study…
Without going too deep into philosophy (which we definitely tip our toes in the deep end in our 200-hour YTT and go out for a swim in 300-hour YTT) - as teachers we can simply vary our sequences based on the time of day.
Being mindful of words/space/attention span:
Morning classes - get the day going by prioritizing backbends, heart openers, and energetic pranayams. Hello Sun!
Lunch/afternoon/early evening - get the fire going with active twists, fun balancing play, and balanced (or fiery) breathing. YESSS Fire!
Evening - give extra time for integration at the end and include grounding asanas/pranayams. Goodnight Moon.
I have started calling myself an energy-informed yoga teacher and it is all summed up below.
Giving it all away here:

Hello Sun!
Energy:
Brahmana
Words:
YAM + HAM
Uplift
Energize
Bright
Illuminate
Enliven
Wake-up
Light
The Gayatri
Areas to cue:
Heart
Throat
Ribs
Asanas:
Backbends
Laterals
Guna:
Rajas + Sattva
Chakra:
4th + 5th
Pranayama:
2:1 + Retentions
Dirgha
Ujayi
Surya Bhedena

YESSS Fire!!!
Energy:
Samana
Words:
RAM
Ignite
Burn (Away)
Passion
Transform
Heat
Flame
Spark
Namo Agnaye Namaha
Areas to Cue:
Mid-Belly
Action in Pause
Asanas:
Activating Twists
Fire Series