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
Arm Balances
Guna:
Rajas + Sattva
Chakra:
3rd
Pranayama:
1:1 + Retentions
Agni Sara
Kapalabhati
Agni Bhav
Goodnight Moon.
Energy:
Langhana
Words:
SO HUM
Calm
Ground
Cool
Soft
Ease
Melt
Let it go (be)
Maha Mritanjaya
Areas to Cue:
Feet
Low Belly
Asanas:
Forward Folds
Gentle Twists
Guna:
Tamas + Sattva
Chakra:
1st + 2nd
Pranayama:
1:2 + Retentions
Nadi Shodana
Brahmuri
Chandra Bhedena
Yoga Nidra
There it is, my whole approach to sequencing. Obviously, there's a lot of other background information to have digested for this to make sense.
So how does this information support us as Yoga teachers with more than one class in a day?
We can save time/energy/brain space by slightly altering our sequence to fit into the energy of the time of day.
A similar sequence can be slightly adjusted and informed by Sun, Moon and Fire so we can preserve ourselves for the long-haul.
By making energy-savvy choices, we are doing ourselves and our students a solid by respecting the clock, and it's unique influence on our days and bodies.