Form and Asana

Some of you may wonder why I talk and provide so much verbal cueing related to the tiny details of yoga poses in class. I wonder sometimes if this gets misinterpreted to mean that if somehow you managed to get each detail "just so" then it means that you are a good and accomplished yogi. I have said, and maybe don't say it enough, that there is no such thing as a perfect yoga pose. Sadly, magazines and Instagram pics of skilled yogis may reinforce this idea that rocking an asana or yoga pose means you are somehow a more proficient or closer to perfect yogi than someone else.

I cue little details of poses for a couple of reasons: one, for safety. Good alignment and basic body mechanics will help to avoid injury. My number one goal as a yoga teacher is to provide a positive yoga experience in which everyone leaves class feeling better than when they arrived. So this goal is not realized if students feel overly sore or injured after completing a class.

The second reason for all this cuing and detail, and one that is much less important to me, is that if you practice postures in optimal alignment, then you get more bang for your buck. In other words, you use and build muscles more effectively or get a better stretch. Again, I would rather see my students enjoying a class and feeling good about their body and practice over attempting to make sure everyone gets a "good workout." That's only one aspect of a yoga practice; yes, it can help us build strength, stamina and flexibility, but I am going for contentment, stress relief, and peace of mind as well!

The third idea behind all of these verbal cues about good form is about trying to get students to pay attention to sensation and how their bodies feel in a particular pose. In the world of trauma-informed yoga, instructors are taught to invite students to try out a form rather than naming and describing a yoga posture at all. The idea is to allow students to make their own decisions about how and if they will move their bodies and giving control back to the individual who has experienced victimization by someone who exerted power and control over them. So cues are about choices, and staying present with body sensation. I like these concepts as I think all of us can benefit from feeling good about our bodies, making choices and decisions that make sense for us, and providing room for variations in our practices on the mat. I love nothing more than seeing a variety of movements and postures in my classes as it tells me that people are honoring their bodies and paying attention to their own practice.
I hope to always make it clear that everything is optional in class. Feeling pushed, coerced, or urged to compete with other students in the room moves us away from yoga's power to change us in subtle ways, from the inside out.

Please feel free to share with me if there are ways that I can make you feel more comfortable in class. My goal is to provide a safe experience, in body, mind and spirit and I am open to feedback about how to effectively provide this for you. Thanks for your participation and the warmth and energy that you bring with you to class!