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For years, I struggled each time yoga teachers cued me to step my foot in between my hands. The transition felt clunky and awkward in my body. My arms were too short, my belly got in the best way of my knee, and all the things felt squished and compressed. Consequently, I’d wobble and are available into an off-balance lunge that made every posture following that even tougher. I got here to consider this transition as “the dreaded step-through,” even after I became a body-positive yoga teacher and instructed students through that very same transition.
That modified the day a teacher cued me to step forward from Downward Dog by placing my right foot to the skin of my right hand slightly than the standard cue of “step forward between your hands.” Bam! Identical to that, with almost no effort, my foot landed in position and I used to be capable of ease right into a high lunge that felt strong and comfy.
Ever since then, I take the time to interrupt this transition down for college students. Sure, should you can get your foot between your hands, go for it. But I all the time ensure that to also cue to create space and step your foot to the skin of your palm and create some space. Then I remind everyone to take a moment and arrange a robust and comfy stance before they arrive right into a lunge.
It’s our responsibility as teachers to vary up our instruction with tweaks or variations so we are able to speak to all bodies within the room. Slightly shift in cueing cannot only help everyone in the category feel seen but additionally set them as much as feel capable, good, and robust in their very own bodies.
For me, the difference was truly life-changing and allowed me to experience my practice entirely in a different way. Small body-positive yoga variations offered alongside traditional instructions may also help bring all the things into place. As a teacher, I think that if my cueing has landed in a recent way for not less than one student, then I even have done my job well.
Tips on how to Cue Body-Positive Yoga
As a yoga teacher and a yoga student, I’m reminded every day just how essential it’s to cue different variations. This helps everyone feel empowered to take an option that feels right for them and their bodies.
Once I was recent to teaching, I used to be given the terrific advice to practice each posture I planned to show in school and think in regards to the areas where someone might feel compression of their bodies—after which cue a number of the ways in which they may alleviate that pressure.
For instance, you’ll be able to suggest to students in Downward Dog that they place their hands on blocks to create somewhat more room once they step their foot forward underneath their body.
What feels good in my body goes to look different than what feels best for you. That’s why you’ll never hear me say “the total expression of the pose” in my classes. There is no such thing as a such thing. There is simply your expression of a pose. This goes for folk in greater bodies, but additionally people who find themselves less flexible, have different proportions, or are working with injuries.
Following are a number of common yoga postures and effective ways to vary your cueing to create a more body-positive yoga class. Not a yoga teacher? Try these versions in your next practice to see if any of them make a difference for you.
12 Ways to Create A More Body-Positive Yoga Experience
This will not be an exhaustive list. Reasonably, it’s something to assist you to think in regards to the ways you’ll be able to incorporate recent instructions, props, and transitions into your classes and your practice.
Eagle Pose
I like to consider Eagle Pose (Garudasana) as my personal nemesis pose. For somebody with tight shoulders or a bigger chest (I’m blessed with each!), the arm portion of the pose might be especially difficult. Same goes for the lower body and anyone with shorter legs or larger thighs (again, a double whammy for me). There simply isn’t enough space to make the pose work.
For those who can cross your arms and the backs of your hands connect, great. If not, that’s also great.
A version of Eagle, with arms crossed in front of the chest, that creates the same stretch within the shoulders. (Photo: Ellie Sheppard)
As a substitute of wrapping your arms around one another, I prefer to cue to achieve across your chest on your opposite shoulders and provides yourself a giant hug. Then chill out across the backs of your arms and neck.
An alternate variation of Eagle arms that lifts just one arm toward the ceiling. (Photo: Ellie Sheppard)
You may as a substitute keep holding onto one elbow and lift your opposite hand and fingers toward the ceiling. If you have got tight shoulders, you’ll probably find that you just get enough of a stretch.
Grasping a strap between your hands in Eagle arms can create either bridge a spot and create more of the nice type of tension. (Photo: Ellie Sheppard)
A version of Eagle arms that I find empowering is to make use of a strap. For this version, you’ll must hold on to the strap in a single hand, cross your arms as much as possible, and grab the free hanging end of the strap together with your opposite hand. Grasping a strap can be helpful for anyone who can access Eagle arms because the strap can provide somewhat more tension and pull. Nonetheless, this version might be somewhat tricky to get into on your personal.
Teachers: Once I cueing Eagle arm variations in school, I’ll often walk the room with a strap and place it in a student’s hands for them.
Prop a block beneath your lifted foot to create stability. (Photo: Ellie Sheppard)
For Eagle legs, I prefer to cue everyone to put a block to the skin of their left foot. Pick up the suitable foot and place the toes on the block. Take into consideration squeezing the thighs together. You might then begin to wrap your toes across the back of your calf—or not.
Seated Forward Bend
That is one other pose that’s difficult for quite a lot of people. Take into consideration where someone might begin to feel compression of their bodies as they lean forward. For quite a lot of people in greater bodies, we’re actually more flexible than we’re capable of show because our body starts to run into itself and we get stuck.
(Photo: Ellie Sheppard)
In Seated Forward Fold, I cue to bring the legs about shoulder-width distance apart, after which reach to fold forward. By creating a gap between the legs, you’re providing more room on your chest and belly to fold forward without running into your legs. It could possibly even be really helpful here to take a seat on a block or bolster to get somewhat more lift through the hips.
When practicing this common alternative to Pigeon Pose, you don’t must interlace your hands behind your thigh. Rest them wherever you’ll be able to. (Photo: Ellie Sheppard)
Reclined Figure 4
Reclined Figure 4 is one other postures where someone might experience compression. As a substitute of reaching on your shin, I prefer to suggest that students reach for whatever they’ll hook up with—their shin, thigh, foot or knee. They also can use a strap threaded on the thigh or foot.
Resting your foot on support, whether the block or a wall, permits you to create the form of the pose with less effort, so you’ll be able to deal with finding intensity within the intended stretch. (Photo: Ellie Sheppard)
One other great option is to put a foot on a block or on the wall. This manner, you should utilize the wall for support so as to add tension and intensity to the stretch, without worrying about actually reaching on your leg.
(Photo: Ellie Sheppard)
Low Lunge
As I’ve mentioned, lunges might be difficult for individuals with shorter arms or more abundance along their front line. Since lunges aren’t unusual in most yoga classes, it’s essential to take into consideration where someone might feel compression and supply options.
As often as I can, I attempt to remind students to step their front toes away from their body. By heel-toeing your front foot open, you create more room on your body to hinge forward. I also prefer to cue hands on blocks to create more room between the front thigh and belly.
(Photo: Ellie Sheppard)
Revolved Lunge/Standing Twists
Twisted shapes can be inaccessible or uncomfortable for people in larger bodies.
(Photo: Ellie Sheppard)
I even have just about dropped the cue of hooking your elbow against your opposite knee in a twist because for quite a lot of people, their body gets in the best way.
I prefer to cue twists starting upright in a lengthened out position—arms stretched out wide—to provide people as much space as possible. If I’m teaching a Revolved Chair Pose, for instance, I’ll cue to twist so far as you’ll be able to after which possibly you hook your elbow onto whichever knee you’ll be able to.
(Photo: Ellie Sheppard)
Revolved Triangle
Revolved poses are one other type of twists. It’s essential to take into account where you’ll be able to create space within the body to maneuver. Personally, I really like a Revolved Triangle Pose with a block underneath the underside palm for somewhat extra lift. You may even stack two or three blocks as needed.
(Photo: Ellie Sheppard)
Savasana
Individuals are all the time surprised to listen to that traditional Savasana, or Corpse Pose, will not be essentially the most comfortable posture for quite a lot of people. I’m a giant believer that students can select any shape they like for his or her closing Savasana—on their back, side, stomach, even seated. A slight tweak can go a good distance in making the pose more accessible and comfy. That might appear to be your knees bent together with your feet on the ground and your knees resting against each other or sliding a bolster underneath your knees or your low back (why not each!). The bottom line is to tuck props anywhere the body curves away from the bottom to feel supported.
About Our Contributor
Ellie Sheppard (she/her) is a yoga teacher based in Ottawa, ON with a passion for creating secure welcoming yoga classes for all bodies and experience levels. Coming from a background in dance, Ellie was first drawn to yoga as a solution to integrate movement and creativity back into her life with a combination of strength, stability, and mobility for injury prevention. Ellie is a firm believer that there isn’t any full expression of any yoga pose—there is simply your expression of the pose. Her mission as a teacher is to encourage students to explore their very own expression of a pose so it feels good and welcome in each individual body. Outside of yoga, you would possibly find Ellie falling off her paddleboard, tap dancing, and spending time at local coffee shops, breweries and vineyards.