Close Menu
YogaCanalYogaCanal
  • Home
  • Yoga
    • Popular
      • Morning Yoga
      • Evening Yoga
      • Nighttime Yoga
      • Beginner Friendly
      • Gentle Yoga
      • Improve Posture
      • Balance
      • Detox
      • Stretches
      • Stress Relief Yoga
      • Full Body Yoga
      • Cardio Burn
      • Flexibility
      • Weightloss Yoga
    • Duration
      • 5 Minutes
      • 10 Minutes
      • 15 Minutes
      • 20 Minutes
      • 30 Minutes
      • 1 Hour
    • Pain relief
      • Restorative Yoga
      • Backpain
      • Lower Back
      • Upper Back
      • Neck Pain
      • Shoulders
      • Sciatica
      • Hip Opening
    • Channels
      • Alo Yoga
      • Brett Larkin Yoga
      • Boho Beautiful Yoga
      • Fightmaster Yoga
      • Move with Nicole
      • Sarah Beth Yoga
      • Yoga with Kassandra
      • Yoga with Bird
      • Yoga with Adriene
    • Advanced
      • Yoga for Chakra
      • Core Strength
      • Kundalini Yoga
      • Hatha Yoga
      • Energy Boost
      • Yin Yoga
      • Vinyasa Yoga
      • Longer Flow
      • Prenatal Yoga
      • Postnatal Yoga
  • Meditation
    • 5 Minute
    • 15 Minute
    • 1 Hour
    • Guided Meditation
    • Meditation Music
    • Mindfulness
    • Sleep Meditation
  • Music
    • Ambient Music
    • Healing Music
    • Sleep Music
    • Yoga Music
    • Zen Music
  • Blog
  • Store
  • AI Chat

More results...

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
YogaCanalYogaCanal
  • Home
  • Yoga
    • Popular
      • Morning Yoga
      • Evening Yoga
      • Nighttime Yoga
      • Beginner Friendly
      • Gentle Yoga
      • Improve Posture
      • Balance
      • Detox
      • Stretches
      • Stress Relief Yoga
      • Full Body Yoga
      • Cardio Burn
      • Flexibility
      • Weightloss Yoga
    • Duration
      • 5 Minutes
      • 10 Minutes
      • 15 Minutes
      • 20 Minutes
      • 30 Minutes
      • 1 Hour
    • Pain relief
      • Restorative Yoga
      • Backpain
      • Lower Back
      • Upper Back
      • Neck Pain
      • Shoulders
      • Sciatica
      • Hip Opening
    • Channels
      • Alo Yoga
      • Brett Larkin Yoga
      • Boho Beautiful Yoga
      • Fightmaster Yoga
      • Move with Nicole
      • Sarah Beth Yoga
      • Yoga with Kassandra
      • Yoga with Bird
      • Yoga with Adriene
    • Advanced
      • Yoga for Chakra
      • Core Strength
      • Kundalini Yoga
      • Hatha Yoga
      • Energy Boost
      • Yin Yoga
      • Vinyasa Yoga
      • Longer Flow
      • Prenatal Yoga
      • Postnatal Yoga
  • Meditation
    • 5 Minute
    • 15 Minute
    • 1 Hour
    • Guided Meditation
    • Meditation Music
    • Mindfulness
    • Sleep Meditation
  • Music
    • Ambient Music
    • Healing Music
    • Sleep Music
    • Yoga Music
    • Zen Music
  • Blog
  • Store
  • AI Chat
  • en EN
    • en EN
    • es ES

More results...

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
YogaCanalYogaCanal
  • Home
  • Pain Relief
  • Morning Yoga
  • Evening Yoga
  • Nighttime Yoga
  • Beginner Friendly
  • Gentle Yoga
  • Improve Posture
  • Balance
  • Detox
  • Stretches
  • Stress Relief Yoga
  • Full Body Yoga
  • Cardio Burn
  • Flexibility
  • Weightloss Yoga
  • 5 Minutes
  • 10 Minutes
  • 15 Minutes
  • 20 Minutes
  • 30 Minutes
  • 1 Hour
  • Alo Yoga
  • Brett Larkin Yoga
  • Boho Beautiful Yoga
  • Fightmaster Yoga
  • Move with Nicole
  • Sarah Beth Yoga
  • Yoga with Kassandra
  • Yoga with Bird
  • Yoga with Adriene
  • Restorative Yoga
  • Backpain
  • Lower Back
  • Upper Back
  • Neck Pain
  • Shoulders
  • Sciatica
  • Hip Opening
  • Yoga for Chakra
  • Core Strength
  • Kundalini Yoga
  • Hatha Yoga
  • Energy Boost
  • Yin Yoga
  • Vinyasa Yoga
  • Longer Flow
  • Prenatal Yoga
  • Postnatal Yoga
Home»Blog»The One Trick That Helps Yoga Teachers Sequence More Creatively
Blog

The One Trick That Helps Yoga Teachers Sequence More Creatively

[ad_1]

“], “filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote, a.btn, a.o-button”} }”>

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
>”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link”}}”>Download the app.

Ever try to come up with a creative yoga class—something a little different and out of the ordinary—and instead end up sitting in front of a blank sheet of paper, blinking cursor, or yoga mat waiting for inspiration to strike? Somehow, despite being able to choose from any theme or peak pose, nothing new comes to mind.

The solution, you may think, is to seek inspiration. So you turn to yoga sequencing books or social media influencers for ideas. Yet a sequence still proves elusive.

Almost every yoga teacher experiences this version of writer’s block at some point. I’ve spent countless hours wracking my brain to come up with something different before it occurred to me that my most creative classes hadn’t been a struggle. They hadn’t taken hours of diligent planning or required the inclusion of complex poses or transitions.

In fact, my most creative classes originated from an impromptu need to work around an obstacle of some kind. There was the time a student with a broken wrist inspired a hands-free sequence. There was an awkward teaching space that forced me to come up with a sequence that faced the long edge of the mat. And so on.

Setting out to plan a sequence without any direction can actually make it harder to come up with new ideas. Imagine a class with any theme, any focal point at all, and see what poses and practices come to mind. Probably a few of your favorites. But with nothing specific for your mind to work toward, against, or around, it’s unlikely the poses will come together in a way that feels cohesive.

In fact, completely counterintuitively, the more you limit your options, the more innovative you probably become with poses or transitions coming to mind that you would not have thought of otherwise. That’s because our brains evolved to problem solve when confronted with difficulty or limitation. Too many options can be almost paralyzing.

Try it out for yourself. Imagine setting a general theme, like heart-opening or standing strong. Probably many poses will come to mind. You may have the beginning of a purposeful sequence but not necessarily a novel one.

Now imagine adding another challenge or obstacle into the equation and see what happens. For example, avoiding all weight-bearing on the hands, facing the long edge of the mat, starting and finishing your flow from a deep squat (Malasana) instead of standing in Mountain Pose (Tadasana), or moving to and from the back of the mat rather than only the front. Some other examples include…

  • Students with hand or wrist pain could inspire a sequence with no Planks or Chaturangas or no weight-bearing on the hands at all
  • Limited space at the front of the room could prompt you to create a standing flow that moves from the back of the mat instead of the front or an entire class that faces the mat’s long edge
  • Students with knee pain or injury could lead to a class with no kneeling poses (Seated Cat-Cow, anyone?) and no intense knee flexion (see ya, Pigeon Pose!)
  • Tight hamstrings in your class (we see you, runners) could prompt more creative ways to warm up for Sun Salutations and forward folds
  • Working with pregnant students could encourage you to find more spacious ways to transition from Downward Dog to standing poses, or lead to standing flows that start and finish in a Squat instead of Mountain
  • Avoiding overhead arms as a nod to the studentwith shoulder issues could remind you of the myriad other arm positions you could use
  • Teaching vinyasa on a day when the whole class seems exhausted, but too agitated for stillness, could inspire more mellow movement options

And the list goes on!

There’s nothing wrong with a simple, familiar, feel-good flow. But on those occasions when you feel drawn to create something more inventive because you feel you or your regular students are so familiar with your favorites that you’re in a rut, consider the problem-solving power of limitation.

[ad_2]
Source link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email Reddit Telegram

Related Posts

Ganesha’s Key to Inner Peace, – Radiant Bliss Yoga

Weekly Horoscope, March 2-8, 2025: Expressing Your Truest Self

Practicing Yoga Without Prescription Glasses Was Transformative

What Venus Retrograde Means for You, According to Your Sign

We’re Partnering With Sedona Yoga Festival to Talk All Things Yoga

Awakening Inner Harmony – Radiant Bliss Yoga

Top 10 Benefits of Yoga for a Healthy Body & Mind

5 Cozy Pieces From Girlfriend Collective’s Winter Sale

Advantages of using Energy Healing In The Age of Artificial Intelligence

Why Does Everyone Suddenly Want to Learn Sanskrit?

7 Chair Yoga Poses for People with Limited Mobility

Revolved Triangle Pose: How to Prepare

10-Minute Yoga for Core Strength That You Can Do Anywhere

10 Thoughts From My Fifth Weekend of Yoga Teacher Training

How to Build Community at Your Yoga Studio

Harnessing the Lunar Energy for Calm and Balance – Radiant Bliss Yoga

Yoga Calm Fundamentals: Mindful Parenting

These Yoga Poses Bring Core Strength Into Your Practice

At 41, I’m Finally Learning How to Be Still

Explore The World of Yoga At Bali: An Excellent Destination

Gentle Yoga For Joint Pain: 5 Easy, Effective Sequences

Hot Yoga Clothes That Serve While You Sweat

Student Oversharing Can Derail Class. Here’s How to Reel It In.

What Pisces Season Means for You, According to Your Sign

Random Popular Yoga
Stretch Yoga

10 Min Everyday Morning Yoga Stretch | 30 Day Yoga Challenge 2022 | DAY 1

Stretch Yoga
Meditation Music

Sunset | Soothing Meditation

Meditation Music
30-60 Min

Gentle Prenatal Morning Yoga Routine – Safe for All 3 Trimesters (30-min)

30-60 Min
15-30 Min

Glowing Yoga Body Workout (So Good!) 30 Min Total Vinyasa Flow

15-30 Min
15-30 Min

Morning Yoga for Tight & Sore Muscles – DEEP STRETCH

15-30 Min
30-60 Min

20 MIN TOTAL CORE WORKOUT || At-Home Pilates Abs

30-60 Min
15-30 Min

FULL BODY Yoga Stretch for Flexibility – 30 min Yoga At Home

15-30 Min
15-30 Min

20 minute Yoga for Posture & Flexibility | Sarah Beth Yoga

15-30 Min
30 Min

30-Minute Restorative Yoga Flow for Stress Relief

30 Min
Hip Opening

Hip Opening Yoga | Hip Stretches | Hip Mobility Exercises | Yoga with Naveen

Hip Opening
30 Min

5 Minute Morning Yoga to Feel Your BEST! – 30 Day Morning Yoga Challenge

30 Min
5 Min Meditation

A Daily 5 Minute Meditation Practice to Benefit All Areas of Your Life

5 Min Meditation
YogaCanal
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Home
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Service
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Contact
2024 - All rights reserved. Yoga Canal

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.