• 8 years ago
What Should Teachers Know About Vinyasa Flow Exercises

The most important thing to know about Vinyasa flow is that it is not just an exercise, but also a way of being. Vinyasa is the state that exists between one movement to another.

Let’s examine a few key elements of Vinyasa that as a teacher, are important to understand.

Keep it simple

The understandable desire to make everything perfect will lead to “overthinking” and will make your yoga class overly complex and confusing to a new student.

Stay within the sequence of warming the body, exercising the body, and a cool-down period. Remember that for your new students, doing yoga is like learning a new language.

Get Off Your Mat

Put the mat away and walk out onto the floor and engage with your students. This is a very critical thing to do. Lay aside the ego that has kept you on your mat, showing off your perfect poses and get out there and put your hands on a student, showing how to extend energy through the hips and feet when doing downward dog.

Practice Before Teaching

Learn your sequence. Master it and understand it. Then practice it before teaching it to others. Here’s the thing: Your students are literally putting their lives into your hands. They trust you with their energetic body, and you need to live up to that.

So make sure that you are able to transmit that sacred knowledge in an even flow. Your body should know what vinyasa feels like before you teach it to another.

Breathe, and Don’t Stop Being a Student

Stay calm in your teaching. Your students are going to do what they see, and if they see a freaked-out yoga teacher, they probably won’t gain very much. Stay calm, work on that, and then teach it.

Show up to other classes. If you are a teacher of Bikram, go to a Power class. If you study Iyengar, go to a hot yoga studio and see what they have to offer.

Even better, create (if one doesn’t exist) a teacher’s practice. Invite every yoga teacher that you know into a circle, and then co-teach. You can ask questions and get feedback on your asanas.

Never stop learning, and your teaching and personal practice will grow.

10 Tips For Teaching An Invigorating Vinyasa Flow

We love vinyasa for its mindful, nourishing flow to build heat, synchronize breath, strengthen muscles and focus the mind. Here are 10 tips to teach an inspiring flow and deepen your own practice.

1. Scan your class. Assess the varying skill levels in your class. Remember: your students have come to the mat for various reasons, but chances are they want to feel calm and confident. Help them succeed.

2. Relax and be yourself. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Make sure to be your wonderful, authentic self so students can connect with you. A bit of humor goes a long way, too. Smile and have fun!

3. Work the core early. Students will have more energy for side planks and three-legged dogs in the first half of class. This is also a great way to get students warmed up for deeper poses.

4. Strengthen the down dog. With the energetic, rhythmic flow of vinyasa, smooth transitions are key for a well-rounded practice. Encourage students to move their hands towards the outer edges of the mat in downward facing dog for a solid foundation and easier transitions.

5. Balance the practice. For every strengthening asana, offer a milder pose to help students steady their breath and pace their energy.

6. Offer variations. Teach to the middle of your class and offer variations. Encourage child’s pose for a restorative boost as needed.

7. Get on and off the mat. Demos are fine, but also walk around to check students’ alignment. Some learn by watching, some learn with a gentle adjustment.

8. Laugh off mistakes. Mistaking left for right? Falling out of a pose? Just laugh it off with a quick apology and carry on.

9. Don’t talk too much. Let students work into a meditative flow by offering moments of powerful silence and introspection.

10. Respect Shavasana. The goal of the flow is to clear space for relaxation and meditation, so make sure students get the most out of practice with at least five minutes in the final resting pose.

Onward teachers - Go inspire your students with your best vinyasa flow yet!

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