Dear Humans,
Fall is a softer season than Summer.
All slanted light and warm cups of tea. Orange tones and a hint of magic. It’s during this time that the yoga practice tends to shift. Teachers talk of transitions. Reminding students that the seasons indicate a time to go inwards. As the air gets colder we take more time to arrive, more time to warm-up, more time to explore not only the physical, but the mental, perhaps the spiritual.
I don’t think any of you would teach if you didn’t believe that yoga was a gift. Something to offer the world, something to offer another. And you, like me, know that the gift of yoga isn’t just a physical one. It’s not about “getting a workout.” There are plenty of other modalities to teach if that’s the prime goal (though, I would argue that perhaps any physical activity transcends just the physical).
Teaching yoga is about cuing others through movement, yes, but it’s so much more than that. It’s about helping another person arrive. Arrive into the space. Arrive into the moment. Arrive into the body, mind, and breath.
As teachers, we use our words to help invoke that shift. I often marvel at how I can feel the energy change in the room when I am cuing the “opening” and “closing” moments of class. Those moments when there is no movement, just stillness, just softening.
I think these moments need lots of silence. But I also think many students benefit from being guided into their relaxation.
So, here is how I like to cue my students as they enter savasana. Because savasana, too, is a pose that takes some adjustment. These are cues and reminders that can help a student arrive into the posture and soften:
Starting from the crown of your head, imagine there is a wave of energy sweeping over your body. The forehead softens. The eyebrow bones soften. The eyelids soften. The shoulders are heavy. The hips and the calves are heavy. The heels are heavy. The toes and fingers are light. The belly feels as if it’s melting down towards the ground. And for a few breaths, you simply notice if there’s any part of your body that is still “holding” and with each exhale you soften. With each exhale, you let your body sink deeper and deeper towards the earth. Totally supported. Totally at peace. Totally at rest.
As we talked about the other week when discussing yin, there’s always a yin and a yang of energy in a life; a hot flame and a warm ember. Even in the most dynamic of vinyasa classes, you can remind your students to soften. What’s all that fire worth if we can never temper the flame?
How do you like to cue your students into relaxation? I’m sure many of us would benefit and welcome new ideas and cues! Feel free to leave some thoughts in the comments.
This week I’m sharing two flows, both of which feature “gate reach” or modified side plank as a funky transition. The first flow is meant to be a warm-up (after Sun As and Sun Bs), and the second flow is the “Main Flow,” meant to prepare your body for deeper backbends, like mermaid and wheel at the end of class.
Want to hear how I cue some of this?? I filmed a class! That’s right! Yesterday, for my paid subscribers, I sent out a 30 minute class, which features these two flows. It’s a class that you can actually take. I hope you do, and I hope you let me know what you think. This is a great way to really experience the flows in your body before you teach them.
I’m heading up to the mountains this weekend, dear humans, to try to carve out some space for yellow leaves, good friends, and soft memories. I hope you treat yourself to something special, too, as we make our shift of seasons.
Warmly and with gratitude,
Izzy
Izzy Martens
author, yoga teacher, sequence enthusiast
www.yogahumans.com
What I Taught in Yoga This Week | September 18, 2024
Warm-Up Flow
the write-up:
three legged dog
low lunge (explore a little here, rock it forward and back, feel the legs)
low crescent lunge
half splits
crawl forward to a low lunge
kickstand the back toes and reach to the back of the mat
gate reach
mini bound half moon
three limb table (facing back)
three legged dog (other leg is now in the air)
low lunge (start the flow on the new leg! explore this side.)
low crescent lunge
half splits
crawl forward to a low lunge
kickstand the back toes and reach to the front of the mat
gate reach
mini bound half moon
three limb table (facing front)
three legged dog (other leg is now in the air)
step forward
high crescent lunge with backbend
crescent plane
repeat a few times
from crescent plane step to extended moutain
forward fold
half lift
step one foot back (likely the right, so the left is now leading)
high crescent lunge
crescent plane
repeat a few times
from crescent plane step to extended moutain
forward fold
half lift
step other one foot back (likely the left) into high plank
vinyasa!
Main Flow
the write-up:
three legged dog
knee to nose
tiger backbend variation
step forward to high crescent lunge with backbend
revolved crescent lunge
star
warrior II (face back)
reverse warrior
half moon
bound half moon
bend front knee and drop back knee to the earth
gate reach (reaching forward)
close knees, come to kneeling
camel pose
unwind into gate reach
three limb table (face forward)
three legged dog
active pigeon
cobra rolls
half lord of the fishes
unwind to high boat
high to low boat
rock back towards plow
rock forward into a vinyasa
If you’re new here – hello!
Let me introduce myself! My name is Izzy Martens and I’m just a human who teaches yoga, writes, hangs out with her two cats, hikes around Colorado, and enjoys creating yoga sequences.
Read more about the history of this newsletter, Yoga Humans, and my ethos below.