From the archives: The ins and outs of repeating yoga sequences

& a super fun mandala infinity flow

Jan 08, 2025

Dear Humans,

Happy new year! I have been on vacation visiting my brother and his little family this past week, so I haven’t had the chance to record a new flow for you. However, as the letter below discusses, there is a lot of value in revisiting old material.

I do have a lot of new inspiration to share with you in the upcoming weeks, so I may send a letter out of rotation in the next few days. In the meantime, enjoy this post from the archives about whether to repeat your yoga sequences.

And, enjoy a few beautiful photos from the Pacific Northwest.

Sending you love, dear humans,

Izzy

This was a question posed to me last week by a reader: “In most of the hatha/vinyasa yoga classes I take, the teachers offer new yoga sequences each week. Is that the expectation, or can I repeat my sequence?”

I believe this question is top-of-mind for many teachers right now, and like most things in life, the answer isn’t a simple “yes” or “no.” Rather, there are a few things you can take into account as you consider whether or not to repeat your sequences.

Here’s my personal experience, which up until a few years ago matched that of the reader above: Generally, when I went to studio classes, I found that teachers offered new sequences each time. This was the norm I experienced and what I came to expect as a student. When I started teaching myself, I adopted that approach.

Then, a few years ago I moved to a new city, and a new studio, and I found that the majority of the teachers there taught the same sequence for many weeks, if not months in a row.

At first, I was a little jarred by this. I had come to expect novelty, and so the repeating sequences felt almost like a cop-out to me. There was some small part of my mind that felt like, “oh, they aren’t putting in the effort.” I know that’s harsh, but that’s what my mind was saying.

Then, overtime, I started to appreciate the repeating sequences more. I started to understand the benefit of practicing the same things over and over, and watching my progress.

Now, where I stand on the matter is somewhere in between. I believe there are many reasons to repeat a yoga sequence week after week. It must be stated, of course, that many lineages of yoga are set sequences – repeating the sequence is the practice.

However, I also think there are some good reasons and considerations for changing it up. Here are some pros and cons:

Benefits of repeating yoga sequences:

Students have time to learn and understand the movements
Strength will be built in certain areas
Students will know what to expect
Students can track their progress
Teacher has the benefit of less time spent sequencing
Teacher gets to practice teaching the same sequence multiple times

Downsides to repeating yoga sequences:

Unless the sequence was created with a lot of anatomical understanding in mind, it can lead to overuse or overstretching of specific body parts
If the student doesn’t enjoy the flow, they might not join you for the next classes
Limits diversity and explorations of multiple yoga postures

So you see, there are good reasons to do it, and some reasons to avoid it.

I think there’s a way to get the best of both worlds. Here are some things you might do to take a “middle path”:

Make a time bound commitment for how long you’ll use your sequence: Tell your students that you are going to work on this sequence for the next month, or maybe three weeks. Then, honor the time you stated by changing it up after that. This means your students know what to expect. If they like the sequence, they’ll come back to work on it. If not, they’ll know to come back in a few weeks.
Make a few “set sequences” and rotate them: If you want novelty, but don’t want to sequence every single week, then you could consider making a solid set of 3-5 sequences that you rotate. You could rotate them every class, or every few weeks. One sequence could be focused on hips, another on backbends, another on shoulders, etc. This way, you shift the focus between different areas in the body.
Cut down on sequencing time by writing down your sequences and use your old stuff as inspiration: I write down all my sequences, and I flip back through to get inspiration. You don’t have to completely reinvent the wheel, as they say, but take an old sequence and ask yourself: How could I change this to make this fresh? Even one little shift or tweak is going to be exciting for people.

Ultimately, you have to do what feels best for you, and what will allow you to show up fully. I personally love sequencing. (Hence this newsletter!) But there are also certain things about my style that stay consistent; there are certain things I always do in my classes. I believe this draws your students to you and makes them stay. You don’t want to reinvent yourself each class. They like what you have to offer, they’ve gotten to know your style, so lean in.

Overtime, I’ve gotten a lot faster at sequencing. A class, which used to take me 1-2 hours to put together, I can now whip up in 20 minutes. That’s because, after many years, my mind knows what postures fit together and how to open the body in a safe way. That’s all down to time and practice. And if you’re not there yet, trust me, you will be.

To help you on this journey, this week I shared with my paid subscribers my template for how I structure my classes. I hope that this glimpse into my approach makes sequencing even easier for you.

Wow, there was a lot to say there and even more left unsaid, I’m sure. Please keep the conversation going in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts and approach. (Remember, in this community, we comment with curiosity and compassion.)

OUR FLOW! You might simply be here for the flow of the week, and it’s a little loopy, but in the best way. It’s an infinity flow, which means you can keep flowing it from side to side for as long as you’d like! It’s also a mandala flow, meaning it circles the mat. It features “gate reach” or modified side plank in a really unique way. (It starts to get really interesting at the 12 second mark.) I hope you enjoy it!

Sending love,

Izzy

Izzy Martens

author, yoga teacher, sequence enthusiast

www.yogahumans.com

Want to join the conversation? Leave a comment and tell me what this topic brings up for you. Chat with others! Or let me know your questions. I’d love to hear from you.

the sequence:

three legged dog
low lunge
warrior II
reverse triangle
extended side angle
reverse warrior
triangle
half-moon
step down to knee
gate reach
step forward to low crescent lunge
low crescent lunge with backbend
half-splits
gate reach (other side)
three limb table
three legged dog
*other leg is now lifted and you can go right into the flow on the other side!

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.
I teach three yoga classes a week and I started this publication to simply share what I was teaching, in the hopes that other yoga teachers would find it helpful. My real flows designed for real yoga teachers.
My style and study background are mostly vinyasa, power, ashtanga, rocket, and hatha. Though I have a touch of training in yin, dharma, iyengar, and yoga nidra as well.
My husband and I started yogahumans.com because we were new-ish teachers and we found we had so many questions about the actual act of teaching yoga after our 200hr training. We started Yoga Humans to provide some of the answers we were finding and create a sense of community around teaching yoga.
Many years later and my husband, Kyle, is now tattooing and just opened his own tattoo studio in Fort Collins, Co (foundtattoo.com) – a space for intentional and beautiful tattoos. I’m primarily posting on this newsletter now and on social media (@yoga.humans on IG).
Ethos. I believe that yoga is a beautiful practice and the more people who have the opportunity to practice it, the better. I believe in deeply honoring the traditions and history of yoga. I also acknowledge that much of the modern yoga we teach now has evolved away from the original teachings. I, like much of the modern yoga world, am working to find the best way to continue to practice, breathe, move, play and evolve, while also honoring the deep roots of the yogic practice. It’s not always a perfect attempt. I am by no means an expert. Just a human, trying to figure it out as I go. One of my main goals for this publication is to come at it from a place of love and compassion. This is a place where we can discuss our ideas and ask questions without fear of retribution or judgement. I notice a lot of critique and anger online in the yoga world. Honestly, it’s disheartening and I know prevents people from sharing. You’re always welcome to send messages and leave comments, but please do so from a place of curiosity. First and foremost, let’s extend love and empathy towards one another. Let us remember that we’re all humans, walking this path together. A key principle of yoga in ahimsa - non-harm - let’s seek to find that online as well as in our real lives.
Who are you, dear human? Leave a comment and get into the discussion! My door is always open. I’m so glad you’re here.