The impact of energetic cues

// an infinity flow to use as a warm-up

Nov 05, 2024

∙ Paid

Dear Humans,

I’m sending our newsletter out a day early. Because I simply don’t know what the world will feel like tomorrow morning. I guess we never really do.

If you’re in the US, I do hope you’ll vote today. And I hope you’ll take care of your fellow humans. There’s a lot out there designed to divide us. But we’re more connected than we really know. We have more in common than it may seem. Let’s not forget that.

With that in mind, here’s a lovely poem by James Pearson, and then I’ll jump into our yoga topic for today. (Though this topic is also deeply yoga.)

Okay, let’s talk infinity flows and energetic cues!

Our flow for today is an infinity flow. This means that the sequence moves from one side into the next side seamlessly, without a standard vinyasa in between.

We’ve talked about infinity flows before. These are some good past examples: here and here and here.

In my flow today, I’m sharing a small slice of a warm-up infinity flow I used in class, which features “gate reach” as a transition from the front to the back of the mat.

At the end of this email, as a bonus for my paid community, I share two additional parts to this infinity flow. They are all linked together, flowing continuously from side to side. This is such a fun way to move, and it allows the students to really mentally tune-in to the practice. It’s a great way to drop into flow.

Speaking of “dropping into flow,” I wanted to talk about an element of yoga teaching that can be powerful, even transformational for students.

It has to do with energetic cuing. An energetic cue is different from the physical cues we’re using all the time in our teaching (step the right foot forward, engage the left glute, etc.).

An energetic cue guides students towards a sensation or an intention within a pose or within a period of the practice. These cues are deeply powerful in shifting the feeling of a class.

A teacher can use energetic cues at the start and end of class to guide students into deep relaxation or a teacher can use high energy cues during the peak of a powerful practice to spark energy and strength.

I wanted to share some of my favorite energetic cues with you. I hope you’ll consider sharing your favorite cues in the comments! In this way, we can get a list together, where we can draw inspiration from.

My Go-To Energetic Cues

In an opening: “Notice, without judgement, how your body feels. How your mind feels. Maybe how your emotions or spirit feels. Recognize whatever you find, but don’t attach to it. Simply return to your breath. Remember that change is a part of life. Everything is always moving, shifting, and changing. Know that what you feel in this moment will shift, too. Just by being here. Just by being with your breath.”

In ragdoll: “With each exhale, imagine anything that doesn’t serve you rolling off the crown of your head.”

During sun salutations: “Find the flow. Find the rhythm. Find the dance of body and breath.”

During powerful postures (warrior II, etc.): “Gather up your inner-strength. Embody that warrior energy. Find your warrior gaze. Deepen your breath.”

During the cool-down: “As our practice starts to slow, the challenge becomes less about the movements, and more about the mind. Can you stay with the mind. Can you stay with your breath. Can you stay with your experience.”

During savasana: “Imagine there’s a wave of relaxation washing from the crown of your head, down your entire body. Relaxing the forehead, the eyelids, the jaw. Letting the shoulders and hips and heels feel heavy. Let the chest, and fingers, and toes feel light. Notice any resistance to the ground holding you up, and with each exhale, allow yourself to relax down towards the earth. Totally supported. Totally at peace.”

—

Friends, we’re mainly yoga teachers here. So I don’t think I have to “sell” you on just how effective a well-timed and well-delivered energetic cue can be.

I guess I put those two qualifiers there (well-timed, well-delivered) because it shouldn’t feel forced. It’s one thing to just say it, but it’s another thing entirely to ride the energy of the space with your students, and provide your energetic cues as they feel right.

This is an art in and of itself. Like all of yoga, it takes practice. We all come up with our own special phrases that are unique and authentic to us. And, we’re always learning from others.

What are some of your favorite energetic cues and phrases? I’d love to hear them! Let us know in the comments:

Izzy

Izzy Martens

author, yoga teacher, sequence enthusiast

www.yogahumans.com

What I Taught in Yoga This Week | November 5, 2024

the write-up

three legged dog
low crescent lunge
gate reach (kickstand back foot, sweep hand to back of mat)
unwind to three limb table (facing back)
three legged dog (other leg is now in front)
low crescent lunge
gate reach (kickstand back foot, sweep hand to front of mat)
unwind to three limb table (facing front)
three legged dog
***You could flow through this a few more times! You can also add-on, using the same basic structure, which is what I’ll share with you below.

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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.

Building onto the exact infinity flow I share above, I take you into two more sections.

Above, we ended back in three legged dog on the right-side. Then what? Let me show you!

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