One of the most exciting parts of any YTT is when you realize you have the knowledge and freedom to create your very own sequence! The moment that it all comes together at the end of your training and you understand how to put together and deliver an amazing yoga class. Best of all, you have the confidence in yourself to do it. Sequencing is an art and vinyasa yoga offers a unique opportunity to develop your creativity and sequencing skills, as opposed to other styles of yoga such as Bikram or Ashtanga that follow a set sequence. The mindful arrangement of yoga poses and sequencing can create a rejuvenating or mindful experience for practitioners; it all comes down to which poses you choose and how you put them together. In the lush landscape of Ubud Bali, where ancient wisdom meets breathtaking beauty, a yoga teacher training program offers a unique opportunity to delve into the art of sequencing, unlocking the power of creating effective yoga classes in a safe and judgment-free zone.
The Foundation of Sequencing:
At the heart of creating a captivating yoga class lies a strong foundation in sequencing. Inner Yoga Training in Bali provides a fun learning environment where aspiring teachers explore the key elements of sequencing, such as the importance of meditation, warming up the body, integrating different pose categories, and gradually building intensity as the flow goes on. Understanding the fundamental principles sets the stage for a safe and well-rounded practice. Most vinyasa classes will use Surya Namaskar as the foundation and then incorporate standing poses, forward folds, back bends, inversions, arm balances, twists, and most importantly savasana. How you order these and put them together will have a different impact on your students. Backbends, inversions, and standing poses are generally more energizing while forward folds are relaxing and twists balancing. As a yoga teacher, you need to decide if you want to create an uplifting energizing class or a more relaxing class and sequence accordingly.
Finding the Flow:
Sequencing is an art form and vinyasa yoga offers the opportunity to create a harmonious yoga flow as breath is linked with movement. A vinyasa training offers insights into creating smooth transitions between asanas and pose categories for example how to get from standing to floor postures seamlessly and vice versa using the breath. Incorporating breath awareness (pranayama), and crafting a mindful progression that keeps students engaged and connected to the present moment is the foundation of a good flow. The best yoga teacher training will teach you how to group asanas that transition well together, to create an overall smooth flow. You can then bring in other elements such as music to enhance the flow that helps motivate students to maintain their movement.
Balancing Effort and Rest:
In creating effective yoga classes, finding the delicate balance between effort and rest is key. One way to do this is to learn how to use an “energy curve” when planning your class. You can sequence knowing when to challenge students and when to provide moments of calm down with
slower flow and less challenging asanas. By skillfully interweaving strength-building sequences with restorative poses, a yoga teacher can create a well-rounded experience that honors both the body and the mind; creating a balance between movement and rest. You can use a peak pose where you slowly build up to the most challenging posture in the sequence and have a slower momentum at the start and end. Or you could challenge students straight away and then have a gradual reduction or vice-versa. You could even combine yin yoga at the beginning or end of a class for a different experience again. Keeping in mind the time of day you are teaching, the environment, or the level of students will often help determine how you use the energy curve.
Catering to All Levels
Yoga classes often bring together practitioners of different levels of experience. A YTT in Bali equips aspiring teachers with the tools to cater to diverse groups and body types, ensuring that each student feels supported and empowered. Learning how to offer modifications, variations, and prop usage during your sequencing allows teachers to accommodate different levels of flexibility, strength, and skeletal structure, fostering an inclusive and accessible practice for everyone. Understanding how and when to adjust students can also enhance their practice if offered in a sensitive and informed way. Learning how to cue poses and move people from one pose to the next is also an art form and has its own language which if not done well can take away from a beautiful sequence. You can also use your cues to offer more advanced poses to accommodate regular students while keeping the flow going for newer students. All of this depends on the skill of the teacher and comes with a good foundation from quality yoga teacher training and lots of practice and teaching!
Through the exploration of sequencing in a YTT program, aspiring yoga teachers in Bali learn to weave together the threads of movement, breath, and intention to create impactful classes. Students leave their training equipped with the skills to create transformative experiences that honor the beauty of yoga and the uniqueness of each student.