When I started teaching yoga, it seemed like there was so much to consider. The cues, the sequence, the anatomy, the alignment (actually, back then I hardly focused on anatomy) and the pace of the class. To me, I looked at the pace as general arc: meaning: slow, faster, slower, rest. It reminded me of a piece of classical music; it built up to a crescendo and then worked its way back down.
There was also a time in my teaching when I thought everything had to be done quickly. It was around the time that “power heated yoga” was the rage and people were really enthusiastic about a workout that focused both on cardiovascular fitness and stretching. That was when my understanding of anatomy was fairly fundamental and I hadn’t thought beyond what I was being told to research the effects of all that stretching in the heat. I also was caught up in the idea that pacing was the key to sweating (along with turning the heat up all the way) so I stayed with this concept for a while.
Over the years as my experience has broadened and my understanding of anatomy and its application have grown, my presentation of the practice has shifted. As it relates to pacing, I’ve slowed things down a bit, quite a bit actually, but I do honor and respect the need for pacing of various levels in class. Let’s take a moment to break down the sections of a typical yoga class and look at the pacing involved:
Initial opening sequence: This might involve starting people in Child’s Pose or on the back. From there, you might progress to some movements on the back or, if you started in Downward Dog, might lift a leg and then go through Rag Doll to standing. In any event, it makes sense and is generally understood that this starting portion of the sequence is on the slower end. Why? Well, it takes a few minutes for people to shift their focus from the “external” to the “internal.” They might have rushed to get to class, might have come from work or might have recently woken up. They need about 10 minutes to slowly begin to waken their nervous system, tap into their sense of proprioception and coordination and begin to warm up the body. Imagine if you went to class and right away, the teacher asked you to do 100 sit ups (yes, it’s happened to me). In order to prevent injury, in order to avoid shocking the system and to encourage people to shift their awareness, it’s helpful to keep the pace here slow and steady.
Initial cardiovascular focused sequence: There’s no denying that regardless of the style of class you’re teaching (with the exception of specialty classes like pre-natal or restorative) there should be an initial section of the class that gives people a chance to warm up the body. Contrary to popular sequencing habits and tradition, that does not need to be Sun Salutations but this is typically what it is. There’s nothing wrong with this but I only add here that if you have the leeway in the studios in which you teach to change up the sequence, think about some alternate poses to offer in the beginning. These might include:
- Crescent Lunge instead of Warrior 1: This pose can be much more easily accessed given the heel is lifted off the ground. The hip flexors, if tight, are allowed more freedom with the back heel up.
- Knee down Warrior 1 versus traditional Warrior 1: To allow people time to find balance, get grounded and lengthen the hip flexors with more foundational support, offer knee down Warrior 1 at the beginning of Sun Salutations.
- Start with Warrior 2 instead of Warrior 1: Warrior 2, with its opening to the side, can tend to give people a bit more freedom in the hip flexors than Warrior 1 with it’s centered position to the front of the mat. If you start with Warrior 2, you can work from there to a Reverse Warrior and then through high to low push up as you would in a traditional Sun B.
The pace of this part of the sequence should be steady. It does not mean that it’s fast; so fast that people are not able to get their footing. I suggest the first 2 rounds should be quite a bit slower so you have a chance to explain the anatomy involved. For details on the anatomy involved in Sun Salutations, watch this video here.
Once you’ve done the first two rounds slower, do 2 or 3 rounds with more pace. This usually involves you backing off the cues and giving only what is essential to know and helpful to keep everyone in synch. But it does increase the pace to the point where their heart rate increases. They should not be red in the face, panting or sweating profusely.
Individual sequence sections on twists, triangles, backbends: For these sections, I slow the pace down but keep the students moving. This means that holds in the poses might be 3 to 5 counts but the next pose comes right up without delay. This allows me the time to share the key anatomical actions and gives the students time to take action and then stay with the pose. Because the next pose comes up fairly soon, without a long period of time in between, it has the feel of a steady pace but slower than the Sun Salutation section.
Even as you move students through backbends, it can be helpful to stay with a pace at bit on the slower side so people have time to explore the pose and try different things. Also, when it comes to backbends, consider more of Bridge and its variations versus 5 or 6 Wheel poses, given the nature of Wheel. While it’s a great backbend it can be a lot for people given that there just aren’t many things they do during the day or in other forms of exercise where they are in full spinal extension as you find in Wheel.
For more on anatomical actions in poses, including backbends, take my LEARN YOGA CHALLENGE, a free video training that includes 8 videos, an instruction sheet and discounts on some of my most popular books. Get started here.
The pacing you pick for your classes is totally up to you (within reason and within the guidelines of the places you teach). It’s a powerful tool for class, along with the cues, the sequence, the anatomy you explain, the heat, the music… it’s part of your toolbox as a teacher. Assess how your pace is effecting your students by looking at them during class for signs of confusion, overheating, lack of coordination and other things that might suggest your pace is too much. Have a clear sense of how you’ll approach the class before you begin but stay open to what is happening in the moment and be willing to adjust your plan as needed.
For an easy to use template to help you build sequences, click the box below:
If you’re reading this and you’re a teacher, leave a comment below about pacing. Share your thoughts on what you consider and how you use this teacher’s tool.
Thanks for reading!Â