How To Cue A Yoga Pose

When you’re just beginning to teach, trying to figure out what to cue in a yoga pose can be overwhelming! Sure, you obviously have to get people into the “shape” of the pose, but then what?

Here are three things to think about when you are cueing a yoga pose to keep you on skillfully on track.

1. Common misalignments and risk factors

Once you get your students into the “stick figure” version of the pose (I call it the “general form”), it’s time to think about the important intrinsic muscular actions that will help bring the pose to life.

The most obvious actions to cue are the ones that will keep the pose safe for your students. Before you teach, think about how the pose feels in your own body. Make a list of common misalignments and risk factors that you can address.

Consider:

• What are the common defaults that tend to happen?
• What will you cue to proactively protect against them?

For example, in warrior 2 (virabhadrasana 2), the front knee usually falls inwardly. In this case, you could cue students to “wrap the front sitting bone down to the floor” or “steer the knee toward the pinkie toe side of the foot” to keep students in proper alignment.

2. The purpose of the pose

Each pose has a unique purpose. You can think of this as the pose’s flavor. For example, warrior two (virabhadrasana 2) is all about the external rotation of the front thigh, high crescent lunge is about opening your hip flexors, and crow pose (bakasana) is about the connection of your inner thighs and lift of your core.

Consider each pose’s unique purpose and flavor within your sequence. What are the unique qualities of this pose that you wish to share? Why is the pose part of your sequence, and what does its shape offer your students that other poses do not?

3. Where You’re Going

Finally, consider your entire sequence. I sequence my classes according to a peak pose sequencing style, where we are mindfully building and opening towards a particular peak pose. If you are building towards a peak pose, consider:

• What are the essential elements of my peak pose?
• How can I teach the essential actions of the peak pose in this pose?

For example, if your peak pose is handstand (adho mukha vrksasana) and you are teaching chair (utkatasana), you may wish to focus squeezing the thighs together, which will be essential for effectively practicing the inversion. If you are teaching warrior 2 (virabhadrasana 2), then you may wish to focus on the stabilizing actions of the shoulder girdle (ie: drawing the ribs in as you anchor your shoulder blades onto your back). After all, core connection and scapular awareness will both be very important when you are having students weight bear on the hands and going upside down.

Final Thoughts

Finally, look around! One of the easiest ways to determine what to cue is to look at your students and speak directly to what is needed. Start at the foundation (what is touching the earth) and work your way up. You will almost always find something that you can immediately cue that will help them to thrive in their posture.