How to Exponentially Improve Your Yoga Cues
No matter what style of yoga you teach, the language you apply affects your students’ experience. Here’s how to make your words even more supportive.
1. Don’t Share All the Cues
Just because you’ve memorized a multitude of cues for a pose doesn’t mean you necessitate to share them all each time you teach. A less-is-more approach to instructing students provides them with time to understand and act on your instructions before you overwhelm them with more information.
Focus first on the foundational elements of a pose – foot position for standing poses, hand and shoulder placement for arm balances – and then share no more than two or three additional cues that incrementally build upon that foundation.
This approach also allows you to adjust your subsequent cues based on your observations of students. It could be a gentle reminder to breathe when you see students straining, or using alternative language for a cue that isn’t resonating.
2. Make Every Word Count
When guiding students through a vinyasa flow, efficiency is key. To cue effectively, use a simple structure: first cue the breath, then the body part, then the direction of movement. For example, “inhale, arms up” or “exhale, left foot between hands.”
Omitting extraneous instructions, especially on repeated flows, helps students focus and maintain the rhythm. It also creates space for you to reconnect with your own breath, allowing you to sound and feel more grounded.
3. Create Silence
It can be challenging for teachers to remain quiet between cues, especially if accustomed to providing continuous commentary. However, confidently holding silence is a powerful teaching tool.
Anatomy and alignment tips, prop options, pose benefits, and philosophical references – it’s impossible to share everything in every class. Instead, offer one or two insights relevant to your class’s focus, and then provide space for students to integrate those instructions and make the practice their own. Sometimes, what you *don’t* say is as crucial as what you do.
4. Notice Your Filler Words
Be mindful of filler words like “really,” “go ahead and,” “next,” “um,” “actually,” and “so.” These words often creep into casual conversation to fill pauses, but they can dilute your message and waste your students’ attention.
Periodically filming or recording your classes can help you identify and eliminate these verbal habits.
5. Choose Active or Passive Words
Adjust your language to match the energy of your class. Use passive language during slower, more restorative phases, and active language during more dynamic sequences.
Passive language, using words like “allow,” “drop,” and “release,” encourages ease and minimal muscular effort. Sensory-based cues, such as “feel your breath ebb and flow” or “sense your shoulders melting down your back,” draw students inward. Invitational language, like “Explore if you can find length along the back of your right leg,” feels more inclusive than directive statements.
Active language, using words like “push,” “squeeze,” “reach,” “press,” “drive,” and “lift,” encourages effort and engagement. Shorter, punchier imperatives, like “reach,” are also effective.
6. Expand Your Repertoire
Relying on the same cues repeatedly can lead to students tuning them out. To maintain their attention, occasionally vary your language. This could include more imaginative cues, particularly in classes focused on motivation and discipline.
However, clarity and conciseness remain essential. The goal isn’t to create elaborate scripts, but to deliver instructions in a fresh way that encourages students to pay attention.
If you’re repeating cues learned in teacher training, it’s time to explore your own unique voice and style.