Yoga Sequencing Tips For New Yoga Teachers

Embarking on a journey as a new yoga teacher can be both exciting and daunting.
One of the essential skills you'll need to develop is the art of crafting effective yoga sequences. A well-designed sequence can enhance the overall yoga experience for your students, ensuring they receive the physical, mental, and emotional benefits that yoga offers. Here we like to share with you some of our top tips to support you to create thoughtful and impactful yoga sequences that your students will remember.

Establish A Theme Or Focus
Each yoga sequence should have a clear theme or focus. This could be a peak pose that you built up to, an anatomical focus on a specific area of the body (such as hips, shoulders), a particular aspect of yoga postures (such as balance, flexibility, or strength), a philosophical concept (such as a yama or niyama) or an energetic theme (such as the chakras or prana vayus).

Having a theme will help create a cohesive flow and keep your students engaged throughout the practice. Start with something that you know and like and develop your sequence from there.

Choose Your Poses
When you select your poses for your sequence ask yourself why you are choosing them.
Are they directly related to something you want your students to learn that day? Are they preparing for poses later in the sequence? Or are they balancing out previous ones? Choosing your asanas and putting them in a coherent order is the red thread that weaves through your class. With the poses and pranayama techniques that you chose you bring your theme to life so it can be experienced by your students.

Start With Centering And Warm-Up
Begin your sequence with centering techniques like deep breathing or meditation to help students transition from their busy lives into the present moment. Follow this with a gentle warm-up that targets major muscle groups and prepares the body for more intense postures.

Build Progressively
Sequencing is all about building from one pose to the next. Start with foundational poses and gradually progress to more challenging ones. This progression helps prevent injuries and allows students to gradually ease into more complex postures.

Balance And Counterbalance
Create a balance between strength-building poses and flexibility-enhancing poses. For every action, offer a counter-action to maintain equilibrium in the body. This not only prevents overworking certain muscle groups but also promotes overall physical harmony.

Consider Breath And Alignment
Integrate breath awareness into your sequences. Coordinate movements with inhales and exhales to deepen the mind-body connection. Additionally, emphasize proper alignment in each pose to ensure safety and maximize the benefits of the postures.

Incorporate Variations And Modifications
Not all students will have the same level of flexibility or strength. Offer variations and modifications for each pose to make your sequence accessible to everyone. This inclusivity creates a supportive and welcoming environment for practitioners of all levels. Be prepared to change and adapt your sequence according to the needs of your students. You create the sequence for your students and not for yourself.

Allow Time For Rest And Savasana
Don't underestimate the importance of rest. Integrate moments of rest or gentle stretches between more intense poses. And, of course, always conclude your sequence with a relaxing savasana, allowing students to absorb the benefits of their practice.

Practice Your Sequence
Finally and maybe most importantly: Always practice your sequence yourself first to feel it in your own body if it makes sense physically and energetically. Be mindful of your transitions and to not teach too many poses on one side. It you have practiced your sequence, take a moment to sit down and then visualize it, 
run through it a couple of times in your head before you teach it. This will make it easier to remember and to teach with confidence and clarity.

Yoga sequencing is a creative and dynamic process that requires a deep understanding of both the practice and your students. As a new yoga teacher, invest time in planning your sequences thoughtfully, focusing on alignment, progression, balance, and the unique needs of your students. With practice and dedication, you'll develop the skills to create sequences that not only enhance physical well-being but also inspire and uplift the spirit.

Remember, the journey of learning is ongoing, and each class is an opportunity to refine your artistry and share the transformative benefits of yoga with your students.

If you are in Berlin this fall come join our Skifull Sequencing 15-Hour Training for Yoga teachers (Yoga Alliance certified): more info