next level Yoga
• Three rules to adjusting a student include:
o Ground (to stabilize)
o Lengthen (release constriction)
o Deepen (to reap all benefits of the pose)
• While adjusting, be mindful of:
o Alignment of the pose – Adjust from the ground up; if the alignment of the pose is incorrect, deepening may lead to injury, pain, and poor technique.
o Injuries – Ask your students before the class if there are issues that you need to be aware of. If so, avoid adjustments in that certain area.
o Pressure of the assist - Too light can be ticklish and too hard can be painful.
o Connecting with the student’s breath – Lengthen on an inhale, deepen on an exhale.
o Student’s comfort level
While adjusting throughout the class, be mindful of doing both sides of the pose. For example, if you adjust someone in a left lunge, don’t forget to also do the right side to even them out! Finally, here are examples of adjusting a student in poses.
Forward Fold – Uttanasana
• How’s the alignment of the pose? Check to see:
o Feet are hip width distance apart
o Knees are bent enough to avoid the rounding of the spine
o Neck and head are completely released
• Adjustments
o Come behind the student and check their hip levels: are they even? If one hip is dropping below the other, gently adjust until both hips are leveled.
o Use one hand to ground at the lower back as the other travels down the spine to the neck to lengthen and deepen
o If you are instructing to slowly roll out of uttanasana to tadasana, stay with the student and walk the hands up the spine as they roll up vertabra by verabra.
Adjusting in a Twist – Wide Legged Forward Fold with Twist
• How the alignment of the pose? Check to see:
o Slight bend in the knees
o Spine is not rounded
o Stabilizing hand is planted on the ground, in front of the face. The arm in which the direction of the twist, is up towards the ceiling, level with the shoulder without overstretching past the joint.
• Adjustments
o Come behind the student and check their hip levels: are they even? If one hip is dropping below the other, gently adjust until both hips are leveled. Cues will also work: “pull the right hip up and lower the left hip”
o Grounding – Place the hand on the lower back to stabilize the hips.
o Lengthen – Use both hands to gently stroke the ribs outwards to promote expansion of breath during the twist.
o Deepen – Gently deepen your student’s twist on an exhalation.
Adjustments are done through physical touch and lots of practice! It is very difficult to put into words on how to correctly adjust when you need to practice on an actual body. Ask for feedback after adjustments on how to improve your assists.
Strength and Vinyasa Flow
Warm up
Child’s pose (set intention and ground)
Table top – cat/cow, circles, wrist circles
Hero’s pose
• Inhale arms up, interlace fingers and flip the palms towards sky
• Exhale - round the back and bring hands in front
• Inhale – interlace hands at lower back
• Exhale – open and the chest and push hands towards the ground
• Repeat 3x
Tabletop → DD → FF (fit in body, fit in mind) → Tadasana (commitment to stay curious) → stretch left and right
Inhale arms up → FF → half lift → FF → plank → DD → plank → DD
Plank → lower to chatauranga on count of 3 → backbend variation → DD
Meat and Potatoes
- R low lunge (opt. knee down or up)
Twist
IT band stretch
Side plank
Plank → FF → tadasana → Chair → FF → half lift
Plank → lower to chatauranga on count of 3 → backbend variation → DD
- L low lunge (opt. knee down or up)
Twist
IT band stretch
Side plank
Plank → FF → tadasana → Chair → FF → DD
- R crescent warrior → hi/low → warrior 3
• Option to release L leg next to R or…
• bring L leg to extend out in front (stabilize for 2-3 breaths)
Slowly bring L leg back to crescent warrior
Bring hands to frame front foot → step back to DD
Child’s pose – reset and reconnect
- L crescent warrior → hi/low → warrior 3
• option to release R leg next to L or…
• bring R leg to extend out in front (stabilize for 2-3 breaths)
Slowly bring R leg back to crescent warrior
Bring hands to frame foot → step back to DD
- Wide legged FF – twist/flow
- Squat
- Boat pose – partner work, connect feet and reach for each other’s hands
Cool down
- Seated FF – partner work, gently pull partner towards toes
- Restorative bridge
- Supine twist
- Savasana
*flow is subject to change if participants are having difficulties keeping up with the practice, may do away with certain poses to allow more time for rest*
o Ground (to stabilize)
o Lengthen (release constriction)
o Deepen (to reap all benefits of the pose)
• While adjusting, be mindful of:
o Alignment of the pose – Adjust from the ground up; if the alignment of the pose is incorrect, deepening may lead to injury, pain, and poor technique.
o Injuries – Ask your students before the class if there are issues that you need to be aware of. If so, avoid adjustments in that certain area.
o Pressure of the assist - Too light can be ticklish and too hard can be painful.
o Connecting with the student’s breath – Lengthen on an inhale, deepen on an exhale.
o Student’s comfort level
While adjusting throughout the class, be mindful of doing both sides of the pose. For example, if you adjust someone in a left lunge, don’t forget to also do the right side to even them out! Finally, here are examples of adjusting a student in poses.
Forward Fold – Uttanasana
• How’s the alignment of the pose? Check to see:
o Feet are hip width distance apart
o Knees are bent enough to avoid the rounding of the spine
o Neck and head are completely released
• Adjustments
o Come behind the student and check their hip levels: are they even? If one hip is dropping below the other, gently adjust until both hips are leveled.
o Use one hand to ground at the lower back as the other travels down the spine to the neck to lengthen and deepen
o If you are instructing to slowly roll out of uttanasana to tadasana, stay with the student and walk the hands up the spine as they roll up vertabra by verabra.
Adjusting in a Twist – Wide Legged Forward Fold with Twist
• How the alignment of the pose? Check to see:
o Slight bend in the knees
o Spine is not rounded
o Stabilizing hand is planted on the ground, in front of the face. The arm in which the direction of the twist, is up towards the ceiling, level with the shoulder without overstretching past the joint.
• Adjustments
o Come behind the student and check their hip levels: are they even? If one hip is dropping below the other, gently adjust until both hips are leveled. Cues will also work: “pull the right hip up and lower the left hip”
o Grounding – Place the hand on the lower back to stabilize the hips.
o Lengthen – Use both hands to gently stroke the ribs outwards to promote expansion of breath during the twist.
o Deepen – Gently deepen your student’s twist on an exhalation.
Adjustments are done through physical touch and lots of practice! It is very difficult to put into words on how to correctly adjust when you need to practice on an actual body. Ask for feedback after adjustments on how to improve your assists.
Strength and Vinyasa Flow
Warm up
Child’s pose (set intention and ground)
Table top – cat/cow, circles, wrist circles
Hero’s pose
• Inhale arms up, interlace fingers and flip the palms towards sky
• Exhale - round the back and bring hands in front
• Inhale – interlace hands at lower back
• Exhale – open and the chest and push hands towards the ground
• Repeat 3x
Tabletop → DD → FF (fit in body, fit in mind) → Tadasana (commitment to stay curious) → stretch left and right
Inhale arms up → FF → half lift → FF → plank → DD → plank → DD
Plank → lower to chatauranga on count of 3 → backbend variation → DD
Meat and Potatoes
- R low lunge (opt. knee down or up)
Twist
IT band stretch
Side plank
Plank → FF → tadasana → Chair → FF → half lift
Plank → lower to chatauranga on count of 3 → backbend variation → DD
- L low lunge (opt. knee down or up)
Twist
IT band stretch
Side plank
Plank → FF → tadasana → Chair → FF → DD
- R crescent warrior → hi/low → warrior 3
• Option to release L leg next to R or…
• bring L leg to extend out in front (stabilize for 2-3 breaths)
Slowly bring L leg back to crescent warrior
Bring hands to frame front foot → step back to DD
Child’s pose – reset and reconnect
- L crescent warrior → hi/low → warrior 3
• option to release R leg next to L or…
• bring R leg to extend out in front (stabilize for 2-3 breaths)
Slowly bring R leg back to crescent warrior
Bring hands to frame foot → step back to DD
- Wide legged FF – twist/flow
- Squat
- Boat pose – partner work, connect feet and reach for each other’s hands
Cool down
- Seated FF – partner work, gently pull partner towards toes
- Restorative bridge
- Supine twist
- Savasana
*flow is subject to change if participants are having difficulties keeping up with the practice, may do away with certain poses to allow more time for rest*