Teaching Foundations

Great sequencing is only part of great teaching. The way you prepare the room, welcome students, choose words, and make moment-to-moment decisions determines whether the sequence lands with clarity or confusion. Teaching foundations are the habits and frameworks that keep you steady no matter which style you guide.

The Teacher's Role

Mark Stephens summarizes the role of a yoga teacher as "plan intelligently, guide clearly, and respond compassionately." Each pillar supports the other:

1. Plan – enter every class with a clear intention and roadmap.
2. Guide – translate the plan into accessible language, demonstrations, and assists.
3. Respond – observe what is actually happening in the room and adapt in real time.

Establishing Intention

Before you write a single pose, ask yourself:

• What physical or energetic quality should students leave with?
• Who is in front of me today (levels, injuries, energy)?
• What constraints exist—time, space, props, or studio guidelines?

A one-sentence intention keeps every teaching choice aligned. Example: "Ground scattered professionals during lunch hour with slow standing sequences and extended exhalations."

Class Container

Physical Space

• Room layout: Align mats so every student can see you and any mirrors. Stagger rows if space is tight.
• Props: Stage blocks, straps, bolsters, and blankets neatly by the entrance or each mat. When props are visible, students are more likely to use them without prompting.
• Lighting & sound: Adjust overhead lights before class begins and test your playlist or microphone. Avoid fiddling with technology during practice.

Opening Ritual

A consistent arrival routine calms nerves:

1. Welcome each student individually.
2. Give a high-level overview of the class intention and any prop suggestions.
3. Invite students to share injuries or special requests (quietly or via notecard for larger classes).

Communication Skills

Verbal Cues

Effective cues follow the pattern action → body part → direction → reason:

"Press firmly through the inner heel to keep the knee tracking over the second toe."

Keep cues short and rhythmic. Alternate between direct cues ("lift the sternum") and descriptive cues ("imagine the collarbones widening like curtains"). Silence is also a cue—give students space to feel.

Demonstrations

Demonstrate when:

• Introducing a brand-new pose or transition.
• Offering a complex prop setup.
• Clarifying a visual concept (e.g., spiral of the thigh bone).

Step out of the demo as soon as students understand so you can observe again. If demonstrating during a balance pose, keep one hand on the wall to stay grounded while watching the class.

Hands-On Assists

• Ask for consent every time, whether verbally or using consent cards.
• Assist from a stable stance with a neutral spine.
• Aim for directional assists (guiding a line of energy) more than deepening assists.
• Mirror your cue: "I'm going to lengthen your sacrum toward your heels; keep reaching the crown forward."

Observation and Adaptation

Triangulate Attention

Divide your attention between:

1. Room scan: Are lines clean? Are students spaced safely?
2. Individuals: Who needs props, breath reminders, or encouragement?
3. Self: Are you rushing, under-cueing, or forgetting the breath?

Managing Mixed Levels

Layer options instead of splitting the class:

• Start with a baseline pose (e.g., Crescent Lunge).
• Offer progression (e.g., add a twist, hover the back knee).
• Offer regression (e.g., lower the back knee, use blocks).

Encourage students to choose the version that supports their breath quality. Celebrate wise choices out loud.

Responding to Energy

If the class energy is flat, shorten holds and inject rhythmic transitions. If it's frantic, lengthen exhales, slow the vinyasa tempo, and add pause cues such as "take two quiet breaths with hands on heart."

Sequencing Checkpoints

Teaching foundations align with the five-stage structure from Class Structure:

1. Opening: Establish physical comfort and mental focus. Use accessible shapes (constructive rest, seated breath work) and simple cueing.
2. Warmup: Mobilize major joints and awaken breath-to-movement pairing.
3. Build: Introduce progressively challenging poses with clear reasons. Offer prep drills before peak actions.
4. Peak: Highlight the core learning objective. This could be a posture, pranayama technique, or teaching theme.
5. Integration: Down-regulate gradually. Include counterposes, supported shapes, and at least five minutes of savasana.

Use this checklist when teaching live:

• Have I offered at least one cue for breath, one for alignment, and one for awareness in every major section?
• Are both sides balanced within two poses of each other?
• Have I named the intention at least twice (beginning and before integration)?

Reflection and Development

Post-Class Debrief

Immediately after class, jot down:

• What resonated? (student smiles, steady breath, clear questions)
• What felt sticky? (crowded transitions, confusing cues)
• What to adjust next time? (different prop setup, new analogy)

Capture these notes in your Sutrix library or personal log so future planning becomes faster.

Continuing Education

• Peer Observations: Attend colleagues' classes and note how they manage space, voice, and pacing.
• Video or audio recordings: Review your own teaching for filler words, pacing, and tone.
• Micro-practice: Spend 5 minutes daily cueing a single pose aloud. Focus on precision and empathy.

Key Takeaways

• A clear intention simplifies every teaching decision.
• Room setup, welcome rituals, and prop readiness create the emotional tone before the first cue.
• Concise, well-structured cues plus timely demonstrations support diverse learning styles.
• Observation and adaptation keep the class responsive rather than rigid.
• Reflection after class accelerates growth and keeps your teaching aligned with sutras' call for abhyasa (consistent practice) and vairagya (discernment).

Teaching foundations are living skills. Revisit them often, refine them with each class, and let them anchor the creativity of your sequencing work.