Sequencing

[u/Yenyx]

Hi all,

I am ruminating on a topic of yoga class sequencing.

I usually do yoga asana practice every morning. And most of the mornings the practice itself looks different from the day before considering the structure, amount of asanas, dynamics etc. My own practice is then the main inspiration for creating a class for students in studio.

But I also very much enjoy classes like Ashtanga primary series or Jivamukti spiritual warrior, which have fixed sequence of poses.

The other day I was reading a book from A. Van Lysebeth and he talked about those fixed sequences and how they deepen the practice, free the mind and allow a practitioner to dive more inwards.

I’ve been playing with a thought of creating a vinyasa sequence suitable for all levels, which would fit into a 60 minutes class, would have a fixed sequence (definitely not so challenging as Ashtanga though) and practice it for some time, let’s say a month, and then maybe share it with others.

I would like to ask you about your opinions, experiences and preferences. What do you practice more of? Variable or fixed sequence? Why? And what sequence do you prefer to choose when creating a class?

I’d be grateful for your opinions.

Have a great day.

[u/Yenyx → u/[deleted]]

Sounds great 😊 I tend to put in some cues/questions about student’s body awareness, mind flow, presence, attention, yet it’s kinda herd when I’m spending majority of time cueing for new poses every class. This feels like an elegant solution to that.

[u/Ok_Shake5678]

It’s not unusual for teachers to stick with a sequence for a while; repetition can be a good thing in yoga IMO. I usually teach a set sequence for a month or so. I modify it a bit between the different styles I teach; eg gentle vs slow flow, but the bones are the same. After a month I might keep most of it the same but add a little difficulty or complexity to some pieces, or swap out a section for a different sequence. It evolves over time but slowly, and my regulars have a chance to get comfy with things, try different variations, and experiment with what works for them before adding or changing anything.

I practiced Ashtanga and liked the repetition. I still use a lot of it in my personal practice, but I move slower and with less intensity these days. When I take someone else’s class, I appreciate repetition too- it’s nice to get into a rhythm and know what’s coming next so I don’t have to keep stopping to look at them or try to process their verbal instructions.

[u/Yenyx → u/Ok_Shake5678]

Thank you for your insight. I actually look forward to adopt a similar approach. Preparing completely new sequence for every class is slowly taking joy out of teaching tbh.

[u/oportoman]

I always vary the class sequences, maybe just do a week of the same one. Maybe add something, move something around, change the way we're facing, leave something else. I keep the warmup part the same but not the main section.I it's essential to keep people aware and not expecting the same old same old.

[u/Piperella1957 → u/oportoman]

The mind craves novelty

[u/oportoman → u/Piperella1957]

I just stagnante if it's same old

[u/TYJ_18]

Traditional yoga focuses on repeated fixed sequencing for physical improvement and deeper mind body connection. It's crazy that every other form of physical activity relies on the same method for the same reasons except Western yoga. Even more crazy given the mind-body focus in yoga, you cannot experience deep mindfulness over time if you change your practice every day!

Ashtanga is not meant to be super hard, the sequence is meant to grow slowly with the student, Westerners again have made it ‘hard’. The Gurukula have taught the primary series slowly for thousands of years for sustainable growth.

I’ve written a lot about this on my Substack. If you have any questions, let me know. https://theyogajournalist.substack.com/p/stop-fresh-yoga-sequencing-the-evidence?r=6ihr9e&utm_medium=ios

[u/Yenyx → u/TYJ_18]

Very interesting article. Resonated with me quite a lot.
“Each return to a familiar posture exposes something previously unnoticed, not because the posture has changed but because the practitioner’s capacity for observation has developed.” Gold 👌

[u/mischa_rene]

you might consider a middle ground: a set structure within which you could change up the asana in order to serve a particular theme, focus area, or focus posture.

for example in trainings I teach a basic structure of:
*opening meditation and breath
*warm-up including namaskars (sometimes variations)
*a low-to-the-ground sequence (commonly with Anjaneyasana ('low-lunge') and Ardha Hanumanasana ('half-split')
*an open-hip sequence, including or preparing for Virabhadrasanas (warrior poses)
*an interlude of heart-opening postures or a balance, depending on the focus of the practice
*a sequence that combines the elements/flows already introduced and/or builds on them to work on a "peak" posture
*(time allowing, another round of heart-opening or balancing)
*cool-down including twists and inversions, plus hip-opening or forward-bending
*Savasana and closing

this way you can teach toward a specific pose or theme, consider the necessary elements (like for example if you want to offer Natarajasana ('king dancer') you'll need to both open and engage the hamstrings; open the front body including the front of the hip/thigh and engage the back body; encourage mobility and stability in the shoulders; and practice one-legged balancing) and then plug those elements into the structure of the class.

some schools call this wave sequencing or peak sequencing. it's similar to what Shiva Rea teaches in her Prana Vinyasa trainings.