An intention for each Yoga class

Themes that distinguish and make your classes unique.

If you are a beginner, want to practice Yoga at home, or if you are a Yoga teacher, you may feel the desire, the need or the curiosity to incorporate into your Yoga class a component that goes beyond the practice of asanas, meditation, relaxation and Pranayama. The component that I suggest to you, and which I wish to speak to you today, has the form of dharma or teaching. A conversation or comments that allow you to support your students and yourself.

How to choose a theme for your Yoga class?

A topic is an important idea that can take your students or you to levels beyond the physical. Many people have told me that sharing a topic during class makes them more present. The subject also allows us to take Yoga with us and apply it in all aspects of life, and many continue to think and meditate on it for days. The topics highlight and reinforce other ideas you may be trying to teach your students, or that you are trying to apply in your own life. And when you attach specific day-to-day issues, you are more likely to understand the message, to remember it, and to apply it. The creation and implementation of themes is an art. Here are some tips that can inspire you to use in your Yoga practice.

1. Make it meaningful. This may be the most important advice of all. Make sure you know about the subject, and if not, meditate on it, investigate before imparting it. Your confidence and your enthusiasm will be a source of motivation for yourself and others.

2. Introduce the topic from the beginning. Very passionate teachers have the tendency to want to cover many aspects in a single class. But the reality is that most people cannot enjoy all the information in the way they are expected to. While in Triangle pose, for example, you might be wondering about the alignment of your back foot or why your thigh hurts, and you are not paying attention to what you are talking about, however important or interesting it may be. But if you say a few words on the subject at the beginning of the class, while everyone is sitting or lying down, everything you say will be captured in greater depth. Of course, you have to make your introduction very brief. I think 5 minutes is a good time for your students to catch up and do not feel lectured or tired about the subject. Even if you take a one to one class, I also advise that you meditate on the subject for a few minutes at home before teaching.

3. Repeat, repeat, repeat, but without exaggeration. If you introduce the subject in the beginning of the class and develop it completely, it will appear more superficial and less important than if you mention it frequently. If you are in doubt as to the extent, remember the old adage: less is more. That is, it’s more useful that you, or the people who accompany you, are left wanting to continue to listen and learn more about the topic than overwhelm them with too much information. Whether you are teaching a class, or if you are practicing alone, I also advise you to leave some space for silence.

4. Make it universal. It’s important that all people feel interested in the topic you chose because it will be the thread that will join the whole class. If a person does not feel motivated there may be some dissociation between the attendees and everyone will feel it. Even a subject such as satisfaction could make people disconnect if someone is feeling dissatisfied on that particular day. But don’t worry, you don’t have to give up that issue, because in that case, you can use the method of talking about complementary opposites. For example, if you approach satisfaction, you can also include dissatisfaction. When you talk about joy, you could mention how the experience of discontent teaches us about joy, etc. Looking around, you can extract from multitudes of topics that may interest your students. I’d like to share with you some examples of topics that you could use in your classes.

Some examples of topics for your Yoga class

• Keep your practice and your life with a beginner’s mind.

• Emphasize the basis of the postures, the importance of creating a solid foundation in the Yoga class and in life.

• Watching the difference between your sides of the body allows us to know each other better. Remember that we all have a female and a male part. Send love to both parties.

• Stay alert to your thoughts: The main thing is to not let any thoughts or feelings occur inside you without you realizing it. This regular practice will help us have control of our mind.

• There is no failure, only feedback. Failure gives us information, it’s a part of the learning process. It’s a sign that we are alert when we realize that we have failed and take action to change.

• Remember that suffering is mostly in our thoughts.

• The importance of knowing how to give and how to receive.

• Balance: Yoga is balance and balance is order and well being.

• Smile, life is a mirror. The attitude that you assume towards life is the same that life will assume towards you.

• Know how to listen. There is an art of listening. In order to truly listen, all prejudices, previous formulations and daily activities should be set aside. The truth cannot be given by anyone. You have to discover it. And to discover, there must be a state of mind in which there is direct perception.

• The healing power of the breath. When something unbalances the pace of your life, when you are not able to react calmly to any situation, immediately use breathing techniques (Pranayama work).

• Chakras. Timely control of the chakras will serve you not only to achieve a higher consciousness, but also to achieve more peace and balance in your daily life.

• Yamas & Niyamas. Control of oneself in relation to others and our own self.

There are many topics that we can deal with in each class. I would love to hear some more in the comments. Which topics do you usually do in your Yoga practice?

Namaste