How to Teach a Yoga Theme
When I went through Yoga Teacher Training, I thought I knew eeeeeverything. I was hyper-critical of every class I took, and told myself when I became a teacher I would ALWAYS prepare a full sequence, playlist, and theme that worked together synergistically; I would never show up without a fully-fleshed out class. Oh young Tricia, so bright-eyed and so naive!
As it turns out, creating a full yoga class takes hours for a new instructor, and making the physical sequence takes up the bulk of the time. I used to spend 2-3 hours building a new sequence and as a result I’d have no energy or creativity left to plan a theme, but theming is what drew me into the practice in the first place so I felt dissatisfied with my classes.
Over time, sequencing became efficient and I started knocking out asana plans in 20-30 minutes. I finally had the bandwidth to plan out class themes, and I learned a lot through trial and error.
For some context, I have a degree in Religious Studies and I specialized in South Asian traditions. I was already a yoga teacher when I chose my major, so I selected my coursework to focus on yoga and its origins. When I started theming my classes I liked to focus on yoga philosophies (note: philosophies plural, because many variations of yoga have existed throughout time), because I felt I had a unique opportunity to teach my students deeper themes. No shade to basic themes like “presence,” “mindfulness,” and “joy,”- those are fantastic concepts for yoga students!! But I wanted to go a little deeper and instruct students on concepts from the Yoga Sutra, Bhagavad Gita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, etc etc.
But it’s quite difficult to weave those concepts into a power yoga class in an accessible way. I learned a lot by messing up, and I want to share what I’ve learned with you!
Basically, you can break a theme into three distinct parts:
On the Mat: Introduce your theme: what is it, where does it originate, and how does it apply on the mat?
Insights: little blurbs of wisdom dropped into class to encourage students to explore the concept in their body and minds
Off the Mat: how does the theme apply to yoga off of the mat? How can students apply it to their life?
Let’s look at an example:
Theme: Satya- truthfulness
On the Mat:
“The Yoga Sutra outlines five ”yamas,” which are morals that apply to our dealings with others. Patanjali, the author of the Yoga Sutras, tells us that a yogi should practice “satya,” truthfulness, in our life. Let’s play with this concept on our mat today- please meet me in _______ (whatever pose you’re opening with).”
Give your students a few moments to settle in and connect with their breath, then continue your introduction.
“We can think of truthfulness as simply being honest with our words, but I’d like to explore this a little deeper today. How can you practice truthfulness in your body throughout class? Can you set aside the stories of your mind, and tune in to the deeper truth of your body?”
Insights:
During a challenging posture, you could say something like “Satya asks us to acknowledge where we actually are, not where we want to be. If your breath is shallow or your jaw is tense, the truth of the pose is that you’ve gone too far. Back out until you can breathe honestly again.”
“If your internal dialogue is harsh or overly critical, you’re practicing judgement rather than truth. Release the harshness and acknowledge where you’re at without being mean to yourself.”
During a balancing posture, you could say “Notice your reaction to losing your balance or falling out of a shape. Witness your reaction without judgement so you can better understand your mind’s habits.”
Closing:
“Truth isn’t just something we speak out loud, it is something we embody in our actions, in our work, and in our relationships with others. As we leave the yoga room and re-enter our lives, ask yourself: is my outer world a reflection of my inner truth? Where can I stop wasting my energy on pretenses and false stories, and start living with authenticity?”
I hope this simple breakdown of how to theme helps you! Trust me, you’ll get better the more you practice. If it feels awkward or clunky at first, that’s okay. Use these three simple steps to keep practicing, and trust that your ability to theme will grow with time.
Xoxo,
Tricia
