Focus by Segment: Segmenting Your Class

The following are ideas and considerations for class segments. Not all suggestions will be relevant to all styles. Use this framework to build and tweak according to your own style and intentions.

Opening

  1. Design an opening that gives an opportunity for students to center themselves.
  2. Keep opening and initial centering practice to a particular time limit, such as 8 minutes, in order to ensure students, have the opportunity to soon begin simple movement and connecting with their breath.
  3. You may wish to introduce a theme here.

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Warm Up

  1. Meet students where they are energetically. For example, if students appear tired or lethargic, you may choose to begin with poses on the floor and/or poses that have a slow and gentle rhythm. And if students have excess energy, you might choose to begin with standing poses or poses that require more focus or energy.
  2. Use rhythmic movement during warm up.
  3. Avoid static holds, many seated forward bends and in-depth alignment teachings until students have a chance to become attuned to their breath and inner state.
  4. Avoid too much verbal instruction before students have a chance to move their bodies and become attuned to their breath and inner state.
  5. If you did not introduce a theme during the Opening, you may wish to do so here.

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Heat Building

  1. Choose poses that prepare for the rest of class.
  2. For Peak Pose Sequencing, see Choosing & Arranging Poses.

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Floor Poses

  1. Be sure to be knowledgeable about Asana Categories including their effects and sequencing considerations.
  2. Ensure to plan for proper neutralizing and counterposes.

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Savasana

  • Consider calculating a Savasana length of 5 minutes for every 30 minutes of asana.

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