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Ever try to come up with a creative yoga class—something a little different and out of the ordinary—and instead end up sitting in front of a blank sheet of paper, blinking cursor, or yoga mat waiting for inspiration to strike? Somehow, despite being able to choose from any theme or peak pose, nothing new comes to mind.
The solution, you may think, is to seek inspiration. So you turn to yoga sequencing books or social media influencers for ideas. Yet a sequence still proves elusive.
Almost every yoga teacher experiences this version of writer’s block at some point. I’ve spent countless hours wracking my brain to come up with something different before it occurred to me that my most creative classes hadn’t been a struggle. They hadn’t taken hours of diligent planning or required the inclusion of complex poses or transitions.
In fact, my most creative classes originated from an impromptu need to work around an obstacle of some kind. There was the time a student with a broken wrist inspired a hands-free sequence. There was an awkward teaching space that forced me to come up with a sequence that faced the long edge of the mat. And so on.
Setting out to plan a sequence without any direction can actually make it harder to come up with new ideas. Imagine a class with any theme, any focal point at all, and see what poses and practices come to mind. Probably a few of your favorites. But with nothing specific for your mind to work toward, against, or around, it’s unlikely the poses will come together in a way that feels cohesive.
In fact, completely counterintuitively, the more you limit your options, the more innovative you probably become with poses or transitions coming to mind that you would not have thought of otherwise. That’s because our brains evolved to problem solve when confronted with difficulty or limitation. Too many options can be almost paralyzing.
Try it out for yourself. Imagine setting a general theme, like heart-opening or standing strong. Probably many poses will come to mind. You may have the beginning of a purposeful sequence but not necessarily a novel one.
Now imagine adding another challenge or obstacle into the equation and see what happens. For example, avoiding all weight-bearing on the hands, facing the long edge of the mat, starting and finishing your flow from a deep squat (Malasana) instead of standing in Mountain Pose (Tadasana), or moving to and from the back of the mat rather than only the front. Some other examples include…
- Students with hand or wrist pain could inspire a sequence with no Planks or Chaturangas or no weight-bearing on the hands at all
- Limited space at the front of the room could prompt you to create a standing flow that moves from the back of the mat instead of the front or an entire class that faces the mat’s long edge
- Students with knee pain or injury could lead to a class with no kneeling poses (Seated Cat-Cow, anyone?) and no intense knee flexion (see ya, Pigeon Pose!)
- Tight hamstrings in your class (we see you, runners) could prompt more creative ways to warm up for Sun Salutations and forward folds
- Working with pregnant students could encourage you to find more spacious ways to transition from Downward Dog to standing poses, or lead to standing flows that start and finish in a Squat instead of Mountain
- Avoiding overhead arms as a nod to the studentwith shoulder issues could remind you of the myriad other arm positions you could use
- Teaching vinyasa on a day when the whole class seems exhausted, but too agitated for stillness, could inspire more mellow movement options
And the list goes on!
There’s nothing wrong with a simple, familiar, feel-good flow. But on those occasions when you feel drawn to create something more inventive because you feel you or your regular students are so familiar with your favorites that you’re in a rut, consider the problem-solving power of limitation.
