The language that modern yoga teachers use in the classroom is constantly evolving. Even if a particular lineage was taught to you in your teacher training program (or heard a hundred times while taking a yoga class), it may not be as effective as you think. It’s important to consistently check the phrases you use to see if they convey exactly what you want to portray. The following annotations can be adjusted to improve your communication with your students, allowing them to make adjustments with confidence and clarity.
pull your shoulders down
pull your shoulders down
Most people have tense shoulders, so this is a cue you might say a lot, especially in poses like Utkatasana (chair pose) or Urdhva Hastasana (upward salute). However, this hint could mean a tougher adjustment is needed when really all it takes is a smooth transition.
Using this cue, the student shortens the sides of the body and brings the humerus (or arm bone) forward. These movements increase the risk of injury, especially to the trapezius muscles of the back and neck. The rise of the shoulders in these poses is natural, so there is no need to force them all the way down. Students need a cue to let go of tension and relax their shoulders instead of pulling down hard.
Another option could be to “soften the tips of the shoulders” or “keep the bottom of the neck soft”. These tips are gentler suggestions that can help students better understand the adjustments you’re making without putting them at risk of injury or strain.
roll your inner thighs
roll your inner thighs
This tip can be carried into a yoga class with a variety of poses, including Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose), Tadasana (Mountain Pose), and Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend). Similar to “pull the shoulders down,” this cue can prompt students to push the adjustment too far. It is designed to signal to students not to rotate the thighs outward, while encouraging them to keep their hips neutral in the pose. However, this cue can be vague and students can become overly withdrawn. This overwork can lead to problems in the pelvis, hips, and lower spine.
Instead of talking about thighs, focus on your butt. The intent of the club is to keep the hips neutral, so focus directly on the hips.
Align the ears with the biceps
Align the ears with the biceps
This cue is common in poses like Urdhva Hastasana (upward-facing salute) and Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward-facing dog), as it ideally helps achieve a straight alignment of the head and spine. However, this is not a technique that works for all practitioners. For students with tighter shoulders, this tip can be problematic. With this adjustment, these students extend the head forward and out of alignment with the spine to find the position of the biceps.
It is best not to use this expression, but to focus on the cue for the student to keep the shoulders within reach while keeping their head in line with the spine. You can remind students to find length and room in the spine while maintaining strong arms.
align your hips
align your hips
The phrase “hip stretch” is common in yoga classes. In poses like Parsvottanasana (Pyramid Pose) and Virabhadrasana 1 (Warrior 1), where the feet are at a 45-degree angle, bringing the rear hips forward to align with the front hips can actually bend knee injuries because it’s taking an unhealthy turn. Keeping your knees healthy and properly aligned is far more important than focusing on the visual aesthetics of your pose.
In these poses, students should be encouraged to keep the hips slightly tilted to avoid this injury while paying attention to twisting the trunk upward. This encourages the student to shift the weight of the pose forward while still maintaining healthy space in the hips and knees.
Tips are equally common for twisting poses like Parivrtta Ardha Utkatasana (spinning chair pose) and Parivrtta Anjaneyasana (spinning crescent lunge). While teachers have used this cue for years, the hips don’t have to be square in these poses, says trainer David Magone. Trying to straighten your hips reduces the space between your hips and torso and increases your risk of injury.
Rather than asking the hips to straighten, have students rotate the hips in the same direction as the twist, as this deepens the pose while still leaving room.
Stack your shoulders over your wrists in Vasisthasana
Stack your shoulders over your wrists in Vasisthasana
Teachers often check students’ joints to see if they are properly aligned. However, in Vasisthasana (side plank), this trick is not foolproof. In asanas, asking your students to stack their shoulders over their wrists makes them vulnerable to two other major deformities: sagging hips and slumping into the shoulders.
For Vasisthasana, it is best to instruct the student to place the lower part of the wrist slightly in front of the shoulder. With this setup, it’s easier to support their weight and push their hips higher. At the same time, it became more difficult to break into her shoulder. While the alignment of the shoulders at the wrists is not necessarily wrong, this slight adjustment will help the student avoid major problems with postural construction.
scoop/tuck your tailbone
ScoopTuck your tailbone
Instructing students to “tighten the tailbone” is a common cue in poses like Tadasana (Tadasana), but it’s another instruction that isn’t always helpful. for studs