Structuring and Sequencing of Hatha Yoga Practices
Yoga class sequences come in different styles, shapes and sizes. Every form, such as Iyengar Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Viniyoga, Bikram, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa etc, has its own ideas about how to sequence a practice.
In Hatha yoga people may have already been trained to cue their classes in a particular way and sequence. Most sequences kind of resemble a thread that is one posture follows another in a logical step-by-step direction, moving from less challenging to more challenging and back to less challenging. In short, a structure & sequence like this starts with simple warm-ups that opens the way for the practice, intensifies to more challenging postures, slows to cooling postures and ends with relaxation (Shavasana, the corpse pose).
This is a one of the way to sequence and structure your class. Typically each posture in the sequence is performed once but you may have your students performing each posture two to three times depending on time, focusing on a different aspect of the posture on each variation. For instance, Butterfly pose (Baddhakonasana), you may focus on the position of spine and sitting bones initially then when repeating can focus on the gentle and slow movements of the knees. Yoga teachers can build the entire sequence around just one posture using different variations and gradually include the other postures in the sequence to teach aspects of the main posture.
Yoga Teachers often design their own sequences and structure of the class based on the students and their requirements. For example – teacher might design a sequence around a particular goal orbenefit let’s say alleviatingback pain, or around a particularbody part like shoulders etc.
Physical Warm-Up
Warming up is the first step in any yoga classes. This helps students to remove the stiffness and stress from the physical body. To get the flexibility in the muscles and joints in any asana practices, the tissues should be moved and warmed to a specific degree keeping in mind the end goal to avoid injury. A similar reason applies to a physical action: warmed muscles are less adept to strain or tear.
In Hatha yoga the warm-up includes all joints & glands practices. It emphasizes simple movements, which facilitate the functioning of the glandular systems and flexibility in the connective tissues, which are the tendons, ligaments, and fascia. These exercises can be used with great benefit by almost anybody, regardless of his or her level of physical fitness. Experiment with these in a way that is gentle and loving toward you. As you learn and practice these joints and glands exercises you will naturally adjust the sequence in small ways that match your comfort level, and will blend in your own choice of other stretches and yoga asana. Polished gradually or quickly, this arrangement of asanas builds flow to the muscles and joints.
How to structure the Hatha class?
Structuring the Hatha classes it completely depends on the students group. Teacher has to give a proper thought for what reason the students are joining the class. It could be anything, for instance people may come for fitness, heath benefit, to get cure from any specific disease, stress, fat reduce, sleeping disorder, flexibility and lot more.
As a Hatha yoga teacher you have to understand and give the exactly for what students are coming. Creating a class design is an art. It’s a tough job! Theapproachyou take is crucial to the success of your class as a qualified teacher. Selecting each element with thoughtful and mindful consideration is a great place to start with.Sharing this blueprint of your creation is one of the greatest gifts of teaching… It has even the ability to change people’s lives!
Initially as a teacher you may divide your teaching into 3 basic categories and then add your own asana sequences deepening on student’s need.
- Yoga for Beginner Group
- Yoga for Intermediate Group
- Yoga for Advanced Group
Based on above category you may create the basic theme for your class and add on the different poses with sequence as per the need of students. We will talk about the sample Hatha Yoga class sequence for all above categories.
Beginner Hatha Yoga Class –
Creating a design and yoga sequence forbeginnersmight initially sound simple. This is where all the teachers who actually have taught and do teach beginning yoga classes take it easy and starts making mistakes. That’s where all the new yoga teachers are often given beginner-level classes. Because beginner is equal to easy! But here there is a real challenge where you have to make people feel the asana practice extensive for beginners. You may create your own sequence as per the need of your students, after analyzing them. Here is a sample sequence that might help you to start off the design the sequence.
Sequencing (Sample) for the beginner classes–
- Opening of the class by observing silent for 2-3 minutes
- Seating quietly with closed eye will mentally prepare the students for yoga practice
- It will help them to see the mind-body connections
- Having three deep and long breaths will help them to be relaxed
- Warm-up practices
- Joint & Glands exercise will help them to remove the blockages
- This will prepare them to perform remaining asana series
- Will build the flexibility by removing the blockages
- Standing/ standing twisting practices
- Tadasana, Tiryak-Tadasana, Kati Chakrasana
- Vrikshasana (Tree Pose)
- Seating practices
- Baddhakonasana (Bond Angle Pose/Butterfly Pose)
- Ardha Padmasana (Half Lotus Pose)
- Kneeling practices
- Vajrasana (Thunder Bolt Pose)
- Marjariasana (Cat-Cow Pose)
- (Simhagarjanasana) Lion Pose
- Prone position practices
- Sarpasana (Snake Pose)
- Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
- Supine Pose
- Pad Uthanasana (Leg Raise)
- Naukasana (Boat Pose)
- Relaxation
- Shashankasana/Balasana (Child Pose)
- Shavasana (Corpse Pose)
- Closing the class
- Seating quietly with closed eyes and observing the breath
- Feeling the effect of the asana
- Mentally repeating the sequence
Intermediate Hatha Yoga Class –
Designing the intermediate class can be considered based on the level of students, slightly higher than beginners who have some understanding about the yoga.
It is very important to understand the intensity of the practice of Intermediate Yoga. It’s significantly important for someone who is joining as students considering themselves intermediate in the field of yoga, but may not actually understand the mind-body connection with breathing. Hence, Intermediate Yoga needs to be done after the introduction of some simple poses to stretch the limbs and feel the breathing process which is of beginner’s level. Intermediate Yoga is done after supporting the spine with yoga blocks, blankets, cushions, pillows etc. Some poses also require supporting the head and the neck with the above props as it’s a step ahead to beginner level where they might get into slightly intensive poses sequence.
Sequencing (Sample) for the Intermediate classes –
- Opening of the class by observing silent for 2-3 minutes
- Seating quietly with closed eye will mentally prepare the students for yoga practice
- It will help them to see the mind-body connections
- Having three deep and long breaths will help them to be relaxed
- Mentally can visualized on any symbols like flame etc
- Warm-up practices
- Joint & Glands exercise will help them to remove the blockages
- This will prepare them to perform remaining asana series
- Will build the flexibility by removing the blockages
- Standing/ standing twisting practices
- Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation)
- Garudasana (Eagle Pose)
- Utthit Hast padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose)
- Seating practices
- Padangustasana (Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose)
- Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half fish Pose/ Seated side twist)
- Kneeling practices
- Ustrasana (Camel Pose)
- Setubandhasana (Bridge Pose)
- Parigrahasana (Gate Pose)
- Prone position practices
- Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
- Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
- Supine Pose
- Marichyasana (Marichi’s Pose)
- Halasana (Plow Pose)
- Supt Veerasana (Reclined Hero Pose)
- Inversion
- Viparit Karni (Legs up the wall Pose)
- Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand Pose)
- Relaxation
- Shavasana (Corpse Pose)
- Closing the class
- Seating quietly with closed eyes and observing the breath
- Feeling the effect of the asana
- Mentally repeating the sequence
Advance Hatha Yoga Class –
In the advanced category students will have enough understanding about yoga and will have good flexibility in the body. They will be ready to perform all advanced asana series. Offering detailed sequence plans will help them to develop their personal yoga practice as well as techniques to target specific areas of the body, such as the abdominal muscles etc.
Practicing yoga poses along with breathing techniques is very beneficial and always emphasis. In advanced series students will have to hold the final pose for few breaths. In order to do this they will need more strength & flexibility where breathing process plays a very crucial role for it. The poses help to facilitate a strong core, strong shoulders, tight calves and hamstrings, a sense of good balance and stronger lung capacity. With the practice of advance yoga, oxygen intake increases, throwing out the unwanted toxins within the body. Energy levels are maintained, thus toning the right kind of muscles to gain strength and flexibility is quite possible.
Sequencing (Sample) for the advanced classes –
- Opening of the class by observing silent for 2-3 minutes
- Seating quietly with closed eye will mentally prepare the students for yoga practice
- It will help them to see the mind-body connections
- Having three deep and long breaths will help them to be relaxed
- Mentally can visualized on any symbols and concentrate on eyebrow center etc
- Warm-up practices
- Joint & Glands exercise will help them to remove the blockages
- This will prepare them to perform remaining asana series
- Will build the flexibility by removing the blockages
- Standing/ standing twisting practices
- Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation)
- Chandranamaskar
- Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
- Natrajanasana (Lord of Dancers Pose)
- Seating practices
- Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose)
- Hanumanasana (Monkey Pose)
- Bakasana (Crow Pose)
- Kneeling practices
- Bhadrasana ( Gracious Pose)
- Padmasana (Lotus Pose)
- Supine position practices
- Kurmasana (Tortoise Pose)
- Paschimotanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
- Prone Pose
- Chakrasana (Wheel Pose)
- Vrischikasana (Scorpion Pose)
- Mayurasana (Peaco*ck Pose)
- Inversion
- Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stands)
- Sirsasana (Head Stand)
- Baddhakon Sirsasana ( Bond Angle Head Stand)
- Relaxation
- Shavasana (Corpse Pose)
- Closing the class
- Seating quietly with closed eyes and observing the breath
- Feeling the effect of the asana
- Mentally repeating the sequence
check article on FOUR EXCLUSIVE MEDITATIVE POSTURES
