Do you spend a lot of time coming up with class plans?
Do you struggle to find new and exciting themes for your yoga classes?
Here are three reasons why Ayurveda has the answer to your class planning prayers (PLUS your free Ayurveda and Meditation & Mantra cheat sheet!):
- Know exactly how to plan EVERY class-plan
A good grasp of Ayurveda helps us to avoid some of the pitfalls of class planning. For example, during winter, many yoga teachers offer very active classes to warm things up. That seems to make sense, until you take a closer look at Ayurvedic principles (and if you need a quick primer on Ayurveda and the Doshas, try this free mini e-course).
We know that a key quality of Vata, the dosha that predominates in winter, is cold. But another key quality of Vata dosha is movement. Not only does cold aggravate Vata, so too does a lot of movement. So how do you strike the balance? By teaching strong, static standing poses - think Warrior 2 or Chair Pose.
When you know your Ayurvedic principles, you will know what to teach for every season, weather condition and even time of day.
- Know how to change up your class plan on the fly
Have you ever started teaching a class that you've planned painstakingly, only to find that it's just not working 5 minutes in? Do you battle on with your class plan, or abandon your plan and start improvising?
Ayurveda teaches us how to adapt classes to meet the needs of the students. Read the energy in the room:
Is it Pitta dominant? Red faces, striving, heavy breathing? Try teaching some cooling, grounding postures.
Is Kapha dominant - lethargic, reluctant, flat energy? Try gently easing people into some warming standing postures.
Perhaps there's a twitchy Vata energy in the room - fidgeting, moving through sequences super quickly, agitation. Try offering some warming, grounding strength postures.
- Know what type of meditation, mantra or pranayama to add to your plan
It isn't just yoga postures that can be adapted according to the doshas. You can decide which meditation, pranayama or chanting practices to teach your students based on the teachings of Ayurveda.
For each dosha imbalance, there are balancing mantras, breathing techniques, meditations and visualisations. I've made a simple cheat sheet that shows you how to choose just the right mantras and meditations to balance the doshas in your yoga classes. You can use this cheat sheet to teach the right meditation for the season, or to work with individual students with dosha imbalances.
Click the link below to download for your free copy of the Ayurveda and Meditation cheat sheet.
Got a question about Ayurveda or yoga therapy? Just ask! We are here to help you serve your students.
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