Theme Weaver

Weaved into Garudasana

My favourite yoga classes are instructed by teachers who skillfully weave a heart-centered theme throughout the class. They drop a pearl of wisdom that can touch your soul and inspire you to give your all in that moment. It is, I feel, what makes a class memorable.

As a new teacher, I find weaving a theme into my class can be tricky. My main priority is to get students into the general form—safely—then add some refinement cues. My theme is usually introduced at the beginning of the class and again as a reminder to students while they lie in Savasana. 

My mentor* recently talked about how to approach theming at one of our meetings. Her advice will transform how you teach: Before class set an intention of how you want your students to feel. Then embody this intention. The heart-centered theme will naturally flow through you, expressed in the tone of your voice and the way you look at and assist your students. 

The results are quite powerful and align so well with the Anusara philosophy of teaching—expressing ourselves from the inside out. To the spark that lies within each of us, Namaste.

*Christine Price Clark, pictured above, is a Certified Anusara Yoga Teacher living in Vancouver. You can find her current class schedule here.