Do you know how to avoid hyperextended elbows? Can you motivate older people to do yoga? And how can you make shavasana even better?
Disclaimer: I am aware that many of the yoga teachers/content creators I mention here are white women which may perpetuate the myth that a yoga practitioner needs to be white, able-bodied, skinny and privileged. That is not my intention and I’m happy about recommendations for diverse yoga ‘influencers’! Also, most videos are about asana classes — the physical part of yoga.
#1 How to improve Shavasana for your students
Shavasana (the end relaxation) is just laying down on your back and trying to relax without falling asleep, right? Oh no, far from it! I think my life first changed at my yoga teacher training in early 2023 when a female Vinyasa yoga teacher went around the entire class and ‘adjusted’ all of us in Shavasana. Cathy Madeo shows how to do it — so you can apply it to your yoga classes. I recently did this with two of my Vinyasa classes and the students I talked to afterwards said they loved it!
#2 How to avoid hyperextending your knees and elbows
Having hyperextended elbows myself, this super short video by yoga teacher and YouTuber Charlie Follows helped me tremendously. I am as passionate as she is to help my yoga students avoid hyperextension — although it might not hurt, it is not good for the body. Did you know that you can adjust your own arms in Warrior 2, and that there’s an alternative to interlacing your hands and stretching your arms in Humble Warrior?
#3 How to use yoga blocks for everything imaginable
I knew that blocks were useful to elevate the floor to you — be it by placing it underneath your hand in Half Moon Pose or both hands in Crow Pose. Selen showed me that I underestimated the potential of a yoga block! She is also really funny, so make sure to check out some of her other videos too.
#4 How to avoid ‘yoga butt’ (a hamstring-related injury)
I recently met a friend of mine who is as enthusiastic about yoga as I am. She had an injury from trying to do the splits — exactly what YouTuber ‘Livin Leggings’ describes in her video. Her channel is all about moving safely and building strength.
#5 How to REALLY teach yoga to beginners
After watching Juliana Larochelle’s video, I realized I had been falling into some traps of a new yoga teacher, such as thinking that it is totally okay to teach Warrior 3 or complete Sun Salutations A to my beginners’ class. Well, I had to think again.
#6 How to avoid reproducing yoga myths
When it comes to yoga myths, physiotherapist Celest Pereira is your queen! In the video below, she tells you why bending your knees further than your toes is not as bad as many yoga teachers may have told you it is. On her Instagram, she also debunks other myths, such as ‘placing your foot on your knee joint in tree pose is unsafe’!
#7 How to give clear instructions aka clean up your cueing
I still catch myself saying “And now, we want to start bending our right knee…” although it would be much better for the students if I cut out the blurp and said “Bend your right knee”. I’m trying my best, people! Sometimes, giving ‘orders’ to my students still feels strange to me — but I recognize that Rachel Scott’s formulations (“Step your foot back”) are probably the clearest way of giving instructions. See for yourself!
#8 How to prove to students they’re not too old for yoga
We probably all have that family member or friend who tells us: ‘Oh, I’m too old to start with yoga now. I should have started when I was younger.’ What if I told you that some women over 70 or even 90 have had a hip replacement and are not only still practicing yoga but teaching it? I think that proves age is often only a number.
#9 How to get started with sequencing your own classes
The biggest fear of every new yoga teacher is teaching. Wow, you might ironically think, no kidding! But it’s one thing to participate in yoga classes and practice for yourself and another to teach regular classes that are varied and fun. One of Ashley Hagen’s recommendations is to know a set sequence of yoga, like the Ashtanga series. Once you know it, you can modify it!
#10 How to make yoga more inclusive to people of color
As mentioned in the beginning, yoga can often feel like a pretty white, female space — especially if you live in central/Northern Europe like I do. We need to hold space for participants and teachers of color, with different body types, of all genders and experiences! ‘Black Yogi Nico Marie’ is in the best position to talk about this, and I urge you to hear her perspective.
Bonus: My favorite yoga podcast
Last but not least, let me introduce you to the amazing Arundhati Baitmangalkar, an Indian yoga teacher based in the US who hosts the ‘Let’s Talk Yoga’ podcast. Not only could I listen to her voice for hours, but every episode of hers leaves me with new insights.
She has done episodes about cultural appropriation, yoga in the US versus India, practicing during a heatwave, what to do and say as a teacher, etc. You can listen to it on streaming platforms like Spotify or YouTube.
I hope these video recommendations were insightful. Feel free to leave a comment and tell me if something surprised or helped you!
© Annika Erika 2023