1. Modify Sun Salutations: Many of us may incorporate Sun Salutations into our classes, but these can be challenging (and often not in a good way) for curvy folks who may struggle to get up and down off the ground with ease.  This doesn’t mean you have to forgo a gentle warm-up that takes the spine through many different directions, though.  Instead, get creative and build onto half-salutes.  You can also try Sun Salutations with the wall. If you just have one or two curvy students in your class and you want to go through the traditional Sun Salutations, keep some curvy modifications handy.

2. Limit Kneeling Poses: Curvy students often struggle with kneeling poses, especially if they are long-held.  While you can always suggest students roll up their mats for a little more cushion, try thinking of ways to access the same benefits of kneeling poses in a different position instead. For example, with the often used Cat/Cow combination, instead of doing this on hands and knees, try it seated.  From Sukhasana, ask students to rest their hands lightly on their knees.  They can then go through the Cat/Cow movements, using their hands as gentle support/leverage.

3. When You’re Up, You’re Up: Because curvy students can sometimes struggle to get up and down off the mat, try out this simple rule: When you’re up, you’re up; when you’re down, you’re down.  In other words, if you start the class seated, stay there for a while.  When you transition to standing, stay there.  Having fewer transitions (and clearly teaching the transitions) between seated/standing/supine supports curvy students tremendously.

4. Create Space: One of the biggest things that supports curvy students is helping them create a little more space in their bodies to move around.  A simple thing you can offer to facilitate this is a wider stance.  For example, in Tadasana, teach feet at least hip distance apart.  Offer students to take their feet mat-width if they’d like; this simple action both creates a wider base of support and gives students space for their belly as they move through things like half-salutes.

5. Rearrange the Room: If you’re able to, arrange everyone around the room with the short end of their mat to the wall.  This will put you all in a square facing each other.  Not only does this make it easier for everyone to see and hear, it also allows people to use the support of the wall when needed.  This can be great for transitioning between seated and standing.  It also allows people to get some additional support in a discreet way.  For example, if you’re teaching Vrksasana, have everyone start at the back of the mat using the support of the wall.  You can build up from there, coming off the wall, but since everyone is already near the wall, you can just say “Continue to use the support of the wall or, if you’d like, experiment with coming away from it.”  This makes students more comfortable with using support when needed because they don’t have to step out of their row and over to the wall, identifying themselves, in a traditional room set-up of rows of mats.

6. Have Props Handy: If you have access to blocks, blankets, straps and/or chairs, these can be a boon for curvy students.  Some curvy students can’t come to the floor at all, or aren’t yet able to hold standing poses.  It’s nice to have at least a couple chairs handy for these folks.  If you do not have access to props, you will have to be even more creative with your sequencing to ensure maximum accessibility to poses.  Consider switching between sequences that utilize props and those that do not to offer your students a variety of experiences.

7. Use Language of Inquiry and Invitation: Sometimes well-meaning teachers risk alienating their curvy students (especially if there are just a couple in class) by clearly targeting modifications to them.  Instead, try to keep your suggestions broader.  One example might be: “Check in and notice if your belly is inhibiting your movement in this Forward Bend.  If it is, try tucking the skin before going further.”  Language of inquiry and invitation allows each student to gather information about what works for their unique practice.  It also fosters an environment where students are more likely to take “modifications” because they are viewing their practice as an experiment in what works for them vs. trying to fit a specific ideal.

While the focus of this piece is on sequencing for curvy students, these suggestions could be easily adapted for a variety of different student populations, including older students, an injury-heavy crowd, and more.  What sequencing strategies do you use when working with curvy students?