“Have a functional reason for everything that you do.” This gem that I picked up during my Yin Yoga and anatomy training with Paul Grilley drives my approach to modifying yoga poses.

This idea has inspired my sequencing and choice of asanas in general, because it invites me as a teacher to imbue every moment of class with meaning.  It also provides a foundation to work from if I see students struggling with a pose. In my initial teacher training, I had the impression that all limitations were due to muscular tension, which can be addressed with backing out of the pose and using props.

Since then, I’ve realized that it’s worthwhile to look more carefully for other possibilities, especially if the textbook modifications aren’t working.   By identifying the purpose for a pose or an action, it is possible to make creative modifications for the whole group without disrupting the flow of the class, and customize the practice for individuals, even if you’ve exhausted your standard toolbox of adjustments and props.

Identify the purpose of the pose or action

You have one, right? Stretching, strengthening, developing balance, making a connection to a philosophical principle, or something unique to your teaching.  Hopefully you’ve thought about this ahead of time, so after you’ve cued your students, you can…

Observe

Do they get it? If they don’t get it, what is the obstacle?  Is it muscular tension that can be alleviated by the use of props?  What else might be going on?  The students might need to hear different cues or see a demonstration.  If you see that people are not executing a pose the way you want them to, you might take them out and approach the pose from a different angle, or use another pose to illustrate the action, and revisit the first pose again.  Perhaps a pose is not possible for one or more students due to injury or other individual physical quirks.  At this point, it is helpful to have a dialogue with the students.

Remove the obstacle to get back to the purpose

Once you identify a purpose, it opens up a world of possibilities.  Let’s say you’ve chosen Ardha Supta Virasana as a quad stretch, and no amount of blankets or blocks is helping your student get comfortable.  That student could go into Anjaneyasana or Ardha Bhekasana, and get the intended benefit.

Set your students up to be successful throughout the class and minimize strain, frustration, and discomfort by looking at the big picture.  In addition to the functional purpose for individual poses, you have your own reasons for practicing and teaching yoga available to you, from which you can draw inspiration in the moment.

All poses are not for all bodies all the time

All the creativity in the world isn’t going to get someone with internally rotated thighs into Lotus comfortably or safely.  Sometimes poses simply aren’t appropriate or possible for certain bodies. Because of this, it can be tricky to foster an inclusive atmosphere in class.  It is fair to acknowledge that at some point, every one of us will be faced with physical limitations.  Then what?  What is the point of doing yoga?  What attitude do you take?

As a practitioner and a teacher, you should have answers to these questions.  Remember to take the opportunity to integrate other facets of the yoga practice such as breath control, meditation, or a philosophical point.  This also makes it possible to put a student in a different pose with a different anatomical purpose but sharing in the philosophical theme of the class.  Get your students to keep taking their focus inwards and not worry about what their mat neighbor is doing.

Share the purpose and encourage students to customize for their own individual benefit

Tell students the “why” in addition to the “how” of poses.  Once you’ve given the main alignment points of a pose, tell them why so they can work towards that in their own bodies.  Invite them to be curious about all aspects of the practice: physical, mental, spiritual.  In this way, even beginning students can learn more about their own strengths, limitations, and attitude.  From that foundation, they can notice the profound changes that they are manifesting in their own body and spirit in every moment, and gain confidence to customize their own yoga practice to suit their individual needs.

Do you encourage students to make their own modifications? How? What creative or unconventional approaches do you use in classes? 

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Flissy Saucier, RYT-200, empowers students to create a meaningful individual experience by providing a safe and nurturing space to explore the yoga practice. Grounded in the alignment principles of Anusara and Iyengar traditions, her unique approach to the yoga practice is inspired by her teachers, Erich Schiffmann (Freedom Style Yoga), Sadie Nardini (Core Strength Vinyasa), and Paul and Suzee Grilley (Yin Yoga).  Flissy teaches yoga in Columbia, MD.  You can follow her on Twitter @omchantress, or visit her on the web at www.omchantress.com.