Ep 102: Sequencing for Your Students’ Needs

In this episode, let's explore how to identify your class’s true purpose. Including the physical, functional, and nervous system outcomes you intend for your students to experience. We’ll discuss how to move from creativity-based sequencing to need-based sequencing, how to plan for injuries and limitations, and why simplicity and clarity often make the most powerful classes.

This episode will help you stop doubting your choices as a teacher, gain confidence through clarity, and start sequencing in a way that supports the real-life students in your classes.

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Episode Transcript

Monica (00:02):
When it comes to sequencing, sometimes we place
unnecessary pressure onourselves to make every class
exciting or completely new.
But your students don't actuallyneed all those bells and
whistles instead, and moreimportantly, they need
structure.
They need to know that you careand they need your thoughtful

(00:25):
guidance.
That means you might very wellhave to deviate from your
initial sequence.
That you plan for class andoffer them something more
supportive.
Sequencing with purpose helpsyou feel grounded in your
teaching because you know whyyou're doing what you're doing.
In this episode, we explore whatit really means to sequence yoga

(00:50):
classes with intention that goesbeyond just being creative or
using someone else's framework.
Welcome to the EssentialConversations for Yoga Teachers
Podcast with me.
I'm Monica Bright and I've beenteaching yoga and running my
yoga business for over a decade.

(01:10):
This is the podcast for you.
If you are a yoga teacher,you're looking for support.
You love to be in conversation,and you're a lifelong student.
In this podcast, I'll share withyou.
My life as a yoga teacher, thelessons I've learned, my process
for building my business andhelpful ideas, tools, strategies

(01:34):
and systems I use and you canuse so that your business
thrives.
We'll cover a diverse range oftopics that will help you,
whether you're just starting outor you've got years under your
belt and you wanna dive deep andset yourself up for success.
I am so glad you're here.

(01:54):
Listen, I don't take myself tooseriously, so expect to hear
some laughs along the way.
Now let's do this together.
Welcome back to the podcast.
I'm Monica, and I'm so gladyou're here.
Here we talk about the anatomy,the injuries, the nervous

(02:15):
system, insights, plus all thereal life knowledge you wish had
been included in your teachertraining.
I wanna start this conversationby acknowledging something that
I hear from yoga teachers allthe time.
They say.
I'm never really sure if mysequences make sense.
That feeling of uncertainty isso common when you're new to

(02:40):
teaching or even if you're yearsinto it.
Sequencing can feel like aguessing game sometimes.
Maybe you spend hours creating.
Creative flows, but then whenclass begins, you are not sure
how it's all going to land withthe students who came to class.
You might wonder if it's toohard, too easy, or if it's

(03:02):
helping the students in the waythat you had initially hoped.
That it would.
The truth is most of us werenever actually taught how to
sequence with clear purpose.
Many teacher trainings focus oncreativity, memorizing sequences
or following a certain lineagesframework.

(03:24):
But few trainings take the timeto break down how to sequence
for function, how to teach forreal, varied.
Human bodies and nervous systemsin the room.
So we end up drawing from memoryinspiration or what feels good
in our own bodies.
But the reality is what feelsgood to one student may not feel

(03:47):
supportive for another.
Sequencing with purpose beginswith understanding why you are
choosing each pose.
Every class should have anintention, not just
thematically, butbiomechanically and
energetically.
Think about the conditions yourstudents have in class.

(04:07):
Are they office workers who sitmost of the day and need hip
extension and upper backmovement?
Are they active individuals whoneed recovery and
downregulation?
Purposeful sequencing means thatevery transition, every pose,
and every rest periodcontributes to the outcome you

(04:29):
want for each class.
When I mentor yoga teachers, Ioften ask them, what are you
preparing your students for?
And often the answer is, Well, Idon't know.
I just wanted to make somethingcreative.
That's an honest response, andit's okay if that's where you
are, But creativity can'treplace clarity without a

(04:52):
purpose.
Sequences can feel disjointed orconfusing to your students even
when you've written them out inyour journal, one way to shift
into purposeful sequencing is tostart with function rather than
form.
Instead of thinking about whatposes to include, start with
what you want your students tofeel.

(05:13):
What you want them to strengthenor maybe just what you want them
to learn in your class.
Maybe your focus is on hipmobility or nervous system
regulation or balance andstability.
Once you know that purpose, youcan reverse engineer your class
to support it.
Choose movements that logicallyprepare their bodies and their

(05:36):
nervous system for where you'reheaded.
And remember that the goal pose,or we like to call it the peak
pose, sometimes is rarely thepoint.
It's the experience along theway that matters most.
Something else I often see isteachers that are trying to fit
every pose into one class, butsimplicity is actually a

(05:59):
hallmark of mastery.
Sequencing with purpose oftenmeans stripping away what's
unnecessary.
For example, if your focus isspinal mobility, you don't need
a dozen different transitionsand poses.
You just need to teach studentsto move with awareness through a
smaller, more thoughtful set ofmovements.

(06:23):
Repetition isn't boring whenit's intentional.
It's how students learn to movebetter and understand their own
bodies more deeply.
Another key part of sequencingis adaptability.
Every class will have studentswith variations in ability,
mobility, and sometimes eventheir pain levels.

(06:44):
A purposeful sequence doesn'tmean it has to be rigid.
It means having a clear planthat can flex and be fluid.
As it's needed.
When you understand the purposebehind your poses, it's easier
to modify or substitute on thespot because you know what each
pose is doing functionally.

(07:06):
For example, if someone can't dodownward facing dog because of
wrist pain, you know that thepurpose is shoulder flexion,
arms overhead, and spineelongation These intentions can
be achieved another way.
Like using either a wallvariation or with knees down,
queuing students to push theirhips back towards their heels.

(07:30):
Students with pain and injuriesare in your classes, whether you
realize it or not, yet.
A lot of yoga teachers feelunsure about how to support
these students, and rightfullyso because you weren't taught
how to purposeful sequencingmeans you plan for these
variations in advance.
Ask yourself, how can I includethe student who might have hip

(07:54):
pain without isolating them ordisrupting the flow?
It can be as simple as layeringyour cues, offering a variation
for anyone who needs it withoutdrawing attention to it, and
purposeful sequencing alwaysprioritizes safety and inclusion
over aesthetics.

(08:14):
And then there's a nervoussystem component, which often
gets overlooked.
In traditional sequencingmodels, the nervous system
governs how students perceivesafety.
Balance and effort.
If your sequencing is too fast,if it's too abrupt or too
stimulating, without enough timeand space for recovery, students

(08:38):
may leave your classes feelingdysregulated.
Even if they loved thechallenge.
Purposeful sequencing weaves inmoments of rest, awareness and
breath so that students canintegrate movement on both a
physical and a neurologicallevel.
This is what transforms a goodclass into an effective one.

(09:02):
I had love for you to reflectfor a moment and maybe even
journal about this.
When you plan a sequence, whatare you thinking about first?
Are you focused on how creativeit looks, or are you thinking
about what your students needmost that day?
Do you take into account what'sgoing on in the world and how it

(09:26):
might have an effect on yourstudents?
How often do you pause toconsider the nervous system
effects of your pacing andtransitions, and what would you
change if you started each classby asking, what is my purpose
today you know, oftentimes weplace unnecessary pressure on

(09:48):
ourselves to make every classexciting or completely new.
But your students don't need allthe bells and whistles instead,
and more importantly, they needstructure.
They need to know that you care,and they need to know that you
can guide them.
Thoughtfully throughout theclass.

(10:08):
That means you might very wellhave to deviate from your
initial plan for class and offersomething more supportive.
Sequencing with purpose helpsyou feel grounded in your
teaching because you know whyyou're doing what you're doing.
It helps your students feelseen, supported, and capable in
their practice.

(10:28):
This is huge.
If you take one thing from thisepisode, let it be this.
Purposeful sequencing isn'tabout creating everything
perfectly, it's more about theconnection and clarity you offer
students and the compassion theyfeel from you.
When you teach with intention,your confidence grows naturally.

(10:51):
Your students trust in youdeepens, and your classes become
memorable And that feeling lastslong after they come outta
Shavasana.
So the next time you sit down toplan your class, don't start by
thinking about poses.
Start by thinking about yourstudents.
Think about the real bodies andthe real life experiences that

(11:15):
they have that will be in theclasses with you.
When you teach from that place,you'll never have to guess
again.
Ask yourself, how can I makethis sequence more accessible
for students with pain orphysical limitations?
And what opportunities fornervous system regulation have I

(11:36):
included?
Your next step is simple.
Choose one sequence that youalready have and build it around
one clear intention.
Keep your sequence focused,purposeful, and adaptable over
time.
This intentional approach willstrengthen your confidence and
transform the way your studentsexperience yoga.

(12:00):
Understanding anatomy,biomechanics, and the effects
yoga Asana have on the bodyhelps you help your students.
If you've been enjoying theseepisodes, I know that you are a
yoga teacher who's ready toteach with more intention and
less fear around injuries.
Let's continue to raise the barfor how yoga supports real

(12:21):
bodies in real life.
It's so important for us to havethis conversation so that you
remember that students of allshapes, sizes, alignment, and
abilities come to your classesand you can serve all of them.
You know that my goal for you isto love the yoga teaching life.
It's important to understandmovement and the issues students

(12:43):
come to your classes with.
Subscribe to the podcast soyou're always in the know when a
new episode drops.
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to be in on these conversations.
And finally, thank you forhelping to spread the word about
this podcast.
All right.
Thank you for listening.
I'm excited to hear about howyour sequencing might shift a

(13:06):
little bit.
That's it for now.
Bye.