u/RonSwanSong87

I am doing a month long series in August focusing on the different movements of the spine and this upcoming week is a focus on laterals / side bending.

The class is slow, breath centered, hatha-based, all levels and essentially a slight variation of the same class / format every time regardless of what the theme / focus is; I already know, generally, what poses I plan to offer and teach, so I'm not asking for suggestions necessarily, but I thought it made for a good discussion question / topic, at the very least.

Feel free to answer this from a teaching perspective and/or from a personal practice / favorites perspective. Also feel free to speak to any of the concepts of breath or internal awareness that go along with this, if that's how you approach it.

Just for reference - in no particular order, some of the postures I plan to share / work through in various ways are:

seated side bends, vajrasana / child's pose variations with single arm forward / arms stretching on angles, parighasana, trikonasana, parsvakonasana, standing crescent moon (name?), parivrrta janu sirsasana, matsya kridasana / flapping fish pose and there will be special attention given to working with abdominal engagement / contraction in conjunction with the breath.

From a personal practice perspective, my "favorite" laterals to practice are probably parighasana, trikonasana and matsya kridasana, though of course it depends on the day, etc.

What happened to this sub over the last few weeks?

Maybe I didn't get the memo that the last of our human online spaces are finally succumbing to the maya and avidya of real, live humans becoming overrun by spam and engagement bots and dead internet "theory". It has happened to many a sub here on Reddit over time, but i thought for the longest time that this sub had the potential to be a stronghold.

Surely I'm not the only one to notice the lack of earnest activity and uptick in spam & bot posting here recently?

Maybe it's time to start the virtual r/yogateachers sangha group that was discussed some months back in order to see who here remains and is actually real? It is becoming increasingly difficult and futile to determine who here on this platform is real and the practice of yoga is supposed to lead us in search of the truth, free of the illusion and misperception.

*mild edit* in lieu of most of the responses being about lower attendance in actual classes due to the time of year: I am specifically talking about activity on the r/yogateachers sub over the last few weeks, which has not only been less than half the quantity of previous stretches of the same time period, but also poorer quality overall as well, and has shown an increase in bot / spam posts over the normal baseline amount of that we get around here. I have been around this sub for a few years now and don't remember a trend like this before in previous Augusts or other times of year in terms of actual quality and activity of posts on this sub Reddit.

Not quite sure where to post this, though this seems as good a place as any (?)

I need some new t shirts and want to use this as an opportunity to grassroots market a few causes that I find incredibly important and valuable to highlight - namely the LLM mania / malarkey we all know and hate within big tech and the adjacent data center fuckery that continues to unfold.

I follow and listen to a number of original writers, journalists, researchers, etc (including EZ) within this field of critical tech, but have never paid attention to if any of them have ever had merch designed and made.

I would love to both share the messages of critiquing this AI / LLM madness while simultaneously supporting any of these folks (and any other designers who they may have employed to design the merch / clothing) and absolutely avoid the untraceable design slop economy that is surely running rampant on more open market websites like Etsy, red bubble, etc where I have sourced similar items (pre-LLM craze...)

Any thoughts or ideas?

This sub seems to have gone to sleep for the last handful of days...so a question / topic to maybe wake it up a bit:

In teaching group classes, I have experimented with a handful of different ways of organizing and structuring the "curriculum" of what I'm actually teaching / sharing. It has ranged from being a bit more spontaneous and not really planning out or knowing specifically what I'm going to be teaching in the next class until maybe the few days leading up to the class (and finding something of interest or relevance from my own personal practice, though not necessarily with a multi class / week plan of continuity...) to saying "this month we are focusing on ___ and we will take each week / class to explore a particular aspect of that subject" in a way that not only layers on to itself but also melds with depth into what subject came before it the last month and the subject I have in mind for the next month, etc...you know, like an actual class or planned curriculum when learning a subject.

As a teacher, I have found value and satisfaction in both ends of the spectrum, and have done some kind of in between versions as well that are still structured thematically but less committed to a multi-month curriculum plan.

There are, as always, other factors at play, but I have noticed that the attendance and retention rate / students returning week after week has been better and more consistent with the planned curriculum approach (in addition to me announcing at the beginning of each class a reminder of what we're doing this month and week and that we are studying in this "serialized" structure.) It is a bit of a chicken / egg situation, though, bc part of what held me back from doing more of this structured curriculum approach in the past was not ever knowing who was going to show up for drop in classes, and it being a real mix of people I knew from past classes and brand new (to me or to yoga) students.

It has also been more focused for me and basically eliminated that "what am I going to teach this week / class??" feeling that can sometimes creep in and wreak a bit of havoc. It also helps give some focus to my own ongoing studies, that are going to be there no matter what as a part of my own personal practice, but at times can feel scattered in direction / continuity.

There also seems to be a nice opportunity within the structured theme framework to explore specific concepts or techniques with a bit more depth that is related directly to that class's theme, bc you know that's what the focus is and maybe even why some are there. It feels like the depth is more appreciated and appropriate as compared to a more general class that may have a theme but not one that is necessarily tied to a larger focus.

I'm not saying any approach is better than the other bc, as always, it depends and on so many things and there are many paths; I can appreciate both approaches for different reasons...I am more just sharing and asking the group what your experiences with this subject have been.

For reference, in this context I am talking about a recurring weekly, studio, all levels "hatha" style drop in class and not a specific series or workshop, etc. The class itself is basically ~80% the same from class to class, and I use that last ~20% for variation on whatever the theme / subject is, typically. This is all very intentional for multiple reasons, but part of it is to help students know, at least on a basic level, what to expect. I suppose it's no surprise that laying out themes / specific curriculum in this particular context that is already built on that being central in the first place is appreciated by students.

I realize that all of this is a bit context dependent and some of you likely teach in different formats than recurring drop in classes. I have read some comments in the past here that some of you even plan out your curriculum for the entire year + or that some plan themes / curriculum in coordination with the seasons, etc.

Feel free to share any experiences, etc you have had with this topic.

We all know about this and how far down a different rabbit hole the fitness / trendy "yoga" styles continue to go. It seems many are content to not really fully acknowledge this reality or ask the questions bc many benefit / profit from this conflation and framing of yoga, so I can imagine this post might be met with some pushback...that's fine, I don't post here to be upvoted, but instead to ask real questions.

Yes, yoga as we know it has changed / evolved tremendously over the centuries, particularly the last one, and it is an interesting thing to study and compare / contrast in depth, which I have been doing for some years now...From an evolution / change perspective, I find the era we are in now equal parts fascinating as well as confusing. So many different, disparate things are being called yoga now that it is increasingly difficult to define the word even broadly if we are to take all of them as yoga.

Yoga has never been just one thing / from one place or source, but there are a collection of defining qualities that we could apply to a general definition of yoga that more broadly involves a mind practice of presence, awareness, discernment, truth and seeking clarity. Physical practices and techniques can, of course, aid in and be an important part of the yogic paths, but do not constitute the entirety of the practice.

i think it's worth asking -when did / do we reach the point of no return where we are so far from where we started that we don't even recognize the practice or whatever is sharing the same name anymore?

 How far into the weeds of "yoga is whatever I want it to be as long as postures (or whatever else...) are involved" can we venture before we lose the path and direction? 

These are legitimate questions...not rhetorical, and I'm not saying I know the answers...just asking the questions.

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One *suggestion* - what if we have new nomenclature that more accurately describes what is actually happening...what the goals and intentions are. I personally have no issues with these trendy styles of movement existing and thriving, more simply with the confusion and dilution it brings to yoga as a whole by falling superficially and culturally under the yoga namesake.

All pressure to fit within the inherently constrained box of actual yoga (like philosophy, intention, ethical principles, etc) can dissolve / release with a different name that doesn't attempt to rent the name and ride the coattails of the marketing legacy and clout of yoga.  It can be more of what it truly is without quasi-pretending to be yoga.  Yoga itself also has the chance to regain some clarity through this process as well.

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What should we call these alternative forms of movement that are largely devoid of the principles and philosophies of yoga, but borrow some of the physical shapes?

Flow Fitness?

Calisthenics flow?

Somatic Sweat / Stretch?

Pose Practice?

Idk, I'm just spitballing here...surely there are some clever marketing folks out there with catchy names.

Change starts with a single action / movement and grows from there and I know I'm not the only one out there with thoughts like this. I don't know the address of the yoga police or who to send this to, but just sharing here for discussion bc I think most would be better off with more clarity and proper names around all of this and less conflation with the full practice of yoga, which most of the trend stuff is not really well aligned with.

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In reference / continuation of discussions in a recent thread...

https://www.reddit.com/r/YogaTeachers/comments/1vcy42y/the_200hour_curriculum_might_be_doing_more_harm/

This post is an inquiry into exploring / asking questions about how we, as teachers, practice, how that practice may/may not make its way into our teaching, and how we view the role / point of teaching yoga. I'm going to go ahead and say that I'm not sure that there are "right" answers to any of these questions...only different approaches.

What is your personal practice like? How does it relate or compare / contrast with what you teach in classes / with students / however you teach?

Does your teaching come from the practice or the other way around? How much of your personal practice / study is focused on some element of class planning, if any?

What are some elements of your personal practice that may never be something you share directly with students / in class?

What guides or inspires your continued self study / education in a field of study that is essentially endless / several lifetimes of depth and breadth and how does that potentially change what you end up teaching over time? or not?

Take these questions at face value or to any degree of interpretation that makes sense to you. I am simply curious to read about other teachers' processes and experiences and asking reflective, thought-provoking questions.

I will try and give my own answer in the comments at some point.

I teach a weekly studio class and, lately, introducing a simple theme for the whole month (4-5 classes), almost like a series, but within the container of the normal weekly class with expansion on various aspects of the theme in each class for the month. I don't normally open up my class planning process to reddit, but am trying some things that are new to me and simply sharing to seek any feedback / guidance that may come as a result of sharing openly.

context - This is a truly all levels, slow, "hatha" style class that has a mix of more experienced folks alongside many who are new / newer to the practice; I like to try and share / teach elements of yoga that are foundational for the newer folks, but present them with enough space and optional depth that there is still something there for the more experienced folks as well. Up until somewhat recently, it felt like there were not enough of the same students returning week to week in order to build on sequential themes, but I think there is enough return students at this point that it makes sense for me to attempt to build classes / concepts on each other to at least a basic degree, anyway...

Last month, we went deeper into the breath - awareness around the diaphragm, as well as exploring more subtle qualities of the breath like steady breath, smooth breath, slow breath with ujjayi, etc.

This month I am planning 5 weeks around the different movements of the spine, and will ultimately be relating all of that back into the foundations and subtleties of the breath. The classes will likely be arranged, respectively, around spinal flexion, extension, laterals, twists, and as a culmination, I want to introduce the concept of vertical spinal extension / lengthening. If any of you are familiar with Vanda Scaravelli, she often talked about finding length in the spine by grounding down through the sacral and lumbar spine and extending / lengthening up in the thoracic and cervical, with a distinct point of focus at the lumbar / thoracic intersection; this is a framework of understanding that has made a real difference / impact in my own personal practice and am going to try and share / articulate is directly really for the first time here.

I have solid ideas from a pranic and postural sequencing point of view already about the direction I want to go in each class, so not asking for anyone to plan my classes for me, but am posting / sharing to seek any additional feedback or potential inspiration or thoughts or suggestions that come up from any of you when reading this. I know that I have blind spots and limited experience, so it can be useful to occasionally seek external feedback...even if I choose to not use it 🙃.

All of that to say, do any of you have any input / thoughts, whether it be around particular postures, concepts, etc, or experiences to share about similar structures of thematic teaching in general?

Those of you who study / are familiar with Ayurveda and take any stock in the concept of *dosha* / constitution and imbalances of them:

How often / much do you consider this both when designing and evaluating your own personal practice as well as what you may teach students?

I can use myself as a clear example of extremely kapha-dominant and the need for me to periodically include more dynamic movement in my own practice, despite naturally being perfectly happy with more stillness based practices that ultimately lead me deeper into kapha imbalance if unchecked.

...Or the pitta dominant who loves hot yoga a bit too much or the vata dominant who is addicted to really activating, fast and intense pranayama, etc, as 2 really basic and oversimplified examples.

I'm identifying this sense of complacency / familiarity / magnetism of going right to the "comfortable" practice that reinforces your natural tendencies, but may be a bit like a little too much of a good thing.

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Asking the questions more broadly: Why do we practice what we do?

How much are we evaluating our own states / imbalances and making informed decisions about the potential goals / intentions of practice in ways that bring about more balance as opposed to more intensified versions of a potentially imbalanced state?

What patterns are we potentially reinforcing with a personal practice that is more in auto-pilot than inspired by a sense of internal awareness, self knowledge and goal of balance / regulation?

How do you personally conceptualize / deal with this?

Does it makes its way into your teaching and if so, how do you account for the wide range of potential dosha types / imbalances and the reality that many do not necessarily have static dosha imbalances, but instead imbalances in ways that potentially shift and morph from day to day / dependent to various degrees on external factors and circumstance.

This is something that I do think about to some degree when teaching. What I have observed, at least anecdotally, is that most students who I am coming across tend to be some mix of vata and/or pitta dominant and struggle with slow, still and quiet...what I naturally offer from the kapha end is a nice antidote for many of them, but I don't know how universal this is, despite it feeling like the world at large is going increasingly in these less grounded directions. Ultimately, what I aim for overall is a Sattvic practice, though I am self-aware enough to know that it comes througy a deeply kapha lens.

Taking this a step or two further and extrapolating a bit now: Having studied in great detail and depth over the years about spiritual abuse of power in so many gurus / teachers in yoga, I can't help but wonder if some of that behavior was a result of these teachers (who do generally also practice yoga themselves, after all...) indulging a bit too much in their comfort zones of practices that likely kept them swirling with more of the imbalanced, ungrounded, fiery, airy, intoxicating energy that led to delusions of power, abusive / poor decision making and patterns of abuse that emerged as a result. Not saying this is *the* reason for all of that, but just suggesting that something along these lines *could* be a factor.

There's a lot more to explore and discuss here, but I'll just leave it here for now in hopes of leaving some space for others to add their own thoughts and experiences.

Thoughts, questions, comments?

This is something I have noticed casually for a long time, and the other post here this morning about someone wanting to stop teaching / feeling immense pressure to "perform" reminded me of it.

Though I personally do not really fit this mold, I have noticed a fairly strong overlap in many yoga teachers, particularly many of the famous, "successful", charismatic and captivating ones, between a previous background in performance of some type - drama, dance, music, etc - and "success / comfort" in yoga teaching as a career, despite performance really being unrelated to the practice of yoga itself, and in some ways, embodying / representing the opposite of it and the mindset required to "perform". This juxtaposition / paradox that exists when you bring teaching, more in group style classes than 1 on 1, etc into the mix and the tendencies of adopting various forms of "performance" in order to share a practice that is, in many ways, encouraging the opposite of performance is notable...

This isn't really surprising once you note the connection and analyze why.

I grew up as a musician, though the performance aspect of it was always my least favorite part by far - always preferring the internal flow state and inherent healing in getting lost in the music - and is what ultimately drove me away from continuing my music studies in college. I have noticed similar aversions in yoga teaching - potential overwhelm / anxiety and even disgust at times with the format of group classes and the fact that all students in class are focused on and paying attention to me, as someone who is deeply introverted, struggles with social anxiety and does not have a background in public speaking. I have designed my classes and teaching experience in ways that help counteract and mitigate this "pressure" and expectation by making it all about each individual's experience, among many other things , and have reached a place of relative comfort with it, but it isn't necessarily easy or natural.

I'm curious if others here have thought more about this, maybe coming from a more direct background in performance yourself (?) and how that may affect / impact not just your yoga teaching but also if you see teaching itself as another type or version of a performance or not?

This is a subject that I hold with me consistently, but it doesn't always make its way into the external as much as it could, so just posting here to help externalize it a bit more and maybe prompt some discussion. Also *guru purnima* is coming up in about a week, so this is not wholly irrelevant with regard to that. I am more of a secular / post-lineage practitioner and teacher, but can still honor and appreciate the intentions of many of the vedic / buddhist traditions. In a more general sense, *guru purnima* is often known as "teacher's day" and happens on the full moon around the June/July timeframe each year, if you are unfamiliar.

I often reflect on how much my teachers continue to offer and give to students...not just me, as someone they are mentoring, but all students who cross their path. I would not be where I am today without the compassion and generosity of a select handful of teachers I have had over the years, a few of which I still see and learn from regularly. There are also some who I will never engage with or directly learn from again, by choice, and any here who know my posts will know that I am very critical of spiritual abuse / abuse of power in the student / teacher dynamic, but those teachers that are true, humble and compassionate with their time and wisdom are real and deserve acknowledgment.

I don't really have a question or anything elaborate to say other than maybe just to offer a gentle reminder to think of and acknowledge your true teachers in some way and reflect on everything they have offered to you as a student / learning teacher over time. We are all students of something / someone, even when we, ourselves, teach.

We have been having some discussions recently in the yoga teacher sub r/YogaTeachers about noticing steady declines in yoga class attendance with many citing high / rising class costs amidst an increasingly expensive world and many simply not being able to afford yoga classes, particularly with how much "free" content is available online, among other factors.

I'm curious, here among this more general yoga audience, what a yoga class costs on average where you live.

Have costs increased lately and has this affected your attendance / commitment?

At what price point does a yoga class seem too much / out of reach?

I think reasonable context at a minimum would be including if this is a drop in rate, some type of class pack / membership rate and if this is a low, medium or high cost of living area.

Additional context may be what type / style of class and if it's a local or corporate place of business.

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My answer - in my general area ( somewhere between Low to MCOL semi rural, college / resort / vacation area), drop ins range from $15-20 and multi class packages are typically in the $8-15 per class range. Various styles, all smaller, locally owned businesses.

I pay $11 per class and typically attend on average 1 studio class per week at the same small, locally owned studio with non-heated, non hybrid 75-90 min classes. I always practice at home first and foremost, but I am also a teacher and "know what to do" and really only attend classes for the community aspect and/or to support other local teachers.

For me, anything over $20 cost per normal class would be considered too much (personally, in this area) and would be reserved for very special occasion and particular teachers that I already know and trust.

edit - thanks to everyone for all the responses so far. too many for me to reply to, but at least we all have some form of data points for 2026 and can see that pricing is all over the map.

From reading them all, it seems like the median price is ~$20-30 per class for drop ins and unlimited members are also quite common with really wide ranging prices.

I'm looking for a bit of feedback on a weekly class I lead and/or just felt like sharing some of my process that I go through when planning, etc. Disclaimer - this is long / detailed...don't bother if you're looking for TL/DR type content.

Context: I feel like I have a lot that could be openly shared here, but sometimes hold off (for a wide variety of reasons) and then read/hear feedback here from time to time along the lines of "I am a new teacher / in training and what you've shared has been so helpful.". I'm sure others here who share have received similar feedback...all of this to say there are a couple of different reasons I'm choosing to type this out, and feel free to offer feedback, critique, etc if you feel compelled and/or ask clarifying questions, etc. There is a lot shared in this sub about a wide variety of topics around teaching yoga, but sometimes it feels like there could be more discussion / sharing around some of the nitty gritty of actually teaching, so this post is in the spirit of that. If nothing else, often times there is value and insight in simply typing out what you typically keep internalized and the process of clarifying enough to share with others is useful.

I practice / teach what i'd call "post lineage" but have studied in the ashtanga vinyasa, viniyoga, integral traditions as well as with restorative / therapeutic yoga more generally. Lots more context below the sequence.

The most recent class was essentially the following:

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Intro - 5 mins - brief explanation of both what to expect (if any new ppl) and what the optional focus / context of this class is, ex: tethering focus of the mind to the breath in each moment and exploring the qualities of what makes a "steady" breath

Grounding / breathwork - 10 mins - supported supine position with block on belly to explore diaphragmatic breathing, ujjayi, eventually introducing breath to movement arm raises / lowers and option to add in legs -> apanasana

Warm up - 10 mins - supta padanghustasana (strap) L+R, all 4s -> child's pose (returning to belly breathing) -> up to cat/cows -> down dog -> option to roll forward into plank / cobra / upward dog (back and forth a handful of times with breath initiating mvmt) -> anjaneyasana (w/ option to revolved version)

Standing / Balance- 20 mins - tadasana -> inhaling arms up & down w/ breath -> surya namaskar variation (x1, s l o w) -> standing sequence = virabhadrasana II, trikonasana, parsvakonasana, prasarita padottanasana variation) L+R -> balance - exploration of variations / modifications of hasta padanghustasana (with strap / wall, etc for support) and lots of options given , L+R

Middle / transition down towards seated - 10 mins - deer / pigeon pose (multiple options / variations shown with props) L+R -> malasana w/ twists (seated squat variation offered) -> 1-2 mins of "free time" for students to either rest, play around with any other postures and/or do whatever it feels their body needs to do - many go to child's pose or supine rest, sometimes others explore arm balances, etc.

Seated / cool down - 15 mins - dandasana -> janu sirsasana A (L+R w/ counter of pursvottanasana variations in between), hindolasana -> fire log (variations & props offered) L+R -> countered with block / bolster supported matsyasana, apanasana -> supta ardha matsyendrasana (L+R) -> bridge pose options / variations -> viparita karani (option for really any inversion that student chooses - varies by student typically between block supported bridge, legs up the wall, sarvangasana or sirsasana, etc)

Finishing - 20 mins - back to seated for yoga mudra -> bhu mudra -> nadi shodana / anuloma viloma -> savasana -> trataka meditation -> aum

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More context, bc giving a sequence without outlining true context is useless, imo: I teach a weekly ~90 min studio class that I have complete autonomy over in terms of how I design and teach it. It began as a regular class that morphed out of a beginner series...wanting to offer something weekly that was at least designed to be accessible to beginners (bc the studio didn't really have a good class for that at the time), but also be a place where more experienced students / other teachers could come and have flexibility and space to explore in a slow and open environment.

It is described as / intended to be an intentionally slow and accessible class that anyone can show up to and find something of value in, which I do think I have accomplished, as challenging as it has been to offer a truly "all levels" class. It is centered around grounding, repetition, breath awareness / focus, building interoception, agency, autonomy and discernment and eventually regulation and stillness and is basically a hatha style / slow flow class, for lack of a better description...it is also described as trauma informed and neurodivergence-informed/affirming, as I have lived experience, training in and a deep passion for supporting both approaches. I demonstrate *most* of the class in some form, often showing variations / optional modifications and tend to use / show / cue a lot of prop use as a baseline. I do not touch students during class, but am happy to work with students before / after class on individual questions or concerns they might have.

The structure of the class itself does not change and is typically about ~80% the same, with the ~20% variation generally coming in the form of different postures or variations in certain parts of class (and sometimes related to or building on something similar from previous weeks) - warm up, standing balance, seated / folds, twists, supine during cool down being those parts of class with the others staying exactly the same intentionally.

I typically come into class with a slightly different / nuanced optional point of focus or context for the class that I introduce at the beginning, simply to help contextualize for students what some of the points of reference can be beyond simple practicing postures. Most postures are held for min of 5+ breathes, though it's hard to generalize - the class is s l o w. The class has largely stayed the same, but occasionally I will add in new stuff that I have learned and experienced enough in my own practice to feel confident in sharing within the framework of the class. For example, the more I have continued to study and explore therapeutic forms of yoga, the more that tends to influence and work its way into the class

There are continuous reminders for students' to move with their own breath / pace and to modify / customize postures to what students are feeling in their bodies at that moment and that what I'm offering is simply a baseline / guide and open for interpretation - some students choose to pull back and go in a more restorative direction and others choose to push a bit more physically and practice with a bit more intensity and the variation is encouraged. There is also intentional instrumental music at a reasonable volume that is aligned with the energetic properties of the asana / class.

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The feedback that I tend to get (when it happens) is that the class is supportive, simple to follow, accessible, spacious, grounding, regulating, helps people remember their breath and helps them feel like they're practicing with intention. The other feedback (that I haven't heard directly, but can assume based on who chooses to return to class and who doesn't) is that folks who are looking to be pushed / led through a physically challenging flow are probably underwhelmed / bored / not feeling pushed enough for a tough workout.

What I have noticed over time is that the classes that feel the best from an energetic standpoint are those with a student base that is mostly ~40+, might be dealing with / recovering from an injury and shows up with the expectation and desire for a slow and intentional class. I know very well that we all can uniquely share what *we* know and practice and not every teacher / class is for every student. I don't try to be what I'm not for students who show up for a physically demanding / fast class and sometimes that leads to (non verbal) awkwardness in class, LOL but I am ok with that.

If you're reading this and have thoughts, suggestions, inspiration, etc to share in terms of postures or beyond that comes out in the form of suggestions, etc please feel free to add your 2 cents. Likewise, if you have questions, comments, critiques, etc I am also here for that. As per usual, I'm simply trying to uphold a level of authentic sharing and communication here in this sub, being that the online world is growing increasingly synthetic, manipulated and divisive as time goes on.

Disclaimer: The title is not "fact", but instead my anecdotal experience, opinion and general observation.

I think that yoga teaching / yoga as something that people can / want to pay for as a service or experience is on the decline and heading into a quieter phase.

Of course, we all know that true yoga from inside of us and within our own personal practices will never die and always able to be with us; I'm talking about the part of the "yoga industry" in terms of classes, teacher trainings, retreats, experiences, etc that students pay for in order to experience.

I could point to the reckoning and longer term effects of several things that have likely contributed to this over time to help us arrive at where we are now. I think yoga teaching as a career probably peaked about ~10 or so years ago, but these things can be hard to see in the moment sometimes. I think looking at things in retrospect, it's almost easy to see why / how this may be the case and it almost makes sense, as much as I don't really want this to be the case as a yoga teacher, but...

This below is all speculative on my part, but in the last ~10-15 years (or less) we have seen the dawn of or rise in the following that I think have all contributed to this:

YT / app / digital yoga "instruction" that is very cheap, if not free. We all know it's not even comparable to in person and specialized instruction / practice, but on the surface to the masses it can be tough to compete with

Guru abuse scandals / MeToo movement hitting yoga in a really hard and critical way and repeatedly over a sustained period of time enough to destabilize public trust in the practice and prompt many important and critical questions

Covid not only changing social protocol / order but also killing a lot of in person business / studios / teaching opportunities

Rise in strength-based practices in correlation with authoritarian / fa$cist type political movements. Don't want to say too much here and get this post deleted, but look into this on your own for more on this

Pilates / hot-fitness explosion diverting a large chunk of more physically-oriented practitioners away from yoga - may or may not be related to the previous point

Economic disparity / instability / inflation / late stage capitalism...what do we call what has been happening lately ??

Rise in so called "AI" mentality (that is somewhat of an extension of big tech social media manipulation) that creates false answers / experiences, more isolation and less embodiment or capacity for silence, stillness and critical thought

Influencer fatigue - seriously, who wants to see more yoga poses shown off on social media anymore?

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Anyone else have thoughts to share on this or even direct experiences or evidence that points to the contrary and having experiences teaching yoga that contradict what I'm outlining?

I still think that it is important and valuable to be able to show up and share / teach yoga with those who really want and need to learn some of what it potentially has to offer, and I feel fortunate to still be able to do that in a limited but consistent capacity . I am also quite relieved that I am not attempting to pay my bills teaching yoga as my family would starve.

I also don't think that this is necessarily a "bad" thing and that all things expand and contract in popularity, visibility, perceived value, etc, but it may force some changes for those that do rely on this industry to pay their bills...or not (?) i don't have a crystal ball, but things are not generally heading in a trajectory of growth based on my study and experiences.

Don't take this too seriously if you don't want to...This is not a "the sky is falling!" post, as a lot of this has been at play for a while now...I'm just sharing some thoughts that swim around in my head here and there bc the sub has been pretty quiet the past few days.

I thought it might be interesting and informative for us to discuss, compare and contrast how we teach savasana, given how it may be the one pose that has transcended basically all modern lineages and styles of yoga and is something found, in one way or another, in basically every modern yoga class or experience.

Some questions that come up when thinking about all the different ways I've experienced the pose as a student:

How much, if any, historical or yogic context or explanation do you give when guiding students into the pose?  ie: this is what savasana is and/or this is why we're doing this, etc

Do you frame / contextualize it as a "goal-oriented" practice or let students find their own meaning and experience with it?

Do you give alignment cues or corrections or take more of a hands-off approach by encouraging students to find their own version of ease in the pose?

Do you talk / verbally guide students through the entire length of practicing the pose or prefer to remain mostly silent?

Do you touch students during the pose?

Do you use music or other noise during the pose or practice in silence?

How long do you tend to offer it in a class format (and maybe include how long the class itself is as well)?

It may be useful / interesting context to include what style or lineage class(es) you teach as well.

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I know I have developed my own preferences around teaching savasana that have been informed from practicing as a student as well as teaching it over time, but I'm curious how others choose to teach it, why and whatever discussion may come from that.  Maybe I will include my own answer in a separate reply below.

As per usual, I'm just trying to stimulate interesting and real conversation and discussion here on the sub. Feel free to answer any of the questions I asked above and/or disregard and give your own answer that may or may not have anything to do with my questions.

I will try to keep this short...maybe we can discuss / share some of the yoga that comes up directly from the process of *teaching yoga* ?

What I mean by this is identifying / acknowledging the parts of teaching that challenge us to put our yoga practice and yogic living / philosophy into complicated and dynamic action. I will try and start off with a few fresh examples that I have seen here recently in different discussions / questions.

The most recent thread on students setting up at the back of the room (or wherever they want / need for various reasons) and the amount of replies that are different versions of teachers uncomfortable with students having full agency and autonomy over their practice in the space of a yoga class (or whatever else might be going on there...) is one topical example.

Another example is a recent thread along the lines of lack of feedback from students and a newer teacher feeling an uncomfortable lack of validation, etc from not receiving as much feedback verbally from students.

Both of these scenarios and the discomfort around them directly relate to *vairagya* and the practice of non-attachment to the ultimate results of our actions, despite the uncertainty and discomfort. There are certainly more philosophical expansions and paths to go down here if anyone wanted to take it farther; I will leave it there for now.

I find it helpful to remind ourselves that we are all still students and that every time we show up to "teach", there is just as much potential for the students to "teach" us and/or help reinforce what we are still learning and working on.

For the sake of discussion, etc - what are some other ways that the process and experience of teaching yoga reminds us that we are still actually students and can always be learning and practicing even as we "teach" / share yoga with others?

Edited to add: due to the recent proliferation of AI slop and my distaste for it...I feel compelled to add that this is decidedly *not* AI engagement slop and I am genuinely curious how others think about this and interested in any discussion folks here might want to offer. Those of you who hang around here regularly will likely know my style of posting, but just a clarification / fyi.

I am always trying to refine how I share things with students and learn new ways to contextualize and present / explain simple yet subtle concepts in an attempt to be inclusive and accessible and continue to highlight the aspects of yoga that really feel important to share.

I tend to focus quite a bit on the breath in the asana classes that I teach, but I am not always talking specifically about the diaphragm or calling it out by name or talking directly / out loud about why you'd want to breath with awareness and full use of the diaphragm. I want to start being a bit more intentional and direct about it bc I personally think it's very important and foundational.

Some ways that I already focus on diaphragmatic breathing / calling some level of attention to the diaphragm, even if indirectly, just for example:

- starting each class with ~3+ mins of some type of pranayama or breath exercise that is essentially variations of diaphragmatic breathing as a grounding / centering device - things like deergha swasam pranayama (3 pt yogic breathing), "belly breathing" with a block on the abdomen or lying prone in makarasana and feeling the belly press against the floor on inhale.

- encouraging lengthening of the spine / extending on inhale (to help allow diaphragm to fully move down) and folding / contraction / twisting / etc in exhale...very simple but crucial to remind / teach, imo.

-encouraging ujjayi and focusing on deepening / slowing / extending breath in general, though this is not necessarily directly related to diaphragmatic breathing, it certainly can be.

I have some other techniques and areas of focus that I tend to bring out from time to time as well like tadagi mudra, maha bandha or other retention based practices, but I don't always teach those in a mixed level / accessible class for various reasons.

What are some ways that y'all specifically teach diaphragmatic breathing / awareness of and "practice" using the diaphragm?