How I make my classes accessible

Recently I was asked to teach a class at a local festival. Whilst I was pleased to be asked, I was particularly pleased because in conversation with festival staff they said they had looked at a few teachers websites and liked the way that mine felt accessible and inclusive for all members of the community.

This is what I aim to provide – approachable, accessible yoga.

It’s been several years now since I trained as a yoga teacher – first as a postnatal and baby yoga teacher, then as a teacher for adults and finally as a pre-natal yoga teacher. The skill to teaching comes with experience. As I’ve focussed on teaching several classes a week across these three communities since 2013 I’ve gained so much experience in what people need to find a healthy and happy yoga practice that suits them. Yes it’s nice to be able to touch your toes, do a sun salutation or sit cross legged, but actually many students are put off before they start because they know they can’t do these things easily or even at all. I often hear people say ‘I’m not flexible enough’.

Each of my areas of teaching bring different needs and ways to make yoga accessible and fun. Over time I’ve learned lots of ways to adapt key poses, how to give options to students to work in a pose more comfortably, confidently and to learn how to adapt their yoga to their own changing body whether that’s pre to postnatal, general ageing, different levels of energy or navigating injury.

Each week something new comes up for a student and a new adaptation appears – this is the joy of yoga, it can work for anyone at anytime.

Over the last few years my teaching has inevitably evolved and changed, not only through experience but because my own yoga practice has evolved and changed as I age, as my family life changes, and I learn more through trainings and classes with my teachers. I’ve never been a yoga student desperate to stand on their head, do 101 sun salutations or be able to do the splits. I’m happy to work where my body needs me to, to learn and adapt to the things I need at any given time. Sometimes I need a gentle moving practice to ease my body and mind, sometimes meditation or yoga nidra to be still, sometimes a stronger flowing practice which challenges me physically. This is my yoga practice – to do the yoga that works for me, whenever I need it.

I teach such a range of ages in my classes – from 8 weeks to 80+ years! Each person is unique, and I love to see them enjoy their yoga and find the right way to practice for their body and mind.

I still have a teaching focus on alignment, finding each pose carefully and being aware of how it feels. My teacher training was very focused on pose alignment, how to teach them well and safely. Today I still offer this, but with more invitation – try the pose this way, if you do it this way instead how does it feel,? Which is better for you? - we’re still working with alignment, and safely, but this empowers each student to do what is best for them. There is not one pose fits all.

I am also now committed to making poses as accessible as possible.

I don’t teach really complex poses, instead I teach  a variety of key (but not always simple, and definitely not always easy!) yoga poses that give an all round practice, a challenge and a sense of achievement whether someone is new to class or has been coming for years. I always offer a few variations to poses, and sometimes we spend time with one pose doing it seated, standing, lying down, using a prop or the wall for support. Then students have a better idea of which works best for them and I encourage them to do them that way if that suits them better than the regular version. I do occasionally drop in a more complex or trickier pose to class, but always with options/variations or an invitation to rest or skip the pose if needed.

Pre and postnatal yoga and yoga for baby have their own set of poses and movement, based on traditional yoga poses but with key variations which suit and support the pre or postnatal body, or of course baby. It is my weekly pleasure to support new mums (and the occasional Dad) to listen to, work with, and feel good in their body. 

Sensing, and feeling and understanding how your body feels through the continual changes of pregnancy and through your postnatal recovery is so important. Your journey through pregnancy, labour and birth is as unique as you and your baby. Supporting your pregnant body and it's postnatal recovery is unique to you. I aim to make sure everyone who attends pre and postnatal classes with me feels empowered as they learn to approach their journey  in their own way, realistically and with positivity. This makes for happy and supportive classes which build communities of new parents and help everyone feel confident and build trust in their body.

Lots of my students are seniors. Many have been doing yoga for a lot longer than me! I teach my daytime classes at a gentle pace and plan classes so that we move and find our poses on all levels – sitting, standing and lying down - but the movement from one level to the other happens slowly and we’re not up and down off the floor over and again or doing fast paced sun salutations! We use props, the wall and sometimes chairs too to enjoy our yoga practice in a confident way to support healthy ageing. All ages are welcome in my daytime classes as the gentle approach works for all.   Actually, I often use things from my more gentle classes for my other students – props, walls and chairs can really enhance anyone’s practice.

Above all I want anyone who comes to my class to feel that they can enjoy some yoga, that they can challenge themselves if they want to, or take things more simply. I want my students to feel good in their body and to be confident in how to do a yoga pose in the best way for them without feeling like they are missing out.

Being able to do downward facing dog is not what yoga is about. Yoga is about an awareness of where we are at in any one given time, an ability to know what we need for our body and mind in that moment, and to enjoy what we can do in the best way we can. This creates a wonderful supportive atmosphere in class, no judgements, just enjoyment.  Then we leave class feeling fabulous.

If, as a teacher I can help my students to feel that way every time they come to class, I know that I am doing my job well.