There are many added benefits of combining Yoga with a running routine. The muscle wear and tear experienced after a long run can be counterbalanced with stretching which is an integral part of Yoga. This in turn also helps build balance and strength in the body, making it possible for runners to enjoy their runs while being free of pain and injury.

As teachers, we understand that a consistent yoga practice makes us more aware of our body. This is especially useful for runners, as sometimes endorphins released during a run can mask signals of pain sent by the body. The mind-body awareness cultivated during Yoga thus helps runners be more intuitive to these signals sent by their body.

Most importantly, Yoga poses are great for relieving tight hips and hamstrings, while the building upper body strength and maintain good running form.

Yoga for runners is a niche yoga group and it can be easy to start teaching these classes in your vicinity. One of the best times to take advantage and organise Yoga for runner’s classes is during Marathon season. Keep your eyes open for your city’s Marathon or running calendar and organise a set of classes as a build up towards race day. Another option you can explore is the idea of a ‘Yoga for runners’ workshops. They can be planned along with Marathon sponsors and help spread the word amongst participants.

Getting in touch with local run clubs and teaching a few classes every week can also convince the runners about the recovery power of Yoga.

Warm up: Since runners are used to the warm up and cool down involved in runs, it’s nice to take a leaf of inspiration from this sequence into your class plans. Start off your Yoga for runners class with a good warm up. Sun salutations being the most obvious option, try and mix up the classic sun salutations by increasing and decreasing the tempo of each round.

Hamstrings & Hips: The most essential areas to focus on while planning a yoga for runners class are the hips and hamstrings. Poses like Knee to Chest Pose, followed by Reclining Big Toe Pose can be held for a longer time as they work on relaxing tight hamstrings. Other reclining poses like Eye of the Needle and Happy Baby Pose are extremely effective in opening the hips and releasing any stored tension. Other hip opening poses you can include into your yoga class plans are One-Legged Pigeon Pose, Prayer Squat Pose and Butterfly Pose.

Lunges are a runner’s best friend: One group of poses which are great to strengthen the legs are lunges. Warrior pose I, II and III are a great combination to add to any class plan.  Also, combining them with High Lunge, Low and Reverse Lunge Pose can add more variety and challenge the runners to work on their strength.

Yoga postures for Upper Body Strength: Runners have good lower body strength as the most commonly used muscle groups while running are the quads, calves, hip flexors, hamstrings and glutes. As a Yoga teacher, it is important to include poses that work the core and upper body strength. This allows for a good balance in the body and also improve the range of motion.

Breathwork: Most Yoga for runners classes skip pranayama altogether, as it’s assumed that the poses are sufficient to work on recovery. There are several benefits to including a small window of time in your yoga class for breathing exercises such as alternate nostril breathing and full yogic breathing. Leading runners through these exercises will allow them to understand the rhythm of breath, which can relieve cramping that occurs frequently during long distance runs.

Use of props: Keep your props handy while leading a yoga for runners group as tightness is a common issue amongst runners. Yoga straps specifically come in handy, as the runner’s inflexibility can hinder them from practising certain poses such as Reclining Big Toe Pose, One-Legged Pigeon Pose and Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose.

Blocks are also useful while leading them through Standing Forward Bends and Reverse Lunge Pose.

Most Yoga teachers planning classes for athletes and runners are often confused about teaching a Vinyasa or Yin style class. One way of solving this puzzle is to understand that running is an endurance sport and all runners get their active miles through running. So a cooling Yin would be the best to balance the Yin in running.

Eager to get started on your Yoga for Runners class plan? Click here to download a free Runners Yoga class plan today!

Adithi Mathews is a 500 Hr CYT,yoga practitioner and writer living in Germany. 

What is the intention you want for this class? Do you want to provide something grounded, calming, energizing? Figure out what your intention is and your class planning will become a whole lot easier.

A theme will help inform the poses you pick for your class. Not only that, your theme can trickle down across the music you play and even the verbiage you use in class. Choosing a theme can be tough, but there are a few ways to go about finding one.

It is incredibly important to teach to those that show up. If you only teach advanced postures, but you have a room full of beginners, it will be unlikely to work for the majority of people in the class. Think about the average student that attends your class and then design your sequence with that specific skill level in mind.

The time of day you teach is an important factor to consider. Morning classes will be better served with a more vigorous and warming practice, while evening classes can lend themselves to slower flows and more restorative practices.

Whether you find a quote, short story or vivid imagery, adding an element of inspiration that is in line with your intention and them will leave students with something to digest. This will allow students a point of focus and something to take away from their practice with them.

Whether you are working towards a particular posture or simply guiding students through a full body stretch, the poses you choose should complement each other.

For example;

If you are working towards a deep backbend, choose postures that warm up the supporting areas as well as counter postures that will help to provide release after the back bend.

In choosing postures you should ensure that each class you design allows for a proper warm up and that postures are done in an order that compliments the ones done prior to and after the pose, you are teaching. Be sure to allow for ample cooldown periods at the end of every practice so that students can comfortably make their way through savasana.

Utilizing dynamic movements like the Sun Salutations is great, but if you only stick with dynamic style poses you run the risk of burning your students out! That is why it is best to design a practice with a proper balance between static and dynamic poses.

Always account for resting postures between more vigorous series. Offering a child’s pose or a happy baby pose after a difficult sequence will allow students the chance to rest and come back to their breath. These moments of rest also make a great time to insert your inspirational quote or imagery to call them back to their mat.

No matter the style of yoga you teach, the elements of pranayama, mantra, mudra, and affirmation can layer in an element of complexity that is not always offered in asana focused practices. These things should be in line with your theme and intention, but should also give students insight into the broader realm of yoga.

You can also add in complexity by offering enhancements to postures you are instructing. This way people of all levels will have an offering in your class. For example, as you queue people into a simple twist, encourage those that feel they can maneuver further to take a bind with their twist.

oga teachers are the ultimate yoga student, which is why you should try your sequences out for yourself. In moving through your sequence, you will be able to see what works and what might need some adjusting.

Keep in mind that planning a yoga class can be a little difficult at first. Once you realize you can follow a few simple steps you will be creating smart, functional, and fun classes every time!

Athletes main focus is the sport that they routinely practice, that means that their yoga practice is more of an occasional element. Knowing that these athletes have a higher priority in their fitness routine will help you to help them develop an asana practice that works best for them.

While their main sport is their focus helping them to develop a well-rounded practice will encourage them to show up on their mat a couple times a week.

Most athletes have minimal yoga experience. That means that an overuse of Sanskrit can make the practice more frustrating than beneficial. Stick with simple and clear instructions to avoid confusion and allow your athlete students to really focus on the practice. If you have a good understanding of their sport, utilize verbiage that is relevant to their sport.

You can always implement Sanskrit and yogic philosophy if they begin to show an interest in it or have been practising with you for a while.

Choosing postures or sequences that mimic things that these athletes do in their everyday sport is a great way to get them to focus and to really learn to access their body in a new way. Each athlete will have a different set of movements that they are familiar with so it is best to really tailor your sequences.

For example:

Someone that does CrossFit will enjoy practices that include squatting postures and a more fast-paced vinyasa class. While a rock climber may be better served with postures and sequences that access their balance and range of motion. Runners will benefit from back bending and any lunge series that stretch out the hip flexors.

Classes for athletes should move through all the ranges of motion of the body and the spine. Be sure to include, Forward Folds, Sidebends, Backbends, and Twists, to allow for a well-balanced practice. These postures are essential to creating a balanced practice for athletes.

In choosing poses that are familiar to their main athletic pursuit, you are showing that you have an understanding of what they do which will make them more likely to return to your class.

Any athlete loves a good challenge. Odds are they are already pretty strong, so don’t be afraid to throw in difficult sequences that require a little endurance or arm balances and inversions. While you always want to ensure a safe practice, giving athletes a physical challenge will help them to connect to their yoga practice.

Athletes bodies are finely tuned machines. That is why it is important that you understand not only anatomy but also functional anatomy. Understanding how, why, and the best way to move the body will allow you to teach athletes in a way that is the most beneficial to them. Most athletes have a deep understanding of how their body works in their given sport, and your knowledge in that space will help them feel confident in placing their practice in your hands.

When you have been teaching for a while it can be easy to get stuck doing things one way. Working with athletes is one of the places where you can get incredibly creative. You can utilize creative sequences and poses that help them to stretch in ways that will benefit their body and their mind.

When you find yourself in a class amongst athletes, know that with a few simple adjustments you can create a quality class. These tips will help you create a class that not only brings the beautiful practice of yoga into the world of an athlete, they will also help them to find a new found strength and flexibility that will echo into their sport.

Keen on exploring a few Yoga for athletes class plans? Do explore the publicly shared class plans in the Yoga Class Plan application. Sign up for our 15-day trial today.

So many people these days have such short attention spans. While your longer meditations may feel amazing for you, to the average student even just five minutes can be agonizing. It is hard for many to truly sit in stillness and that is why it is essential to stick to short duration meditations for your classes.

Stick with five-minute timelines on your meditations and watch the demeanour of your students change almost instantly. As far as keeping them simple, it really is better to have a simple meditation that everyone can understand versus a more complicated style of meditation.

One of the easiest ways to get people to meditate without realizing it is to split your meditation time up into two parts. Start your class with a basic short seated meditation, flow through the asana practice, and then close your class post-savasana with a brief seated meditation. Utilizing this structure will actually allow your students to notice the change in their state of mind over the course of their practice.

While the beginning and end of class are perfect times to meditate, never underestimate the power of meditation during a pose. Especially if you teach Yin or Restorative practices, you can have students focus on a specific meditation during a single posture. Afterall, meditation is just about finding a mental focus.

Meditation is hard for most people, that is why it is best, to be honest with your students. Most people think that meditation is about stopping the mind from thinking at all. When in fact meditation is all about bringing a deeper focus to some aspect depending on the style of meditation.

Be realistic with your students. Let them know that these practices are hard but that their benefits far outweigh their difficulties. Also express to them that much like styles of yoga, not every style of meditation is for everyone. Encourage them to seek out various types of meditation to find what works best for them.

When students understand that their reward not only affects them on their mats but carries great insight and wisdom that they can take off of their mat, they may be more receptive to what you are trying to accomplish.

Whether you write it yourself or find a great script from a meditation teacher online, there are thousands of incredible scripts that you can use to teach a flawless meditation. There is no harm in using a tried and tested meditation script to lull your students into a meditated bliss.

Meditation is for everyone and with a knowledgeable and confident teacher, students will benefit from even the briefest of meditations. Take these tips and utilize them in your classes and watch your students become master meditators in no time!

 

To understand each of these limbs a bit more fully, let’s take a look at what each limb entails.

Often the first step on the path of yoga, the yamas are a series of five steps to take towards all of those around you.

The word niyama means “rules,” in the case of the sutras these are personal rules for how you must govern yourself. Like the yamas there are also five niyamas or personal observances that should be followed.

This practice of physical postures is the one limb that most people know the best. By practicing these postures, the body and mind have time to relax and to connect. This postural practice also prepares the body for meditation.

Often paired with typical asana classes, pranayama is the controlling and directing of breath through various exercises. Pranayama helps to control your energy known as prana and according to the Sutras when paired with asana become the highest form of purification.

Withdrawing of the senses is an essential aspect of the path of yoga. One of the best ways to achieve this is through meditation. In withdrawing the senses you allow yourself to become sharper and more able to control how the outer world affects you internally.

This limb literally translates to “immovable concentration of the mind.” This is achieved through focused concentration that is only achievable once you have calmed the body through asana, controlled prana through pranayama and the senses through pratyahara.

Meaning to worship, Dhyana is the meditation of the divine. It is believed that when meditating on an object the mind becomes the object and is able to see the true nature of the object. Being able to explore things in this way allows the mind to truly process.

The eighth and final step on the path of yoga is Samadhi or “union with the divine.” This can mean a variety of things to the practitioner. This final step can be a deep connection to a deity or to oneself. The body and mind have become one and are relaxed yet alert in this state that has been created on the path of yoga.

The 8 limbs of yoga are meant to provide a logical route to follow in order to attain yoga. In attaining yoga you bring balance to the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of your being.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is the real deal. This ancient manuscript is the first, the one and the only surviving yoga manual documenting the practices of the early yogis. It’s Sanskrit name, Haṭhayogapradīpikā means the scripture shedding light on the Haṭhayoga science. The Hatha Pradipika was written on sheets of papyrus by Sawmi Svātmārāma and is dated at 1200-1300AD. This was about the same time that, when Marco Polo was travelling around India, so the Pradipika is bursting with enchanting yoga stories, mythology and history as well as illustrations of the original 84 yogasanas, most of which are still in practice today such as tree and eagle pose. Brian Dana Akers English translation uses contemporary photography and is available free on the internet.

You don’t’ need to be an Iyengar yogi to appreciate this definitive work by the world’s greatest and best-known teacher of yoga, by B. K. S. Iyengar. Accessible and user-friendly, this 20th century Light on Yoga manual, includes an introduction to the philosophy and practice of yoga; detailed descriptions of more than 200 postures and over 600 photographs illustrating the postures and breathing techniques for all levels of practice.

The Yoga Sutras are the ancient version of motivational quotes. The original yoga Sutras were written over 2,000 years ago by Patanjali, a celebrated yoga teacher of his day. The Sutras is a collection of yoga wisdom and teachings. As the saying goes, if you take enough yoga classes and you will hear your teachers quote from the Sutras. That is certainly true of BKS Iyengar, whose translation and commentary on these ancient yoga sutras has been described as the “bible” of yoga. Light on the Yoga Sutras is available in paperback and as a free download.

If you like your yoga wisdom with a dose of everyday life, in the now, then this book of daily reflections by Rolf Gates will support your journey each day of the year.  Each of the daily reflections aims to inspire the reader to integrate the mindfulness that yoga teaches into everyday life, on and off the mat. This is a great resource for yoga teachers, who may not be comfortable quoting from the Sutras, but do look to make their classes meaningful. Available in paperback free downloads.

This colossal book by Georg Feuerstein PHD is a comprehensive project, charting yoga history, traditions, literature, philosophy and practices from the pre-classical to Hatha Yoga. The book was a lifelong project of Feuerstein who died shortly after it was published. It is not an easy read as the book is long and dense in detail. In terms of yoga research, however, this book provides an invaluable overview of yoga’s many different traditions and emerging styles. The most recent editions do include a Kindle version.

This book by T.K.V. Desikachar is the first yoga manual to outline a step-by-step sequence for developing a home practice according to the traditional yoga principles. Desikachar is the son of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who lived to be over 100 years old, and is celebrated as one of the greatest yogis of the modern age, teaching B. K. S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, Indra Devi and Desikachar. Desikachar method is based on Krishnamacharya’s concept of Vini Yoga, which maintains that practices must be continually adapted to the individual’s changing needs to achieve the maximum therapeutic value. Available in paperback, ebook and free downloads.

More than an anatomy book, The Key Muscles of Yoga by Ray Long MD FRCSC offers a scientific approach to understanding the practice of hatha yoga. With four-color, three-dimensional illustrations of major muscles, tendons and ligaments, Ray Long instructs the reader on the practice and benefits of hatha yoga, by illustrating the effects of Hatha yoga on key muscles.

Author Nischala Joy Devi has years of practice working in both the medical profession and in traditional yogic settings.  Devi’s theme and purpose in this book are to unite yoga and healing. A blend of personal anecdotes and feminine wisdom, Devi’s book prescribes and instructs on breathing techniques, basic asana practice and meditation to achieve medically proven results for treating heart illness and other stress related issues.

Asana Prana Yama Mudra Bandha is recognised internationally as one of the best contemporary yoga manuals. First published by the Bihar School of yoga in 1969, this comprehensive guide has been reprinted seventeen times and translated into many languages. This latest Fourth Revised Edition has been revised and updated under the direction of Swami Niranjananda Saraswati and includes illustrations and step by step guides to teaching and practice of the yoga postures, breathing and mudras. The therapeutic index provides invaluable guidance for use by yoga teachers, therapists, healers and doctors, incorporating recent information from research into yoga.

Behind each asana is an ancient story about a god, sage, or sacred animal, much like Aesop’s fables or European folktales. This book by Yoga Journal instructor Alanna Kaivalya is the first to collect and retell the myths behind yoga’s spiritual tradition. Each of the stories provides opportunities for incorporating themes and stories into all levels sequences. Reflection on the tolerant nature of trees, for example, can help us become more tolerant ourselves. Meditating on Hanuman’s devotion to Ram, whilst practising the splits, can deepen our understanding of commitment and loyalty. The book includes more than sixty beautiful illustrations to frame the stories and is available on Kindle, hardback or paper.

For the finale, and if you finish all those books by labour day, I would like to suggest an interesting pairing of books, that might be used for a yoga reading group or class study. The first, The Bhagavad Gita published in 1892 is a conversation between Arjuna, a warrior and Krishna, his charioteer.  In the course of the exchange, Krishna explains karma, the self, the Supreme Self, the purpose of yoga, the difference between our self and our material body, how our environment affects our consciousness, and how to attain the perfection of life.

Yoga Bitch: One Woman’s Quest to Conquer Scepticism, Cynicism, and Cigarettes on the Path to Enlightenment is Suzanne Morrison’s contemporary and autobiographical account of ‘What happens when a coffee-drinking, cigarette-smoking, steak-eating twenty-five-year-old atheist’ enrols on a YTT destination course in Bali. Hilarious, irreverent, but never irrelevant, Morrison’s dialogue is largely internal, though one wonders what advice Krishna might have had to offer her or Caroline Horton and Roseanne Harvey, editors 21st Century Yoga: Culture, Politics & Practice, a collection of essays written by yoga teachers that the role of yoga in contemporary society. Engaging with issues from enlightenment to body image, the book weaves a narrative of personal stories and discursive essays which aim to demonstrate the potential for yoga to transform society as well as the individual.  Now there’s some food for thought to chew on over the long days of summer.

The best way to teach advanced postures is to practice them yourself. While you don’t need to perfect each one, having the experience of being in a posture will make you better able to teach your students. When you have struggled through the process of achieving a certain posture you will be able to have a better understanding of your student’s trials in a certain posture and potential ways to help them ease the burden of discovery.

Rarely does a student ever end up in a lotus handstand by accident. Advanced posture requires a build up. From warming up the body to practicing less advanced postures to prepare the body for movement, providing the necessary steps is incredibly important. Within every advanced posture comes a series of options, presenting these options in a step by step fashion will allow students to feel accomplished, to push themselves, and to show that they have the ability to go further than they may have thought.

Use props to achieve the required depth in any posture. Yoga props aren’t just for beginners, while they can help a beginner gain body awareness and achieve a posture, props are excellent for teaching advanced postures. Using the wall to support students while practicing inversions is a great start. Taking students off the wall and using straps to encourage activation of certain muscle groups is a great way to lessen their dependence on support. Get creative with prop use, play around with a variety of props to see what works best in your own practice and then have fun experimenting with them further with your students.

Being clear and concise is the only effective way to teach advanced yoga postures. Practice talking through instructions out loud to people, family members always work well as they may be able to point out wording or cues that don’t make sense. Once you have found a clear way to communicate advanced instruction, you will better be able to express your intended goal to your students directly. Be sure to keep your lines of communication open with your students as they practice to ensure that they feel verbally supported in what they are doing.

Yoga can be taken a bit seriously, and students seeking out advanced pose variations may become frustrated or discouraged by a certain pose. Try your best to keep things light, to offer guidance and to make sure that every student is enjoying themselves. Yoga practice is individual to each student when every student has a step to try out, a way to push themselves and the support to try their best, they will be better able to have fun and enjoy themselves. In turn, you will find yourself fueled by their enjoyment.

Practicing advanced poses can be a bit scary. That is why it is so important to offer your students support and guidance to ensure they feel comfortable getting uncomfortable in their practice.

It is important to have a deep understanding of the chakras, where they exist in the body, what they govern, and the element they are linked to. Having a deep understanding will allow you to more easily balance the chakras and to create a class that is effective in removing energetic blockages.

As mentioned above, you can move through all seven chakras in a class or simply choose to focus on one. Either way, this is the first place you must start. Determining which direction you will take the class in will help you to accomplish a successful class plan. There are benefits to both courses and you shouldn’t feel limited to only do one or the other. Instead, choose what is currently speaking to you.

The first five chakras are linked to elements (fire, earth, water, air, and ether) which can assist you in determining a theme. If for instance, you have chosen to focus on a single chakra, like the Navel Chakra (Manipura), you are tuning into the fire element. You can then be able to create a theme around the element of fire, which helps to drive our levels of energy and self-confidence. This theme can then be strung throughout the practice, showing up in every element from the type of Pranayama you choose to begin practice with all the way to how you finish the class in Savasana. Similarly, if you have chosen to address each chakra, you can thread your theme throughout each chakra and the elements and feelings they represent.

Yoga postures should be chosen for their ability to stimulate the chakra that you are focusing on. For instance, bringing focus to the root chakra which is linked to the earth element, you should choose postures that will assist your students in feeling grounded. Postures like Vrksasana (Tree Pose) or Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) will help to emphasise and balance the energy of the root chakra.

Any work done on the subtle energetic body can stir up emotions. It is incredibly important to plan in plenty of rest time and an ample amount of time in Savasana (Corpse Pose) so that students don’t leave feeling overwhelmed or imbalanced.

Following a few simple steps, you will be able to plan a chakra class that assists your students in unblocking stagnant energy and working through experiences that rest within the subtle body. Being mindful of the powerful nature of this practice will allow you to offer something that is truly beneficial.

Laughter stimulates the brain cells to release endorphins hormone, which puts you in a good mood that will leave you feeling cheerful and happy all day long. This is particularly important for those who suffer depression and need to lift up their spirit.

Laughter has been linked with stress reduction and strong immune system. Someone who has a strong immune system will not fall sick easily, and even if they do, the rate of recovery is very fast.

Laughter exercises increase the oxygen supply to the brain. The brain requires 25% more oxygen for optimal functioning. A well-oxygenated body and brain have the ability to perform better and more efficiently, which will lead to better results in your business.

Laughter creates an aura of happiness and friendship, leading to better relationships and a higher quality of life. A happy person can easily connect with new friends and forge new positive relationships.

When things are going on well, you would naturally have a reason to laugh, but when things turn around, and life presents you with difficult challenges, you should be able to laugh it off as well. Laughter Yoga will train you for this and help you stay optimistic when faced with any challenging circumstances.

Anyone can benefit from Laughter Yoga: from seniors under care, to people with depression, anxiety and other health issues as well other adults in the populace. There are also laughter yoga clubs around that you can join to start your journey to a happy and more fulfilling life. Get started with Laughter Yoga today and it will be the best thing you have ever done.