Methodology: Intention - Sangkalpa 

The Importance of Intention

When you teach your class, you should have an idea where you want to go. This idea - your intention behind the asana, pranayama techniques and meditation - is then like a red thread that runs through your class and can help to decide, how you build your class and what you want to include. And even more important: it is your WHY. It‘s the reason why you include what you include. This is the idea behind instructor "Intention". 

So when you plan a class, think of an intention, somewhere you want to go, something you want to share with your students, and use Asana, Pranayama and Meditation as tools to get your students there. This something/your intention can either be physical (like a pose (called peak pose), a sequence, a specific muscle group you want to strengthen/stretch), spiritual (like a philosophical topic) or mental/emotional (like focussing or releasing a certain mental state or feeling).

But perhaps you have also experienced classes in which you felt that the teacher was leading the class and that you as a student felt more like a decoration on your mat and not that you were seen?So remember: your intention and planning is great, but it’s still about your students and their practice. Because without any students participating, you wouldn't have a class. 

We don't have to pretend otherwise: as a new teacher, it's definitely a challenge to manage the class and still see all the students.

Here are a few tips to help you with this:

• Watch your students! It’s not your practice, it‘s your student‘s. So don‘t be all the time on your own mat. You are allowed to demo and sometimes it is necessary, but still keep an eye on your students to see if they can follow your instructions or if you should offer modifications.

• As you create your sequence also think of modifications for the different positions. Especially the more challenging poses. Then you are prepared if modifications are needed.

• Think of props to support students that might need modifications.

• Try to clue the same positions and sequences in different words. Sometimes students don‘t understand clue A, but they can work perfectly with clue B or C.

• Don‘t stuck with your sequence if you see that it just doesn‘t work! Be open to change plans, even if it feels unsave in the beginning. Students appriciate it much more if you really see them and offer them options to have a fullfilling practice.