How Do I Break Free From Yoga Videos?
I was first introduced to Yoga in the early 2000s through the videos of Rodney Yee. For the next few years I would go through all of his DVD’s (courtesy of Netflix), after which I would move on to other instructors and styles. When Youtube came along, I hopped on the proverbial bandwagon. What I eventually discovered, however, was that while these sequences were initially very beneficial, I never felt like a given routine was exactly right for me. There were always moves that I wanted to hold for longer or shorter periods, and after a few run throughs I would anticipate the instructor’s words for the entire practice. I would even memorize where jokes or coughs would occur. Yet trying to practice alone was extremely difficult as I had come to rely heavily on having guidance.
It always struck me as odd that none of these videos were geared towards helping students eventually get off the instructor “crutch” and developing their own practice routines. It made sense to me why, but I reached a point where I either needed to find out how to do this myself or quit Yoga. Eventually, however, through some trial and error and a bit of patience I was able to successfully develop my own sequences. It was at this point that I regained my love for practicing Yoga. If you are considering teaching or just want to break out of your reliance on videos, here are a few tips I found helpful:
- Check out free online sequences – Many sites offer free sequences that you can try out. The benefit to this option is that instead of an instructor telling you when to move, you are typically provided a number of breaths (or a set time period in Yin, for example). This can help you get the feel right, while also giving you enough space to go at your own unique pace.
- Use yoga cards – Yoga cards are a great and portable way to sequence. Most decks also help you deepen your practice knowledge, providing the name of the poses, tips on how to perform them, and usually a picture of the posture. Many decks also have suggestions on how to customize a sequence. This can be a great step towards developing you own routine.
- Look into sequencing principles – There are lots of sites with tips on how to order your poses and the principles behind them, which vary depending on the type of sequence (such as a routine aimed at energizing vs. one for relaxation). You should also familiarize yourself with some of the standard ordering of postures, such a Sun Salutation at the beginning and Savasana at the end.
- Understand different styles – We often think of separate yoga styles as distinct from one another and yet there are no hard and fast rules that say they need to be. For example, you could have some Yin based postures at the end of a Hatha practice. However, keep in mind that if you are developing a teaching sequence, you should consider the expectations of your students.
- Experiment – In my own practice I always devote a portion of time to improvising. This is where I let my body dictate what move comes next, and I am often quite surprised where it leads me. There is also nothing wrong with changing the order of established sequences, although it can be helpful to understand why they were originally created that way.
There you go. One of the greatest benefits that can come from yoga is the acceptance of change. Doing a practice by rote every day can become monotonous and it does not need to be this way. While it can be scary and difficult to remove the “training wheels” that come with established routines, the process can also be incredibly rewarding for both your personal practice and your students. Namaste.