Let's get clear on clarity

This is the spring when yoga teachers' flexibility has been put to the test. Not mobility, that would have been easy for us. No, we're talking about our ability to adapt to not being allowed to teach as we are used to. We have started teaching online classes live. We have created classes with voiceover. We are recording classes with no visuals at all. As yoga studios now start to open again, we are not to do any physical assists. There is a silver lining to all these challenges. You have an amazing opportunity as a yoga teacher to work on your clarity and your verbal cues. Here are our top tips on teaching vinyasa flow with clarity: 

1. Speak in a direct way "fold forward" and "sweep your right arm" rather than "folding forward" and "let's sweep the right arm". 
2. Less is more. Say what part of the body goes where, and on occasion add how to move it.
3. Don't tell people what to feel – let them have their experience instead.
4. Let there be pause. Record yourself so you become aware of all your filler words. These are words such as "then" and "like". Try cutting them out and instead leave some little moments of quiet.   
5. Pace over perfection. As in, keep the pace and save the specific alignment cues for long holds in one asana. 
6. Mix it up. Try to say "other side" every now and then instead of "left" "right". 
7. When cueing a self-assist, basically just say what you would do in a hands-on assist.