You had me at “peak pose”. I have to say I am a goner for a well-sequenced class. I just love it when the teacher commands your full attention to take you on a journey with an actual destination. Different teachers have different methods, sometimes it's a peak pose and other times it's a thread that brings everything together and provides cohesion.
It wasn't clear then, but I can see that I've been drawn to intelligent sequencing for some time now. As my yoga practice evolved like many, I went from DVDs, to the gym, to the studio, to a home practice and now to teaching. I sought out those instructors who put thought and effort into their classes and provided a new variation, challenging options or a different perspective.
The class where I really learned to appreciate sequencing was centered around Padmasana or Lotus pose. This posture requires major hip opening and was not an easy asana for me at the time. You sit up nice and tall, with your legs folded, one on top of the other with your feet resting in your hip creases. It's the stereo-typical yoga pose.
So, I trusted the teacher and enjoyed the journey. He weaved and winded us through a number of postures gently coaxing the hips to open, deeping the bend in the knees and lengthening the spine. By the end of class, my legs slipped into place like they were meant to be there. The savasana that followed was blissful. I had trusted the journey, made a few discoveries along the way and really enjoyed the process.
This was a big turnaround for me with my yoga practice. Since then, I've been blessed by a number of amazing teachers who are deliberate with their classes and intention. Sometimes I reach that “peak pose” and sometimes my peak isn't quite at the summit. The peak or destination isn't really what's important.... it's the journey.
I'm late in commenting, but I wanted to share too how I admire teachers who are great at sequencing! I feel so much more prepared (physically and mentally) to try the "peak pose" when the class is well-sequenced. As you said, there's a certain intentionality in their teaching in that really helps the student go from Point A to Point B (whatever that is for that individual student). But you're right, it's also important to enjoy the process/journey in getting there - that's where the discovery is!
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I also attended a class that was sequenced in order to get to this peak pose but then for some reason the sequencing didn't quite work for me. Maybe there was something funky going on in my joints and muscles that day. But who knows...
My training is in early childhood education and we always talk of the same thing - intentionality and sequencing. It's really interesting to see the parallels... and as some people say, good pedagogy is good pedagogy, regardless of the "field" or discipline/profession.
Thanks for your comments and support Mia. I too have been in classes where the sequencing didn't quite speak to me. Hopefully it worked for someone else that day.
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