Silent Class

Here's an idea for a class for you. Do a silent class (or perhaps for part of your class.) I do an entire silent class for my advanced class about three times each year and they love it. The benefits are two-fold. First, they get to do yoga with the wonderful energy of the room and a class (I know I experience a deeper practice when I am in a class) and be listening to their own body, not the constant chatter of the teacher. My students find the class quite powerful. You could even do a portion of your class silently.

How do you teach it? I have them watch in a neutral pose (Dandasana or Tadasana) as I demonstrate the next pose. Then I say, “in” and they work their way into the pose. I then say, “out” and they come out. If we are doing a two-sided pose, I only demonstrate one side. When I say, “out” from the first side, they pause in the inbetween position with their feet apart and parallel and then I say, “in” for the other side.

I always make sure to make the class well-balanced with standing poses, backbends, twists, and forward folds. We end with their inverted poses. It is an interesting experience your first time.