Yoga Teaching and Learning​
​​at www.yogauk.com

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Hello Reader

Welcome to the August newsletter!

This month's article explores something I think about a lot as a teacher - how we use language and form our cues in yoga teaching. I hope it gives you some reflections to support your own teaching.
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A quick update on the anatomy workshops
​The second of my two online applied anatomy workshops had to be postponed due to illness — but it's now happening on Saturday 26th September (see below). These CPD workshops arose directly out of the many questions I get about how to actually apply anatomical knowledge in real teaching, not just in theory.

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Applied Anatomy 2: Cueing for Individual Bodies​
📅 26th September 2026, 10am–1pm Find out more here​
If you'd like both, you can book the series here (the video replay of the first workshop is included).

If you're a subscriber to the Essential Anatomy & Physiology for Yoga Teaching course, you'll already have received a discount code via email. If it's lost, or you're a new subscriber - just drop me an email and I'll send you the code.

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Something new I'm excited about
​I'm also getting ready to launch my next online BWY Foundation Course in September for anyone who isn't a teacher but wants to dive more deeply into yoga alongside their weekly classes.

If you have any students who might be interested, they can find out more about the course here.​

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In the meantime, enjoy this month's article, and stay cool and hydrated in the heat!

with love and best wishes,

​yogaandrolfing.co.uk​

Article:

The craft of cueing

Refining our language skills

The effectiveness of the instructions we give in teaching asana depends on the quality of our attention and intention.

First we look, then we observe. Next we decide what we need to address, and it’s only then that we find our words. And very often all this happens in a split second.

observation → intention → language

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To refine our cueing skills it’s useful to take time to reflect on how we’re looking.

Are we looking for ‘errors’? Or are we looking at the individual on the mat in front of us?

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Our language grows out of wherever we place our attention and intention.

As yoga teachers, we already know about working with yoga asana. But if we truly see each student holistically, our cues can also help our students develop the skills of self-awareness, confidence and self-discovery.

Observation

We don’t just choose words when we teach - we also choose what to notice.

Every aspect of a person – mind, body and spirit, along with injuries, trauma, life experience, lifestyle, personality, beliefs, mood, level of health – are all there in class being expressed in the physical body.

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Effective cueing begins before we even open our mouths. Paying attention to the details of our students’ bodies, and using what we perceive to inform our language, allows us to meet students where they are – more closely matching our words to what's happening their own bodies.

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Understanding what ‘normal range’ anatomy looks like, in held postures and in movement, helps us to discern what we’re seeing.

Then we can use our words to meet each student where they are in their practice, and lead them to greater anatomical integrity.

Intention

We don’t only give instructions on what to do - our words also indicate our intention. Being clear about what our intention is, allows us to be more precise with our language, helping students deepen the experience of their practice.

Before speaking, ask yourself – “based on what I see in front of me, what am I trying to achieve in this class (or with this student)?”

🔸 More stability (sthira)?

🔸 Greater ease (sukha)?

🔸 Freer breathing?

🔸 Safer practice?

🔸 Increased awareness?

🔸 More confidence?

🔸 Greater autonomy?

🔸 Less unnecessary effort?

Every cue, and how it lands, reflects an intention. If a cue doesn’t achieve what you intended, it’s worth stepping back, looking again, and exploring a different intention next time.

From teaching poses to teaching people

When we teach asana, there can never be a ‘one size fits all’ as all bodies are different. We know this well from observing the yoga students in front of us.

When we look at a group all practising the same pose, we are seeing each student’s relationship with that pose. We know that they will never all be the same (nor should they be) but we can lead them each towards a more easeful relationship with the pose, and a better balance of sthira and sukha.

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As teachers, we’re giving signposts, rather than trying to ‘fix’ anything.

Anatomical knowledge, both theoretical and practical, gives us tools that allow us to explore with the student why they are struggling in a pose.

Study of functional anatomy can inform our instructions to be more precise and helpful, and to find appropriate adjustments and guidance for individuals that really help to give students a meaningful experience and lead them forward on their yoga journey.

Choosing the right type of cue

Class management is something that we grapple with at every class. And different situations call for different approaches. We can use different types of teaching cues in different ways:

• Whole-class cues for everyone, for example ‘step forward into virabhadrasana’ or ‘see if you can find a sense of expansiveness in the pose’.

• Conditional cues to teach autonomy, usually directed to a subset of people in the class, for example ‘if your heel doesn’t reach the ground, turn your foot out to allow the heel to touch the floor’ or ‘unbend your knee a little if you feel any pain or discomfort’.

• Anatomical teaching using cues like ‘notice how your quadriceps muscles in the front of your thigh are working hard in this pose’. These can be both educational as well as developing self-awareness.

• Individual cues where you address one person only, for example ‘try the pose with your feet a little closer together and see if that feels more comfortable for your hips’.

• Questions offer guidance while at the same time encourage self-enquiry. Intentionally worded questions given to the whole group or individuals can also help to divert attention away from ‘can I stretch further?’ towards ‘how can I find a sense of reach and ease?’

• Imagery can lighten a practice when students are over-thinking rather than feeling. For example, in Vrksasana (tree pose) ‘imagine your roots growing down into the ground, and allow your branches to be free to move a little in the breeze of the breath’.

Anatomical understanding

Knowledge of anatomy informs our judgement and intentions in teaching, rather than giving us fixed answers. The best cues depend on how we are seeing the person in front of us, using our observational skills and understanding of how bodies work.

Learning basic anatomical principles, both structural and functional, gives us the tools we need to make better teaching decisions. It also helps us to appreciate anatomical variation and to formulate cues that support students with all body types or those with injuries or ailments.

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Language use is usually less about finding the perfect words and more about developing our discernment skills in understanding what we see.

Cueing is an evolving craft

Experienced teachers don’t necessarily know more cues. They:

• observe more carefully

• speak more intentionally

• know about bodies through study and observation

• refine their language use throughout their teaching journey

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Irrespective of your style of teaching or your planned sequence of practices, here are some questions you could ask yourself while teaching:

• What does this class need from me right now?
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• What am I noticing before I speak?
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• What am I hoping this cue will achieve?
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• Where could I ask a question instead of relying on instruction?
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• Am I emphasising the asana shape or the person?
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• Does the student need more sthira or sukha?
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• Am I helping students become more autonomous in their practice, or simply ‘correcting’?
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• Am I including moments of silent practice?

Less is more

Concise and precise language can often be more effective than long descriptions and detailed instructions.

More effective teaching doesn’t mean giving more cues. It’s about being precise and clear, meeting students where they are, and knowing when no cue is needed.

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Silence is the important space between cues. These moments give students the chance to digest what you have just said, and to explore in their own body.

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If we give a clear introduction to set up a practice, then we can trust the silence we offer for students to explore within the boundaries we’ve given.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to any yoga teacher friends or colleagues who might be interested in any of the content. They can sign up to receive newsletters to their own inbox at www.yogauk.com
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