Benefits of Taking a Seasonal Approach When Teaching Yoga

Yoga significantly improves the quality of life, mental health, and overall physical health of its regular practitioners. This is something you have probably seen and helped happen throughout the course of your career as a yoga teacher. You constantly strive to make your yoga practice session even better and more enjoyable for all those who trust you. That is why, if you haven’t already done so, it could be time to adopt a seasonal approach to teaching yoga. Read on to find out more about the benefits of the seasonal approach for your yoga classes. 

Under your guidance, your yogis will be able to channel seasonal energy into their yoga practice to make it more meaningful and effective.

Our energy has an ebb and flow to it. In a way, it is similar to the way the sun rises and sets, the moon has its phases, and even the tide has its highs and lows. When the seasons change, there are significant changes in our energy levels. Additionally, seasons also affect our movements and feelings. 

In the past, people were highly dependent on nature and worked more in line with the seasonal ebbs and flows of energy. Modern inventions and discoveries have drastically changed our lifestyles. This change of lifestyle has inadvertently led us towards an imbalance, which in turn, has led to an increase in stress, anxiety, and disorders. To combat these, Julie Hanson and Sue Woodd came up with the concept of seasonal yoga in 1995. It incorporates traditional Chinese medicinal ideas and the wisdom of Ayurveda. Seasonal yoga is a combination of Yoga, T’ai Chi, and Qigong.

It is important to align your yoga practices with nature’s rhythm. On reflection, you might find that your most fruitful yoga sessions have been the ones where you and your yogis have been able to find that deep connection with nature. The seasonal approach to yoga can help you to curate the content of your yoga classes to match the season.

Here are a few reasons why you should take a seasonal approach when teaching yoga

Connect with and balance the elements and energy according to the season

For example, Summer is associated with Yang and the fire element. Our energy is at a high, and we can soak energy from the sun. Considering the heat, you might want to take cool-down approach with appropriate changes to our yoga routine and diet. When it rains, the water element is at its best in our bodies. 

In seasonal yoga, you pay attention to the cues that nature is providing you and work with those cues to get the best results. With this type of yoga, you can help your yogis to embrace nature and celebrate its seasonal cycles. Under your guidance, your yogis will be able to channel seasonal energy into their yoga practice to make it more meaningful and effective. 

Rise up to the challenges of each season 

Each season brings along with it its own challenges. For example, the cold season may bring the challenge of stubborn flu along with it. Spring might bring along with it the challenge of allergies. Winter increases the aches and pains in the body. You, as a yoga instructor, can rise up to the challenges that each season brings forth.

The sessions you hold in each season can make your yogis better equipped to face the challenges associated with the seasons. For example, there would be immunity-boosting yoga sessions to prepare the yogis for the cold season. You can help them prime their bodies for winter. Some yogic breathwork and certain asanas may be able to help your yogis to defend themselves better against seasonal allergies. Thus, your yoga training can eventually have a positive impact on the quality of life of your yogis through each season. 

Bring a balance to the emotions associated with each season

Each season brings out an emotional response from us. We no longer have routines suited to the seasons. If you teach yoga that is tailored according to the seasons, you will be helping your yogis improve their emotional response to the seasons and thereby improve their overall emotional well-being. You can help them combat seasonal depression. Seasonal yoga promotes more mindfulness. It is a great way to get yogis to adopt yoga more willingly and make it a natural and essential part of their lifestyle. 

Fresh and motivating sessions 

Establishing routines is great as it helps discipline the soul. However, as a yoga instructor, if you keep following the same yoga routine over and over in the classes throughout the year, it can result in boredom. Seasonal changes in yoga routines can bring some vibrancy, freshness, and inspiration. There is some variety and this can help you retain the interest of the yogis. You can also help raise the focus, motivational levels, and enthusiasm of the yogis by using the seasonal approach. 

Set the tone, pace and structure of sessions to get the utmost benefit

With the seasonal approach to yoga, you will be able to modify the tone of your yoga class to suit the season. For example, the tone of a fall class will be calming and stabilising while the tone of a spring class will be energetic. The line-up and pacing of the asanas can also be different. The rest time in between will be different according to the seasons too. You can devise the sessions to be in line with the seasonal manifestations of nature. 

Yoga instructors are committed to improving the experiences and lives of yogis. Seasonal yoga provides a valuable opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of the yogis. If you are wondering how to start and where to begin, take some classes that will help you incorporate the seasonal approach in your yoga classes.