Yoga Imagery: Learning To Teach Yoga With A Poet’s Heart
In this post, you’ll learn the secrets of the great poets who understood that the easiest and most enjoyable path to comprehension is through imagery – the use of metaphor and simile.
These secrets will become the best yoga teaching aids you’ll ever get your yogic hands on.
For example…
“Imagine your heart is a soaring eagle“, paints a more interesting picture than “Lift your chest up.”
The human mind loves metaphors and similes because they are so powerful.
They are able to instantly change our bio-chemistry.
Simile: makes a comparison
Metaphor: makes a direct analogy
Here is some yoga teaching poetry to get you started…
Teaching Savasana With A Poet’s Heart
Before relaxing in Savasana your brain may feel like a blackboard having chalk screeched across it. As your mind starts to focus on your breath, feel the chalk crumbling into powder.
Instead of constantly going to your mental court and putting yourself on the dock to be judged by yourself, become an an unborn baby in your mum’s womb. Relax, and let go of your ego.
Your mind may be a glaring searchlight, but sense it gradually morphing into a soothing candle flame.
Your head may be pounding like a jackhammer, but you feel the hands of a well trained masseuse giving you a head massage.
Your mind may be a screaming siren filled with distractions, but as you focus on slowing your breath, listen as the noise fades to the whisper of a flute.
Teaching Mountain Pose With A Poet’s Heart
Your emotions may be a dark, confining tunnel, but as you stand in mountain pose feel the darkness turning into a light, airy meadow. You even hear Julie Andrews singing the sound of music.
Teaching Bow Pose With A Poet’s Heart
As you rise into bow pose (Dhanurasana) feel like a sugar cube dissolving in a cup of hot tea.
Teaching Bridge Pose With A Poet’s Heart
Your thighs may feel like a tight rope right now, but as you stay in bridge pose feel the rope going slack.
It’s time for my conclusion, and why I love using yoga card decks as easy-to-use teaching aids.
George’s Conclusion: Using Yoga Card Decks As Fun, Easy-to-Use Teaching Aids
The key to unlocking the yoga teacher poet within is to put pen to paper and see what pours out. Teaching yoga using imagery is one of the best yoga teaching aids you’ll get your yogic hands on.
Another terrific yoga teaching aid is the Online Yoga Lesson Planner, because it will save you 160 hours per year!
As a Yoga teacher, I’m always looking for fun, easy-to-use teaching aids to make my classes engaging, informative, and effective. That’s why I create yoga card decks. Each deck has been painstakingly crafted to serve as a quick-reference guide, teaching aid, or lesson-planning tool, designed with Yoga teachers, and serious students, in mind.
Chakra Chair Yoga Card Deck: 52 Cards For Mind-Body Unity
The Chakra Chair Yoga Card Deck is a transformative tool designed for yogis of all levels, especially those seeking a gentle, accessible practice. This beautifully illustrated 52-card deck combines the wisdom of the chakra system with the ease of chair yoga, offering a unique way to balance your energy centres while staying grounded and supported.
Chakra Chair Yoga Expansion Card Deck: 52 More Cards For Mind-Body Unity
The Chakra Chair Yoga Card Deck was so popular that I created the Chakra Chair Yoga Expansion Deck with another 52 chair yoga exercises.
Blissful Breathing Card Deck: Your Guide To Mastering Pranayama
The Blissful Breathing Card Deck is your go-to resource for mastering the art of pranayama (yogic breathing). With 41 beautifully designed cards, this Blissful Breathing Card Deck guides you through a wide variety of breathing techniques to enhance relaxation, focus, and vitality.
Face Yoga Card Deck: 50 Cards For Youthful Radiance
The Face Yoga Card Deck is a fun and effective way to tone, relax, and rejuvenate your facial muscles. This 50-card deck features simple, step-by-step exercises designed to improve circulation, boost skin elasticity, and promote a radiant, youthful glow.
101 Mini Yoga Cards: With 101 Asana Sanskrit Pronunciations
The 101 Mini Yoga Cards are a compact and versatile resource for yoga teachers and practitioners alike. Each card features an illustrated yoga pose, its English and Sanskrit names, and how to pronounce the Sanskrit name. This makes it easy to plan classes, create sequences, or inspire personal practice while deepening your connection to yoga’s roots.
Zen Of Blissful Boredom Card Deck: 52 Ways To Cultivate Calm
The Zen Of Blissful Boredom Card Deck offers a lighthearted yet profound approach to finding peace in the mundane. Featuring 52 cards filled with simple, humorous, and mindful activities, this deck encourages you to embrace boredom as a gateway to inner calm and creativity.
But don’t stop there. You’re on a roll.
You’ll definitely want to look at my 10-step yoga sequencing formula. It’s got lots of infographics to make the learning visual and fun.
“Below are hundreds of yoga lesson planning tips on my blog…to help enlarge your yoga lesson planning brain.” – George Watts
- 101 Yoga Lesson Planning Ideas
- 101 Ways To Teach Yoga With A Poet’s Heart
- 101 Tantalising Yoga Lesson Plan Title Templates
- The Spiritual Meaning Of Yoga Poses: Asana Symbolism
- 101 Guided Yoga Imagery Phrases For Yoga Teachers
- 101 Perfect Quotes For A Quote Themed Yoga Class
- 18 Yoga Lesson Planning Tips: From An Experienced Yoga Teacher
- 12 Part Yoga Class Structure
- 10 Reasons To Use A Yoga Lesson Plan When Teaching
- My 10-step yoga sequencing formula
- 10 Tips To Motivate Your Students To Start A Home Yoga Practice
- 10 Yoga Lesson Planning Tips From 10 Yoga Teachers
- 9 Quirky DIY Yoga Props To Use In Your Classes
- 7 Yoga Imagery Phrases To Inspire Your Students
- 5 Steps For Teaching Relaxation Techniques
- 4 Quick & Easy Ways To Combine Yogic Breathing & Movement To Your Yoga Sequences
- Become An Olympic Yogi: Use Visualisation To Rehearse Your Yoga Classes
- Do Your Own Practice Tactic
- Einstein And Om
- Give Your Yoga Lesson Plans A Chill Pill
- How To Create Yoga Class Themes (5 minute video tutorial)
- How To End Your Yoga Class On Time Every Time
- How To Make A DIY Bolster In 60 Seconds
- How To Sequence Around A Peak Pose: Secret Formula Revealed
- How To Teach Mula Bandha
- How To Write Compelling Yoga Lesson Plan Aims & Objectives
- Include 10 Minutes Of Inversions At The End Of A Class
- Smooth Flowing Yoga Sequence: A Simple Formula For Yoga Teachers
- Yoga Class Plans Made Easy
- Yoga Practice Tracker
- Yoga Sequence Flow Formula
- How I Applied The 8 Limbs Of Yoga To Go From 5 To 25 Students
- How To Become A Full Time Yoga Teacher
- How To Draw Staff Pose
- How To Hire A Local Photographer To Morph You Into A Yoga Star
- How To Remember Student Names
- How To Teach Extended Triangle Pose
- How To Teach Revolved Triangle Pose
- Yoga Anatomy 101: A Crash Course For Yoga Teachers
- Yoga Teacher Poet: How To Teach Backbends With A Poet’s Heart
- Yoga Teacher Poet: How To Teach Boat Pose With A Poet’s Heart
- Yoga Teacher Poet: How To Teach Bow Pose With A Poet’s Heart
- Yoga Teacher Poet: How To Teach Bridge Pose With A Poet’s Heart
- Yoga Teacher Poet: How To Teach Extended Side Angle Pose With A Poet’s Heart
- Yoga Teacher Poet: How To Teach Mountain Pose With A Poet’s Heart
- Yoga Teacher Poet: How To Teach Staff Pose With A Poet’s Heart
- Yoga Teacher Poet: How To Teach Tree Pose With A Poet’s Heart
- Yoga Therapy Precautions Cheat Sheet