r/yoga
Yin yoga – what do you request?
This is Ashtanga Yoga Tech Support. Real questions from the yoga community, answered.
The Question
I've been going to a new Yin yoga class recently, the teacher asks for requests at the start of every class and I always blank. I want to prepare and share a request but don't know what's 'normal' to ask for. Is it normal to just ask for a particular body part like shoulders, mention that I'm running a lot, or even request for the practice to support emotions like tension or frustration?? What are your go-to requests when a teacher asks for requests? I’d love to hear some…
— via r/yoga
Our Response
Okay. First thing: this isn't an Ashtanga question. We don't do requests. The sequence is the sequence.
But I'll help you anyway.
All three of those are totally normal. Body parts. Activities. Emotional states. That's literally what the teacher's asking for.
Here's why you're blanking: you're trying to find the right answer. There isn't one. The teacher wants to know what's happening in your body right now.
So check in before class. Thirty seconds. Where's tight? What hurts? What did you do this week?
Then say that.
"My hips are wrecked from running." "My shoulders are up in my ears." "I'm stressed and I can't sleep."
The teacher will build around it.
If you really can't think of anything? Say nothing. Let someone else request. You'll still get a good class.
But stop preparing. You're not writing an essay. You're reporting the weather in your body. Just tell the truth.
[END – 1:30]
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