r/yoga
Is it bad form to do more advanced posts in instructor led classes without being cued?
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The Question
I have been practising for the past 14 years somewhat regularly and I know what I can do and not do, and i can do some of the more advanced poses. I attend classes regularly as I feel more motivated doing with a group of people than doing alone. While I recognise that most yoga classes are multi-levelled unless otherwise stated, sometimes I do want to push myself to my limit. Is it consider bad form to go beyond the instructor's cues?? Sometimes she just cues one pose, rather than giving opt…
— via r/yoga
Our Response
Short answer? Ask her.
But yeah. It's bad form.
Not because you're wrong to want challenge. You're not. But because you're making a different choice in a room where she's teaching.
You've been at this 14 years. You know your practice. Great. So go to Mysore.
That's what it's for. Self-practice. Teacher in the room. You work at your level. She works with you there.
Led class is a group agreement. Everyone does the same thing at the same time. That's the container. If you want something else, you're in the wrong container.
You don't need permission to do more. You need a format that supports it.
Find a Mysore program. If there isn't one nearby, practice at home. Use the Primary Series study guide if you need structure.
But don't freestyle in someone else's led class. It's disrespectful. And it won't give you what you actually want anyway.
You want challenge? Get consistent in the right format.
That's it.
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