At the heart of personal yoga practice, regardless of whether it is Hatha Yoga or Kundalini Yoga, lies yoga sets. The building block for these sets are, of course yoga poses and exercises, and how to put them together in order to design effective sets and routines is a key aspect of yoga as well. In this article I would like to give you six important guidelines on how to construct these sets.

6 Guidelines for Designing Kundalini & Hatha Yoga Sets:

1. Who Should Design Yoga Sets:

Do not try to design a set if you are just beginning yoga practice. Attend some classes first and develop your personal practice before tying to design your own routines and sets. The last thing you want to do is practice yoga and create more injuries and imbalances for yourself.

2. Yoga Sets Should be Balanced:

This is one of the most important aspects of a yoga set. By balance here I mean that the poses that twist and stretch you one way, should at some point be balanced with poses that twist and stretch you the other way. Similarly, you should design sets that stretch both arms, both legs, etc, equally if possible. In addition, rotations done in one direction should be followed by rotations done in the other direction.

So if in your set you have a backward bending yoga posture, then at some point it is wise to have a forward bending yoga pose as well. As an example, if you employ Cobra Pose early in your set, you can balance it with the Forward Bending Pose sometime later. This will ensure that you don’t end up creating sets after which you feel out of balance and un-centered.

3. Chakras Work Should Be Done Low to High:

In general the rule to follow, especially for Kundalini Yoga Kriyas, is to start working on the lower chakras first and then move up towards the higher chakras. So you would tend to do an exercise like Crow Pose, which works on the Root Chakra, early in the set and do Stretch Pose, which works on the Navel Chakra, sometime after that. This helps to sequentially increase the vibration of the energy higher and higher.

4. Yoga Breathing Guidelines:

For most exercises and postures a corresponding breath is indicated. In most cases, there are several options available that allow you to breathe at a level which is comfortable for you. So advanced practitioners might do Breath of Fire, while a beginner might do Long Deep Breathing with a particular pose.

One rule with yoga breathing though, is that generally you should inhale when expanding the chest and abdominal region and exhale during the movement which contracts these regions. This allows for maximum benefit from the movements and exercises.

5. Rest Periods:

It is wise to design specific rest periods within a set. The one important aspect though of rest, which should be included in every Kundalini Yoga kriya, is a period of relaxation at the end of the kriya.

This relaxation time is critical to allow the body to assimilate all the energy that has been awakened by the yoga exercises. It is during this time, the body heals, grows and nourishes itself.

6. Warm-Ups:

If your set consists mostly of difficult yoga poses and exercises only, make sure you do a warm-up set first before jumping into advanced postures. If you plan to do your set only, then ensure that it first starts off with simple yoga postures and movements, so that you are properly warmed up, then moves on to the more challenging exercises. Warm-ups and not overdoing it are your best defenses against injury.

Summary of Making Your Own Yoga Sets:

The sciences of Yoga, Meditation, Ayurveda, etc, are tools to help you in your own unique path to spiritual awakening. Designing your own Yoga Sets, to help you overcome your personal challenges, I think is a valuable skill to learn. I hope the guidelines above help you maximize the benefits from your personal yoga practice.

Yogic Methodology: When thinking about Yogic Methodology, there are two kinds that come to mind. One is the application of Yoga techniques to daily life, and the other is Yoga teaching methodology. Competent Yoga teachers should thoroughly know both.

When considering the application of Hatha Yoga techniques to daily life, we know that Yoga will change a student’s health for the best and improve his or her lifestyle, but it must be gradual. The mind, body, and spirit will not change much in a month, but a year of regular Hatha Yoga practice will yield some significant health changes.

How many Yoga students want an instant life change? Too many – and this is why we should not make unrealistic promises. It is up to the Yoga student to take action, come to classes regularly, and practice what you have taught in your Hatha Yoga classes. It is up to the Hatha Yoga teacher to fill the student’s mind with knowledge and encouragement.

If it took decades of neglect for a new student to achieve poor health, how can he or she expect a little bit of Hatha Yoga practice to perform miracles? Every aspect of a student’s health will be changed for the better by regular Yoga practice; but this is an “on demand” world, where some people are willing to risk the side-effects of a pill rather than take positive action toward better health.

The natural effects of regular exercise, proper breathing, better posture, improved diet, and self-discipline will result in a Yoga student who is less stressed, has fewer ailments, lives longer, and sleeps better.

When a Yoga student continues to make Hatha Yoga classes a part of his or her life for years – the true value of good health will be felt and seen. This same student will most likely practice Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga or other forms of Yoga “down the road.” The benefits of Yoga, in any form, will cause a student to go deeper into his or her personal Yoga practice.

Yoga teaching methodology is how a teacher reaches out to the audience – through the use of teaching, communication, or observation methods.

Student corrections, in regard to Yoga techniques, should be straight to the point; but every Yoga teacher should take care to be tactful in the process. Yoga students come to you for guidance, so keep your ego “in check.” A few “rogue” Yoga teachers, who are gruff and condescending, can ruin any student’s desire to continue practicing Yoga.

What are the qualities of a good Yoga teacher? There are many, but being able to spot students in need, and still show compassion, is very important. Being able to teach any student is another strong trait. The realization that each Yoga student is uniquely different from each other, and cannot be “cloned,” is a milestone in teaching.

Demonstrating and correcting Yoga techniques is only part of the job when teaching Yoga classes. A successful Yoga teacher must communicate with all students throughout the class, and keep the passion for Yoga going.

Copyright 2007 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications