Exploring Common Yoga Cues Pt. I

As a yoga student since 2010, I’ve taken my fair share of classes with different teachers. Now as a yoga teacher myself, I use a variety of different cues in my classes. In order to shed light on some common cues, I’ve compiled this list to help students just starting out in their practice.

Common Yoga Terms

For visual reference, watch my IGTV on Instagram.

1. Where is your sacrum?

   You sacrum is a triangular bone comprised of four to five fused bones at the base of your spine situated between the hipbones of your pelvis.

   — In practice, you might hear “place your hand on your sacrum” or for supported bridge, “place a block underneath your sacrum.”

2. What is your sternum?

   Your sternum, also referred to as as your breastbone, is an elongated bone at the center of your chest. It is part of your thoracic cage which connects the two sides of your ribs and protects your heart, lungs and other organs.

   Your sternum articulates with your clavicles and the shoulder girdle. Your true ribs, ribs 1-7 attach directly to the sternum. Your false ribs, ribs 8-10, are connected to the cartilage of the 7th rib.

   Your sternum is divided into 3 parts from superior to inferior: manubrium, body of the sternum, and xiphoid process.

   — In practice, you might hear “lift your sternum.” When I cue this, it’s an anatomical way to say “lift your chest.”

3. Heart chakra vs. anatomical heart

   Your anatomical heart sits to in the middle of your chest, slightly to the left of your breastbone. Your heart chakra is located in the very center of your chest and is the result of intersecting meridians.

   — In practice you might hear “heart forward, hips back when folding” or “open your heart” in backbends.

4. Where to grip the mat with your hands?

   To prevent wrist pain, I recommend gripping the mat in a few key areas: your fingerprints, base knuckles, underneath your index finger knuckle and the root of your thumb. Check out the IGTV for reference.

5. Protract vs. retract

   Protract the shoulder blades: spread your shoulder blades across your back away from the spine.

   Protracting your shoulder blades in weight bearing yoga postures provides additional support for the shoulder and recruits serratus anterior, pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles.

   Retract the shoulder blades: draw the shoulder blades in toward the spine.

   Retracting your shoulder blades is used to improve posture recruits trapezius, rhomboids and latissimus dorsi muscles.

   (Source)

   — In practice, you might hear me cue this in plank, tabletop and arm balances. “Protract or spread your shoulder blades across your back.” I cue this so you’re not dumping too much weight down into your shoulder girdle or hips.

6. Navel to spine

   The major muscles of your core are transverse abdominis, multifidus, internal and external obliques, erector spinae, diaphragm, and pelvic floor muscles. The muscles of the abdominal wall include the internal and external obliques, transverse abdominis (deepest layer) and the rectus abdominis. (Source)

   — In practice, you might hear “draw your navel to your spine.” This doesn’t mean sucking in your belly, rather it’s an encourgement to recruit your abdominal muscles.

I hope this helps to bring clarity into your classes whether practicing virtually or in-studio!

Prefer video format? Watch my IGTV on Instagram.

Any questions? Send me a message here or DM me on Instagram.