Simon says lift your mace! Simon Says lift your right leg. Simon Says . . .
Alice is getting distracted during her yoga class. This is unusual for her. She is usually very focused. There is something different this time.
So what is different?
There are a couple of students in the class that are not doing the poses that the teacher is leading the class through. This is really throwing Alice off. The other students are not following the Simon Says Principle.
What is the Simon Says Principle?
When you are in a group class you should always follow the Simon Says Principle. Just like in the game “Simon Says”, you listen to the instructions from the teacher, and you follow the instructions and do the pose as best as you can.
If everyone follows the Simon Says Principle the class will run smoothly. But what happens when you do not follow the Simon Says Principle.
Ignoring Simon can lead to trouble
There are three things that can happen when you ignore the Simon Says Principle.
- Confusion
- Disrespect
- Injury
One of the most common things that happens when you have people doing different poses during a class is that people get confused.
Alice gets confused
When you do different poses or more advanced versions than what the teacher is leading the class in then the teacher is going to get confused. They will be looking at you and wondering why you are not doing the pose. Did you not understand the instructions. They may even explain the pose again, to help you to understand.
The other students in the class will be confused. Some will be wondering if the pose that you are doing is the pose that the teacher just described. They will be trying to reconcile the instructions from the teacher and their demonstration with the pose that you are doing. Which one is correct? What do I do?
Students will be feeling tension and stress as a result of this confusion.
In addition to the confusion, there is the disrespect that you are showing to the teacher.
Simon will get upset
You are ignoring the instructions that the teacher has given and are doing your own thing. This is very disrespectful to the teacher and also to the other students in the class. The teacher has taken the time to develop the structure of the class to follow a particular theme and sequence of postures. Doing your own thing during the class is showing complete disregard for the teacher’s time and effort that they have put into developing the class.
Not only are you showing disrespect you could also cause someone in the class to injure themselves.
Alice could get injured
One of the confused students could end up injuring themselves. Trying to combine the instructions from the teacher with what they see you doing and they could end up putting a limb in the wrong place and hurting a muscle, ligament or joint.
So what should you do when you want to do a different pose than what the teacher is having the class do. There are a few options available to you.
What to do if you are going to ignore Simon
If you want or need to do different versions of the pose you have two options.
Ask during class
If you can not do the particular pose due to injury or inflexibility, you should ask the teacher for a modification. You can explain about your injury or lack of flexibility. The teacher will readily help with a modification of the pose.
Ask before class
If you normally do a more advanced version of the pose, you should ask the teacher if you can do the variation. You should talk to the teacher before the class and ask them if it is okay if you do the more advanced variations of the poses.
They may permit you do them. Usually the teacher will announce to the class that you will be doing more advanced versions of the poses. Your request and the teachers announcement will eliminate all of the points discussed above (disrespect, confusion and injury).
By you talking to the teacher before class you are showing respect for their time and effort in developing the class.
When the teacher announces to the class that you will be doing more advanced versions of the poses, the first and third points are being eliminated (confusion and injury). There will be less confusion when the other students know in advance that you are doing variations of the poses. Also there is less chance of injury, since the other students know that you are doing the advanced version of the pose and they know that they should ignore you.
There are also benefits to be had if you follow the Simon Says Principle and do the pose that the teacher is giving you.
Follow Simon Says and do the pose
You can do the version that the teacher is giving you and still make it challenging by working on other aspects of the pose rather than the physical appearance.
Work on non attachment
You can practise non attachment. The fifth Nyama talks about letting go of your need to always be advancing. Accept the situation you are in and do the less advanced version of the pose. It is important in this situation that your mind is not grumbling about it.
Not only can you work on non attachment, you can also work on the inside of the pose.
Work on internal structure
You can work on the internal alignment of the pose. Are the correct muscles engaged or relaxed. Are the bones aligned properly. Work on the details of the pose and see if you can improve that.
In addition to the inside work you can also work on the mental aspects of the posture.
Work on your mind
You can work on the focus of your mind. What are you thinking about. Are you focused on your pose and your breath or has your attention wandered outside of the practise space. It is more challenging when working on an easier pose to have your mind wonder. Take this opportunity to challenge your mind to stay focused.
Summary
When you go to a yoga class you should plan on implementing the Simon Says Principle and follow the teacher’s instructions.
There are some times when you will need to do alternate poses due to injury or inflexibility, be sure to ask the teacher for a modification rather than doing it on your own.
You can also talk to the teacher in advance if you want to do more advanced versions of the postures.
Next Steps
The next time you find yourself in a class where the teacher is leading the class through fairly easy poses, remember the Simon Says Principle and work on the internal structure of the pose and on the focus of your mind. Alice and everyone else in the class will be glad that you did.
Additional Reading
For another interesting article about avoiding injury during yoga class read Why you should talk to your yoga teacher.
