Open Level Yoga - is it right for me?

Step into any yoga studio around the country and you're more than likely to find one kind of Open Level Yoga class on the schedule. Whether it's an Open Flow like at Shakti in D.C. or an Open Restorative such as one class held at OM in NYC. But what does an Open Level class mean to students and instructors alike? Pravassa collaborator and yoga instructor Erica Mather expanded on this topic for YogaCityNYC.com.

First off, I think that it’s important to clarify what “open level” can mean. I’ve seen it used to indicate two very different things:
    1) All practitioners welcome, the teacher will teach to the level of those present
    2) All levels welcome, but the teacher will teach what they will, and hang on for the ride. Here, I’m going to adopt the first meaning to contextualize this discussion.

When you have mixed levels of practitioners in the room, it means that you need to be ready to up-level some people and down-level others. If you have in mind a range of poses that are related—on a spectrum of challenge, and in a web of connectedness—this makes turning the volume up or down easier.

Here’s a teaching tip for you: really look deeply into your students to assess what they need, and what they are capable of, today. And then teach to that level. Trust yourself to give them the tools that they need to do the poses, to take them out of physical confusion and suffering; and, if that means ditching your class plan, and perhaps improvising, so be it. For example, the other day I observed that my beginner students were really challenged by a transition from standing splits to ½ moon. I could have ignored that, and continued on with my plan, but instead I said, “It seems that this was really hard, right?” to which there was a murmur of consensus. At that point I let go of the plan that I had, and took them to the wall to drill ½ moon, then to re-experience it without, and then to explore the transition.

Full article can be read at YogaCityNYC.com

Unfortunately for us as students, it's hard to know if the instructor is going to work with the class and follow the level presented by the practitioners or if they are just going to continue with their plan as Erica mentions above. For instructors we suggest you read on as Erica has more tips at YogaCityNYC.com on everything from teaching open classes to sequence structures. For students, we suggest you join us in Vermont where Erica will be leading open level yoga classes for our Revitalize Retreat. If you cannot join us, you can find Erica teaching in NYC at PURE and Life in Motion. And if you can't make it to one of Erica's classes, talk to your own instructor. Make sure they know what level you're working at and ask for modifications if something is too hard or too easy. 

image: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net