October 28, 2026
Adapting Warrior 1
I was recently chatting with someone at a volunteer event who said she missed all the great yoga studios that closed during the pandemic. She likes the convenience of yoga classes at her gym but wants something "more spiritual."
. . . . .
You can actually make your experience during group yoga class “more spiritual” (or personalize it in any other way) with these simple tips.
Focus on the breath
Many group yoga classes are focused primarily on mastering poses, and in some schools, there’s a belief that mastering the poses is necessary before breathing practice can be taught. But the breath is the link between the body and the mind. My approach to yoga practice is breath-oriented, meaning the breath is a primary focus while executing the poses. Sometimes that appears as one movement connected with inhale, and another with exhale. Sometimes it means I’m super focused on my inhale and exhale while staying in a pose. However it manifests, the breath is a primary focus.
I’ve carried this approach with me when taking group classes. For many years, I studied with wonderfully talented and compassionate teachers who focused almost entirely on alignment and position. I learned a ton from those teachers and loved taking class with them. But in order to make that practice truly my own, I focused on the breath in addition to what they were asking of me. So after they demonstrated a pose, I’d do the pose with a focus on my inhale, exhale, and retention (a slight pause at the end of each stage of breath), whether or not they gave those breathing instructions. It helped me deepen my personal practice and have a much richer experience with the class.
Try focusing on your breath whether or not it’s asked of you in class, and notice the impact. Perhaps you’ll see how expanding your inhale can deepen a backbend, and how expanding the exhale can be soothing. Maybe you’ll be able to extend into a pose more fully than you can without a focus on the breath. Experiment and you’ll identify what works for you and what doesn’t.
Adapt the poses to suit you
Most yoga instructors will either show alternatives to the pose they're teaching, or (hopefully) at least encourage you to adapt poses to suit your unique body. It makes me sad when I hear people say they can’t do yoga because they’re not flexible or strong. I used to have a teacher who would say everyone who can breathe can do yoga. You can do yoga! You may just need to adapt what’s being taught to make it more approachable.
I was teaching at a conference last year with about 40 students in the class. At one point I looked around and there were 8 or 10 people on the side of the room practicing chair yoga, several in the center on mats, and one person at the back doing an advanced balance pose I hadn’t even taught. Some teachers may have thought the class was out of control. What I thought: this is great, everyone’s doing exactly what they need. I was thrilled that people felt comfortable adjusting the practice to suit themselves.
You can make your own adjustments even if they are not demonstrated. If the instructor shows a pose with their arms straight above their head and you find that creates tension in your neck, put a little bend in your arms and open them to the side. If you need props, like a strap or block to reasonably execute a pose, then grab the prop. Even if that's not offered, do what feels right to you. If adaptations are not "allowed," perhaps it's time to find a different class where you’ll be welcome to make the experience your own.
Stop looking at other students (aka, lose the competitive mindset)
It might seem ridiculous or unnecessary to say “stop being competitive” in a yoga class, but how many times have you looked around and thought, "I'm not doing this pose as well as so-and-so?” Or “I was doing this balance much better last week.” We all need to let go of these self-judgements. It’s not helpful, and it’s distracting you from getting the most from your precious practice time.
I'm still working on this lesson myself. I mostly practice on my own now but when I take classes I need to make sure I’m keeping my eyes on my own mat, or I can play the comparison game. This tip can apply outside of yoga too. I was in an exercise class at the gym a few months ago called Senior Strength. From the description and photo on the gym’s website, it appeared that the class would be well within my capabilities and probably even easy. I was a little fatigued that day and probably ate lunch too close to class time, but went anyway. The class was more aerobically demanding than I expected, and the other students (all a good 15 years older than me) were keeping up. I really wanted to take a break but thought "I am not going to be the one to stop first!" So what happened? I was exhausted afterwards. Lesson learned (again!).