Pillar Five: Inclusive Communication and Class Design

How you cue, how you communicate, and how you build a class that works for every student.

Inclusive communication is about more than the words we use. It shapes how students experience a yoga class, the choices available to them, and whether they feel they have control over their own practice.

At the heart of this pillar is a simple principle: teach the experience of the pose, not the shape of it.

Consider Warrior II. The traditional shape has specific expectations about arm position, knee alignment, and the placement of the feet. But the experience of the pose is about strength, grounding, openness, and breath. Students can explore those experiences in different ways, even when the traditional shape is not accessible to them.

When we focus on achieving a particular shape, we risk creating barriers. When we focus on the experience, we invite more possibilities for participation.

Language That Invites Choice

Inclusive cueing means offering invitations rather than issuing instructions that assume everyone can move in the same way.

Instead of saying, “Everyone stand on your mat,” consider inviting students to begin from wherever they are, whether standing, seated, or lying down. Instead of asking everyone to hold a pose for five breaths, invite them to stay for as long as feels right for them.

These small changes return agency to the student. They also communicate that different ways of practising are equally valid, rather than presenting modifications as lesser options.

Plain language matters, too. If you use Sanskrit pose names, include the English name alongside them. Not everyone has a yoga background, and familiar, straightforward language can remove unnecessary barriers to understanding.

Communicating in More Than One Way

Inclusive communication uses multiple channels: verbal description, visual demonstration, and touch-based guidance when consent has been given.

Not every student can access every channel. A student who is blind or has low vision may rely on detailed verbal descriptions to understand body positions and movements.

A student who is deaf or hard of hearing may need to see the instructor's face when they speak.

Other students may benefit from slower pacing, repetition, or knowing what comes next.

These approaches do not need to be introduced only when a particular student attends. Making them part of your regular teaching practice creates more opportunities for everyone to participate.

Consent is equally important. Always ask before offering hands-on adjustments and ask again each time you approach a student. Consent at the beginning of class does not mean someone has agreed to touch throughout the practice.

Designing a Class That Includes Everyone

Inclusive communication also means considering the structure of your class, from the opening welcome to the final relaxation.

Offer seated and supported postures as full and equal options from the beginning, rather than introducing them only when someone appears to need them. Use clear, consistent language and sequencing, and let students know what is coming next when possible. And always speak directly to students who attend with a support worker, rather than directing your communication to the support worker.

During relaxation, for example, asking everyone to lie flat on their backs, close their eyes, and remain still assumes that the same position and experience will work for everyone. Offering choices about body position, whether to close the eyes, and how to rest creates room for different needs and preferences.

For students living with chronic pain or illness, explicitly giving permission to adjust a pose, rest, or simply focus on breathing can also be meaningful. Students should not feel they have to push through discomfort to meet an instructor's expectations.

Bringing the Pillar Into Practice

Inclusive communication asks us to examine the assumptions embedded in our everyday teaching. Who are we expecting to stand, move at a particular pace, understand a particular cue, or hold a particular shape?

The goal is not to create a separate class for every student. It is to design and teach classes with enough flexibility for students to participate in ways that work for them.

This week, review your next class plan. Identify three places where your language assumes a particular body or ability or presents an alternative as a fallback. Rewrite those cues as invitations that offer choice and preserve the student's agency.

Our body, our spirit, our breath, our practice, our choice. Inclusive communication puts that principle into practice by ensuring students have the information, options, and control they need to make their yoga practice their own.