Did you know that there are 16 magic cues (8 pairs of cues) that will ensure you’re doing every yoga pose correctly?

I definitely didn’t, until my first day of yoga teacher training. Our teacher got us to all stand up and took us and our bodies through each one. The 16 cues are divided up into 8 pairs, with the idea that each pair contains complementary cues that need to be done together to create stability in the body.

Take a moment, stand up and try it for yourself with the aim of holding all 16 cues together at the same time.

Tadasana cues (in pairs)

1. Ground all four corners of your feet into the earth
2. Pull up through the inner arches of your feet
3. Draw the shins towards each other
4. Broaden the back of your knees (push your knees back)
5. Roll your inner thighs back (or up, pending the pose)
6. Pull up through the pelvic floor (as if your perineum area was being pulled upwards)
7. Cinch in your waist
8. Lengthen your side bodies (from your hips to your armpits)
9. Inner & outer shoulders back
10. Roll the bottom of your shoulder blades down
11. Tuck your front ribs in
12. Broaden through the collarbone (as if they were moving back and out simultaneously)
13. Take the edges of your neck back and up
14. Reach through the crown of your head
15. Energise your fingertips
16. Smile

It’s not easy, is it? When you’re standing up straight and holding these cues you can feel the effort. These are called Tadasana cues. When you’re in a yoga class and the teacher gives you alignment advice for each pose, they’re not just making it up and pulling them out of thin air (well they shouldn’t be at least), they’re drawing from these cues.

They generally apply to every pose and if you memorise them you will always have something to draw on whether no matter how you’re feeling about the class, teacher, etc. And you will end up working hard as they make even the simplest of poses (like standing) intricate balances of effort.

Learning these cues changed my whole physical practice. Not using them is the equivalent of going to a gym and squatting weights without proper form, vs squatting with proper form. Be in the know, keep your body safe and remember that it’s all about connecting within…not how high your leg kicks or how arched your back is. Find that sweet spot between strength and ease. And never forget to meditate!

Written by | Alex