You can have the perfect sequence, the most beautiful playlist, and the most inviting room — but without good cueing, it all falls apart. Your voice is the primary tool you have as a yoga teacher. It guides, motivates, calms, and connects. Mastering cueing is the difference between a good and a great teacher.
The four types of cueing
1. Directional cueing
The most basic form: telling students what to do with the body.
- "Step your right foot forward"
- "Lift your arms overhead"
- "Rotate your belly to the left"
Tips: Be specific. "Lift your arm" is unclear — which arm? How high? Use directional language: up, down, forward, back, in, out.
2. Alignment cueing
Refinement of the pose: telling students how to do it correctly.
- "Knee directly over ankle"
- "Shoulders away from ears"
- "Pelvis in neutral — neither tilting forward nor back"
Tips: Use body landmarks. "Pelvis over heels" is more useful than "stand straight."
3. Imagery cueing
The most powerful form: using images and metaphors to evoke the right sensation.
- "Roots from your feet down into the earth"
- "Lift your chest like a rising sun"
- "Soften the face — as if watching a sunset"
Tips: Imagery activates different parts of the brain than directional cueing. It creates an experience, not just an instruction.
4. Intentional cueing
The deepest layer: connecting the pose with a feeling, a purpose, or an awareness.
- "Feel the strength in your legs — the strength you carry with you beyond the studio"
- "In this twist: what are you releasing? What are you holding onto?"
- "Find the place where challenge meets calm. Stay there."
"Good cueing tells the body what to do. Great cueing tells the person who they can be."
The power of voice
It's not only what you say, but how you say it:
- Tempo: Slow down in restorative sections. Speed up in dynamic flows. Your voice controls the class's energy.
- Volume: Whisper in Savasana. Project in Warrior. Variation maintains attention.
- Pauses: The most underrated technique. A pause after an instruction gives students time to process and respond.
- Tone: Warm and inviting? Or commanding and energetic? Both have their place — but they create vastly different experiences.
The 3 most common cueing mistakes
- Over-cueing: Talking all the time. Students need silence to feel the body.
- Vague instructions: "Find your own variation" — what does that mean for a beginner? Give concrete alternatives.
- Directional confusion: Saying "left" when you mean "right" — it happens to everyone. Mirror cueing requires practice.
Practice makes perfect
Cueing is a skill that develops over time. Record yourself. Listen back. What works? What can improve? And most importantly: teach, teach, teach.
Our yoga teacher training dedicates significant time to cueing practice with live feedback. Or continue reading in our journal for more teaching skills.
