I Stopped Saying This Popular Cue When I Teach Yoga. Here's Why.

"I was attempting to create space for students in their practice, to avoid being overly prescriptive with my alignment cues, and to support all bodies in the room. I felt it was a way to keep things accessible. It felt like thoughtful teaching, because it is."

"Although I've recently realized, as a student on the receiving end of this cue, that what feels good is not always what is best for my body. I'm recovering from a back injury, and I'm noticing that stretching feels good. Specifically, finding depth in familiar shapes feels good. But for me, focusing on what feels good took me away from the more challenging aspects of strengthening core and glute muscles to support my back, and that is what I needed, the work."

"So I had to admit to myself that, left to my own instincts, I was not always choosing what supported me. I was choosing what felt most familiar and easiest. And that isn't always what I need from my practice."

"Was I defaulting to this cue in the same way I was defaulting to certain movement patterns in my practice-namely, because it was familiar and easy? And, by extension, was using "do what feels good" actually supporting my students or was it holding them back from strengthening, like me, or exploring things that help them grow?"

Offering many options and encouraging students to pause or modify poses supports autonomy and accessibility. Over time, relying heavily on “do what feels good” can unintentionally shift practice toward what feels familiar and easy rather than what best supports the body. After a back injury, stretching felt good and deepening familiar shapes felt good, but it reduced focus on strengthening core and glute muscles needed for recovery. This realization prompted examination of teaching habits, including whether the cue was reinforcing the same movement patterns that were comfortable instead of promoting growth. The cue is common in yoga and inclusion matters, but it may not always function as intended for every student.

Read at Yoga Journal