A Comfort Zone Conversation with Sage Rountree

April 9, 2026 · 2 p.m. Eastern


The Overthinking Trap

You love the idea of theming your yoga classes . . . but every time you sit down to plan one, you freeze.

Somewhere along the way, we absorbed the idea that theming means becoming a philosopher. That every class needs a Big Idea—capital B, capital I.

No wonder so many of us just . . . don't.


A Theme Is a Thread

Think of a theme as one idea that gives your students something to hold onto from the moment they settle in to the moment they leave. It’s a thread that connects the beads—that’s what sutra means—or that leads students through a maze like Ariadne gave Theseus to get to the Minotaur. (Or think of little schoolchildren holding a string to stay in line on field trips.)

You pick it up in centering, touch it during a cue or two, weave it into a transition, and tie it off in closing. Four touchpoints. That's the whole structure.

It doesn't need to be complicated. It just needs to be present.


Why It Matters

When your class has a theme, your students aren't just following directions. They're following a story.

And we're wired for stories. We remember them. We carry them off the mat. A theme turns "hold this pose" into "notice what happens when you stay"—and suddenly the class feels like yours. Like no one else could have taught it.