Why Cues Don't Work Under Stress

Most teachers don’t struggle because they lack good cues.  They actually have a lot of really good ones. 

They struggle because conditions change.

Under stress, learning capacity narrows.
Processing slows.
Threat perception increases.

Yes, people come to yoga to relax.
We talk often about using breath and movement to access the parasympathetic nervous system.

But this is a more nuanced conversation.

The nervous system is not just sympathetic vs. parasympathetic.
Stress load, sleep, nutrition, hydration, inflammation, grief-all of it shapes baseline state.

When someone’s system is tipped toward hypervigilence, layered or conceptual cues create an unwinnable gap.

Complex instruction cannot be processed in a person that feels unsafe.

In those moments, our job is not to add more information.

It’s to create simple steps forward.  Enough for the student to experience stability and safety.

Only then do we have somewhere to go.

A cue that worked beautifully in a regulated room may fall flat or even backfire when students are:

• anxious

• grieving

• overworked

• inflamed

• exhausted

This isn’t about saying things better.  Or giving them more detailed instruction.

It’s about recognizing when someone's system can’t receive complexity.

When cues stop landing, teachers often assume:

• they’ve lost skill

• they’re doing something wrong

• they need better words

More often, what’s needed is:

• less instruction

• simpler choices

• more agency

• clearer exits

• better pacing

Cueing under stress isn’t about mastery.

It’s about discernment.

And discernment can be taught.  Teachers don't always need more scripts or cues.  They need better pattern recognition.

If you are interested in developing this kind of discernment in your teaching, I explore this further in my Teacher Tune Up sessions.