Restorative yoga is a gentle, passive practice that promotes relaxation in the body.
The other day at the start of my weekly restorative yoga class, our instructor asked us which areas of the body we'd like to focus on that day.
A few other regular students shouted out, "Shoulders! … Lower back! … Psoas!"
However, I stayed quiet because I started writing this article in my head. Class that day wasn't going to be restorative for me because I viewed my yoga instructor as a content marketer and her students as her audience members.
While she likely already had a series of poses in mind to teach that day, she asked her audience for feedback that would shape her lesson plan. Tailoring the asanas to her students' needs would help ensure that they were satisfied and happy that they came to her class.
But did the requests from her students stifle her own vision of what she wanted to teach? Did the suggestions block her own creativity and passion for yoga?
On the contrary, I argue that her students' input actually enhanced her creativity and passion for yoga.
The same thing can happen when you find out what your prospects hope to achieve by consuming your content.