I’m going to say that good teachers know but don’t tell you that you have to figure out how your body is going to respond to each asana. They will give you certain general cues/tips, and after that you pay attention to what & when your muscles do understand, and what/when they have no idea how to respond to what you want. Having said that, there are a few verbal cues that have been invaluable to me. They are not terribly elegantly stated and might not work for every type of body(or mind) but this is some of the stuff I repeat to myself as needed and my body parts obey:
“Grip the mat like you would a basketball” – O. I.
“Lower your butt to your heels before jumping through” – J.W.
“Suck it up and mind your business” – “Dr.” Kiki Flynn
Serene Flavorful 
Missing your daily postings already and it is only Wednesday:) Live the grip quote…I tend to try for that even with my feet!
It’s crazytown around here this week, and I don’t even do the holidays! things will ease up by Friday. Thanks for reading.