Pranayama: Yoga and Beyond

Why improve “normal” breathing? The answer lies in the powerful role breathing can play in reducing stress, reinvigorating energy, and strengthening concentration. When properly trained, the breath is an ideal therapeutic tool: always present, effective at every level of personality, and preventive as well as restorative. To tap into this remarkable resource, we must first understand how breathing works—and how we can consciously regulate its rhythm and shape for maximum benefit.

Why improve “normal” breathing? The answer lies in the powerful role breathing can play in reducing stress, reinvigorating energy, and strengthening concentration.

• Three Influences on Breathing

Autonomic Breathing: Breathing normally occurs outside awareness, governed by cells that monitor blood gas levels, create a crude rhythm of respiration, and coordinate the activity of respiratory muscles to make breathing smoother and more effective. 

• Flowing just beneath the surface of consciousness, the breath passes in and out of the lungs some 21,600 times a day. 
• Over the course of an 80-year life, that accounts for over 600 million breaths—a staggering figure considering the rare number of breakdowns along the way.

Voluntary/Conscious Breathing: But breathing is shaped by influences that tell an even more fascinating story. With the merest voluntary effort, you can change the way you breathe. You can hold your breath, blow out a candle, or suck through a straw. 

• Voluntary control of the breath makes it possible to speak—to create audible words, modify their volume, and invest them with powers of expression.
• Stuttering is an inability to control breathing
• Singing/chanting/praying is an act of breath control

Although automatic breathing and voluntary breathing are the most familiar styles of breathing, a third set of influences—one that includes a wide range of life experiences—also dramatically affects the way we breathe. 

• These various influences on breathing are called non-volitional. They occur without conscious intent—somewhat like automatic breathing. But while automatic breathing is driven by metabolic needs and is deeply rooted in our biology, non-volitional influences are psychosomatic in nature. They influence breathing in a variety of ways.*

• A vivid example is pain. Grasp the handle of a scalding-hot frying pan and your breath will register the injury with sudden piercing inhalations, punctuated by fierce exhalations. It may be many minutes before the crisis passes—your breathing is affected the entire time.

• Emotions also trigger enormous changes in breathing. Stumble too close to a canyon’s edge and it will cause you and those around you to gasp with fear. But step back to witness the spectacular view and your breath may be taken away in an altogether different manner.

• Stress, too, has a pervasive influence on the breath. A fast-approaching deadline can lead to breathing that is tense, hurried, and overcontrolled. Stressful breathing patterns are hardwired into your nervous system—part of the fight-or-flight response—and they may linger long after a stressful event is over.

*All these influences create links between mind and body. Sometimes the result is pleasant and healthy—laughter is a good example. But often non-volitional influences reduce the quality of breathing and linger as unhealthy breathing habits. 

• Exaggerated chest movements, tense abdominal muscles that restrict breathing, and breathing through the mouth rather than the nose are just a few examples of the consequences of stress on the breath.
• triggers can bring on these breathing changes as well

When these poor breathing habits persist outside awareness, they magnify perceptions of pain, distort emotions, feed cycles of stress, and impair concentration and memory. 

That is why yoga places so much emphasis on improving the quality of the breath. 

• Through breath awareness, we can transform jerky, irregular, and rapid breathing; smooth the connections from one breath to another; and deepen the flow of the breath until it finds its own exquisitely paced rhythm. 
• By improving the quality of your breathing you can improve the quality of your life.

The Dynamics of Breathing

A number of internal systems, each regulated to some degree by the autonomic nervous system, maintain inner equilibrium. Circulation, digestion, elimination, breathing—these are among the systems that sustain our existence from moment to moment. 

• Most of these systems use smooth muscles (or, in the case of the heart, striated muscle) to perform their essential functions. These muscles cannot be controlled directly—which is why you have no volitional control over the pace of your heartbeat or the motility of your bowels.
• But breathing is different. Because the lungs are not muscles, they do not pump air by themselves. They must be assisted by muscles of respiration whose primary job is to stretch the spongy tissue of the lungs. These respiratory muscles are skeletal muscles, muscles that can be controlled voluntarily. 
• If you choose to, you can shape the movements of your breath. This makes breathing the only internal system that operates automatically yet permits conscious control.

The primary muscle of breathing is the diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle that lies just beneath the lungs and divides the torso into two separate compartments: the thorax (chest) and the abdomen. 

• The diaphragm is controlled by a single nerve on each side of the body, the phrenic nerve. Stimulated by an impulse traveling down this nerve, the diaphragm contracts, drawing the base of the lungs down and expanding them, while simultaneously pressing on the abdominal contents below. As the lungs expand, air pressure within them falls, causing air to flow in. When the diaphragm relaxes, the elasticity of lung tissue makes it recoil passively, shrinking the lungs and gently forcing air back out. If a more powerful exhalation is required, abdominal muscles along with muscles in the chest wall can be recruited to rapidly squeeze and empty the lungs.
• When you INHALE, and the diaphragm drops, you send blood carrying oxygen into the lungs.
• When you exhale, you send that blood carrying oxygen into the rest of the body (with the help of the heart). 
• The heart and lungs work together to make sure the body has the oxygen-rich blood it needs to function properly. The Pulmonary Loop The right side of the heart picks up the oxygen-poor blood from the body and moves it to the lungs for cleaning and re-oxygenating
• The diaphragm is often called the SECOND HEART.*

* In Yogic breathing, we aim to make the exhalation a hyper-active conscious action, so that the body is hyper-oxygenated and "cleaned" of impurities carried in the blood.

• The Tantric (Hatha Yogis) you remember, saw the control of the exhale as a way to extend one's life, and improve the quality of life.
• Slow breathing and forceful exhalations are the "key" (Rechaka Kumbaka)
• to make what is unconscious, conscious---first step in self-realization

Breathing and the Nervous System

Automatic rhythms of breathing originate in the brain stem, where they are shaped by the metabolic needs of the moment. Nerve impulses providing voluntary control of breathing descend from the cerebral cortex. 

Non-volitional influences come from still another section of the brain, primarily the limbic area, which is identified with emotional processing. Thus, nerve impulses that descend along the phrenic nerve arise from three distinct areas of the brain.

With training, you can maintain deep, smooth breathing even while struggling with powerful emotional reactions. The behind-the-scenes prioritizing that determines which of these areas will hold sway is a constantly shifting process. But within limits, the option of consciously altering how we breathe always remains open. With awareness, you can modify your breathing by overriding other respiratory inputs.

Training Your Breath

• Awareness of every inhalation and exhalation is not the goal of yogic breath training. 
• The goal is to shape automatic breathing so that it flows optimally—in a deep, smooth, and effortless rhythm. (equanimity)
• Training also helps bring the various influences on breathing to conscious awareness. And it makes breathing strong enough to resist the disruption of harmful influences: stress, pain, and negative emotions.

With training, you can maintain deep, smooth breathing even while struggling with powerful emotional reactions. Daily practice is the key. It will give you the ability to recognize breathing problems as they arise and to work with your breathing when you are upset. 

Relieving Inner Burdens

Unconsciously, the subtle and not-so-subtle changes in breathing caused by daily tensions are recognized by the mind for what they are: burdens on inner life. By bringing awareness to the breath, we learn to reverse stressful breathing patterns and relax tense nerves.

How can this be done? Start with the exercise below. With two practice sessions of 10 minutes each day. This is a good start to a pranayama practice.

• Practicing Breath Awareness 

This exercise will make you aware of how good breathing feels.

1. Lie comfortably on your back, and place your arms alongside you, with your feet about 12 to 18 inches apart. Close your eyes and let your body rest.
2. Gradually bring your breathing into your awareness. Feel the exhalation emptying you, and the inhalation fill you. 
3. Relax the muscles of the abdomen and let the abdomen rise with each inhalation and fall with each exhalation. As you continue, soften the muscles of the rib cage and let it become still.
4. Let your breaths flow smoothly from one into the next, without hurrying or pressing between breaths. Over time, let the breath begin to flow at the speed that is completely natural and comfortable for you. (6-8 seconds each)
5. One side of the breath may be naturally longer.

• Practicing Breath Control (Pranayama)

Ujjayi Breath: The basic breath for asana practice.

• functions (according to Hatha yogis)
• creates heat in the body (tapas-ritual and physical heat from forcing blood around the body in larger volumes-science)-needed for any change
• fosters intensity of focus (EKA GRATA-single pointed focus)
• allows for greater intensity of experience
• "white noise" or music for your practice
• gauge of effort
• The locks
• mula banda to jalandara on the inhale, uddiyana on the exhale
• desha/drishti-focus while breathing
• Ratios
• inhale is energizing
• exhale is quieting
• these impacts are most felt on breath holds (kumbaka), either suspension or retentions.
• ratios may be manipulated for effect.
• slow breathing has the BIGGEST IMPACT

Exercise: Try These Examples

1. 1:2;2;1- inhale 6 (hold 12) exhale 12 (hold 6) =even
2. 1:1:2:1- inhale 6 (hold 6) exhale 12 (hold6)= exhalation heavy. 
3. 2:2:1;1- inhale 12 (hold 12) exhale 6 (hold 6)= inhalation heavy.

Ayurveda: Yoga's Sister Science

Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old system of natural healing that has its origins in the Vedic culture of India. It is one of the seven sister sciences (along with yoga). Although suppressed during years of foreign occupation and British colonial rule, Ayurveda has been enjoying a major resurgence in both its native land and throughout the world. Tibetan medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine both have their roots in Ayurveda. Early Greek medicine also embraced many concepts originally described in the classical ayurvedic medical texts dating back thousands of years.

More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life,Veda = science or knowledge). 

• It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential. 
• Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, 
• diet, 
• behavior and 
• the proper use of our senses

Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit. There is no standard therapy as in Western (allopathic) medicine, so that the only limitations are those of the physician.

Recognizing that human beings are part of nature, Ayurveda describes three fundamental energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement, transformation, and structure. Known in Sanskrit as:

•  Vata (Wind), 
•  Pitta (Fire), and
•  Kapha (Earth)

these primary forces are responsible for the characteristics of our mind and body. Each of us has a unique proportion of these three forces that shapes our "constitution" (nature).

• If Vata is dominant in our system, we tend to be thin, light, enthusiastic, energetic, and changeable. 
• If Pitta predominates in our nature, we tend to be intense, intelligent, and goal-oriented and we have a strong appetite for life. 
• When Kapha prevails, we tend to be easy-going, methodical, and nurturing. 

Although each of us has all three forces, most people have one or two elements that predominate.

For each element, there is a balanced and imbalance expression. 

• When Vata is balanced, a person is lively and creative, but when there is too much movement in the system, a person tends to experience anxiety, insomnia, dry skin, constipation, and difficulty focusing. 
• When Pitta is functioning in a balanced manner, a person is warm, friendly, disciplined, a good leader, and a good speaker. When Pitta is out of balance, a person tends to be compulsive and irritable and may suffer from indigestion or an inflammatory condition.
•  When Kapha is balanced, a person is sweet, supportive, and stable but when Kapha is out of balance, a person may experience sluggishness, weight gain, and sinus congestion.

An important goal of Ayurveda is to identify a person’s ideal state of balance, determine where they are out of balance, and offer interventions using diet, herbs, aromatherapy, massage treatments, music, and meditation to reestablish balance.

Ayurveda: the science of health PP 

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Levers and the Spine

The SPINE:

Curvatures of the spine (complement each other like inhalation and exhalation. It is therefore important to maintain the curvature of the spine).-otherwise functional imbalance, AGE-increases of decreases curvature due to gravity.

1. Cervical (concave)
2. Thoracic (convex)
3. Lumbar (concave)
4. Sacral (convex)

MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF MOVEMENT AND BREATHING

1. Make the exhalation long emphasizing abdominal muscle contraction (steps)
1. Contraction of the lower abdomen
2. Upper part of the abdomen contracts
3. Chest relaxes only at the end of the exhalation
2. Inhalation is about expansion of the chest then down to the abdomen. Do not push the abdomen outward this will increase the curvature in the spine.

-Twisting and the spine (upward movement)

-Backbending and the spine (No lower back compression)

-Forward bending and the spine (belly lengthening)

-BASE/ROOT/GROUNDING

3. breathing can intensify a movement and get you deeper into a posture
1. holding: move deeper, intensify your breath
2. releasing, moving, relax your breath
3. inhale release a bit, exhale draws you deeper

MENTAL STEADINESS & BREATH (reducing rajas and tamas and increasing sattva)

a.     mental focus (Movement of the body or the flow of the breath, drishti)

b.     start your breath before you begin your motion (don’t move when breath is held) Maximizes the SUPPORT of the posture

c.     breath can exceed the movement in some cases

BIOMECHANICS OF ASANA

v gravity and muscle contraction

v muscle contraction occurs at the origin and insertion of the muscle (why INNERVATION creates greater impact on stretching and strengthening)

v Extension arises from external forces of pulling. Muscles cannot pull themselves, they can only push (contract)

v LEVER SYSTEMS (most movement of the body)

                                               i.     Fulcrum: point around which the rotation takes place

                                             ii.     Force: effort

                                            iii.     Weight: load

First order lever: Fulcrum between the effort and the load (E-F-L)

Second order lever: Load between the effort and the fulcrum (E-L-F)---mechanical advantage is favorable (door with hand away from hinges

Third order lever: Effort between the fulcrum and the load (F-E-L)---most parts of the body. The point of attachment of the muscles to the rigid bones (effort) is relatively close to the joint (fulcrum). The center of gravity determines the degree of load. (distal=larger, proximal=smaller)-load is further away from the fulcrum than the effort (insertion point of muscle). ENABLE GREATEST RANGE OF MOVEMENT

WORK = force exerted + distance of movement

If load is closer to the fulcrum the work to lift it is less, but it will move a smaller distance and visa versa (door example-3^rd order-hand close to hinges)

Muscles usually have to contract with greater force than the weight of the load because of this third order construction of the fulcrum of the body. SACRIFICE OF STRENGTH FOR A GREATER RANGE OF MOVEMENT.---in asana we alter the amount of load  and the distance of the load from the joint to create certain effects in movement (or emphasize them).

TORQUE (movement of force on joints which causes rotation and therefore movement)

How much force is necessary to cause an object to rotate. Body movement are mostly the function of the rotation of joints. For movement to occur torque (exerted effort) must exceed the load which includes the weight of our body and gravity. (and maybe a counterforce).

Torque must be applied in the proper direction: THE ANGLE OF THE APPLICATION OF FORCE IS VERY IMPORTANT.

---the larger the angles in the body (which to a great extent are pre-dertermined by our joint structure, the greater the effort, because the torque in minimal.

ASANA & LEVERS

a.     The further the load is from the joint, the greater the effort (force)

b.     Uttanassan-effort is greatest at 90 degree angle with arms extended and then load arm is longest

CENTER OF GRAVITY & SIZE OF BASE

Wider is less load, more difficult torque

A first-class lever has the axis (fulcrum) located between the weight (resistance) and the force (figure 1.21a). An example of a first-class lever is a pair of pliers or scissors. First-class levers in the human body are rare. One example is the joint between the head and the first vertebra (the atlantooccipital joint) (figure 1.21b). The weight (resistance) is the head, the axis is the joint, and the muscular action (force) come from any of the posterior muscles attaching to the skull, such as the trapezius.

In a second-class lever, the weight (resistance) is located between the axis (fulcrum) and the force (figure 1.22a). The most obvious example is a wheelbarrow, where a weight is placed in the bed of the wheelbarrow between the wheel (axis) and the hands of the person using the wheelbarrow (force). In the human body, an example of a second-class lever is found in the lower leg when someone stands on tiptoes (figure 1.22b). The axis is formed by the metatarsophalangeal joints, the resistance is the weight of the body, and the force is applied to the calcaneus bone (heel) by the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles through the Achilles tendon.

In a third-class lever, the most common in the human body, force is applied between the resistance (weight) and the axis (fulcrum) (figure 1.23a). Picture someone using a shovel to pick up an object. The axis is the end of the handle where the person grips with one hand. The other hand, placed somewhere along the shaft of the handle, applies force. At the other end of the shovel (the bed), a resistance (weight) is present. There are numerous third-class levers in the human body; one example can be illustrated in the elbow joint (figure 1.23b). The joint is the axis (fulcrum). The resistance (weight) is the forearm, wrist, and hand. The force is the biceps muscle when the elbow is flexed.

Assisting and Adjusting: part 2

 

Assisting & Adjusting Clinic

SUMMARY:

Assisting and adjusting are not about getting people to look like a shape or go through a movement. They are about effectively communicating through language, vision and touch.

Good communication is:

• clear (easily understood)
• concise (shortest route)
• focused (no extraneous information)

There are no standard assists/adjustments worth learning 

• Assists and adjustments require that you "know" what you want to communicate
• see it
• understand why the student does not understand or is unable to move toward the goal
• know how to get to the correction
• you can execute  (communicate)the correction.
• OTHERWISE, DO NOT CORRECT

·      Assisting Versus Adjusting

o   Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Effects of Postures
---can not emphasize secondary or tertiary effect at the expense of the primary effect (although you can focus on them in your instruction).

o   Dynamics of Movement

o   Laws of Spinal Rotation & Side Bending

§  Cervical

§  Thoracic

§  Lumbar

§  Sacral (none!)

·      When Do You Step in????

·      Your Body as the Instrument

o   Seeing

o   Performing

o   Importance of Breath

·      Verbal versus Physical Assists

·      Static Versus Dynamic Assists & Adjustments

·      Class versus Private Adjustments

·      Vinyasa Adjustment

Why Assist or Adjust?

“Remember that asanas are an expression of unique human beings, not ideal or static forms or ‘poses.’” – Mark Stephens, Teaching Yoga: Essential Foundations and Techniques © 2010 p 119

 Potential Reasons to Consider an Assist or Adjust

A fundamental consideration is to clarify why one might assist a student with verbal cueing, physical adjustments or other teachings. Some reasons teachers have for assisting a student include:

         Remove student from an unsafe position due to poor alignment, excessive forcing, or other factors that might lead to injury.

                  BASE is essential here, so adjustments begin from THE

                  GROUND UP (looking)

         Give information about alignment of pose.

         Give information about energy of pose.

         Increase student's awareness of her body or breath.

         Provide alternative ways of experiencing and/or deepening the pose. (Assist)

         Provide encouragement.

         Respond to student who is asking for clarification or guidance.

 Watch Out For (don’t do it!)

Following are additional reasons teachers might (perhaps unknowingly) desire to assist but that are less appropriate indicators:

         Student "doesn't look right" so teacher feels a need to try something.

         Teacher learned a cool adjustment for the pose & wants to show it.

         Teacher likes to show her skill in a pose.

Teacher wants the student to feel good or like them (gratuitous)

         Teacher feels she needs to demonstrate expertise.

Preparing for Assists

“Explore how you can share what you are seeing in a way that helps the student to see more easily and clearly and to feel his or her own body, breath, and practice.” Mark Stephens, Teaching Yoga: Essential Foundations and Techniques © 2010 p 122

 Before Class Begins

In order to safely adjust students, teachers need to know if any students are injured, pregnant or have other relevant conditions. In addition, in order for students to feel comfortable opting out of adjustments for any reason at all, giving them the option before class is a good strategy. Some teachers have students place sticky notes or rocks on their mat indicating their choice to have or not have adjustments.

 Start Small

“I always advise teachers to start small and develop their inventory of skills. Owing to the almost complete lack of touch in daily life, putting your hands on students—and feeling their receptivity in return—can be an intimidating process. To assist well means, in essence, mastering the art of non-verbal communication—you are able to read the body and "respond" effectively”. – Jill Abelson, Extra Love: The Art of Hands-On Assists - The Definitive Manual for Yoga Teachers, Assistants and Advanced Students, Volume One © 2012 p 2

         Teachers are advised to only touch students when they have complete confidence in themselves, in seeing the student, and in adjusting the particular pose.

         Many teachers begin adjusting just one pose, and then add another after their practice and experience has developed.

 Understand the Pose & General Student Issues

         Before offering assists, have a deep understanding & experience of the pose.

         Understand how different bodies may experience the pose.

         Know primary cautions of pose.*

         Be comfortable with variations to adapt pose.*

         Be familiar with common issues for students.

 Cultivate Ability to See

Be grounded in your body and connected with your own breath.

         Concentrate fully on seeing the student, despite potential distractions from teaching to full class.

         Feel, empathize and imagine what student is experiencing.

Understand what impact you are having as you approach a student

 Make Observations

         First: observe areas of safety, caution or risk in the pose.

         Prioritize concentration on the student's BASE Avoid focusing on other aspects of pose until you are sure the foundation is aligned, solid, balanced.

         Observe student's breath & overall comfort including signs of tension, resistance or fear.

         Assess student's physical capabilities & challenges.

         Observe student's body awareness.

         Note where student appears to be focusing her effort.

         Observe alignment in feet, calves, knees, hips, spine, collarbones, arms, shoulders, and head.

 Considering Whether—and How—to Assist

“Address major misalignments and/or potential for injury first, followed by foundation issues, minor misalignments, stress/fear response, then other enhancements to outer form, and then fine tuning for the inner body”. – Jill Abelson, Extra Love: The Art of Hands-On Assists - The Definitive Manual for Yoga Teachers, Assistants and Advanced Students, Volume One © 2012 p 4

         Consider if student practices regularly. You may wish to minimize hands-on work with beginners, focusing primarily on alignment corrections for their safety.

         Consider if student has good breathing technique. Most adjustments are done with the student's breath.

         Ensure student is injury-free. Ask before class starts which students have injuries.

         Ensure student is comfortable being adjusted. Noticing how student responds can be helpful and more clear is asking ahead of time which students wish to avoid hands-on adjustments.

         Become crystal clear about the purpose/intention of assist.

         Assess whether there is time to provide the assist before leaving pose.

 Verbal Assists

When choosing to guide a student in better alignment or a deeper expression of a pose, consider refining your verbal cues or offering a different verbal teaching. Some options include:

 Teach the point to the whole class.

         Oftentimes, teaching to the whole class can be the easiest, least disruptive, and most effective way to respond to something seen among a few students.

         Options include giving new verbal instructions and cues or potentially adding an additional demonstration.

 Give one-on-one instruction.

         When there is a student who is at a different level from the rest of class or she isn't responding to previous instruction, then quickly note the elements in Preparing for Assists (above).

         Giving one-on-one instruction is a very common practice used by many excellent teachers. When possible and appropriate, the benefits of moving to the student include being able to show her the pose more closely, provide touch if appropriate, and provide more discreet interaction.

         The experience and connection between teacher and student plus observation of the student's comfort in her body can help identify suitable teaching options.

         New teachers may also wish to be mindful of their intention and be sure to practice observing the student carefully. This can then guide the tone and technique for offering the assist.

 Energetic Adjustments

“Become conscious of the energy you are transmitting when touching your student. …Connect your touch with your thoughts … Bring yourself as fully present as possible”. – Sue Flamm (Puja), Restorative Yoga: with Assists A Manual for Teachers and Students of Yoga © 2013 p 37

 What is Energy?

         Energy may refer to the energy of the body or of the mind, or both.

         Physically, energy usually refers to the movement occurring in various systems of the body such as blood circulation and nerve impulses.

         Energy of the mind refers to the way in which thoughts and awareness direct energy and movement, resulting in an action or other manifestation.

 Yoga & Energy

         Much of the benefit of Hatha Yoga can be said to be the effect of the practices on the "energy body."

                  Better alignment, stability, and flexibility remove obstacles to free physical energy flow.

                  Breath practices, sensory withdrawal, concentration & meditation tend to lead to a spacious perspective and a more positively focused direction for mental energy.

                  So from this perspective, we might consider any assists we provide as "energetic" in the sense that there is no real separation between physical and energetic bodies. We experience them as directly related.

         Energetic assists and adjustment ask students to move toward an energetic sensation or affect.

                  Bandhas

                  Emotional states (pride, certainty, surrender)

                  Awareness of sensation of breath

 Physical Adjustments

“Every body is sacred. This is the attitude I take when touching my students. I think, "This being is precious," and so when I touch them physically or energetically, I touch them with the utmost respect and care”. – Sue Flamm (Puja), Restorative Yoga: with Assists A Manual for Teachers and Students of Yoga © 2013 p 35

 Moving Into Student's Space

         Move gradually.

         Move with clarity.

         Begin physical assists and adjustments on the student inhale. Move into the adjustment on the exhale

         We may wish to provide verbal support, questioning or cueing as suits our intention, style & familiarity with student.

 Physical Safety Considerations

“If a student is very flexible, especially if their joints hyperextend, then focus your adjustments on reiterating their foundation and connecting them to their core strength—for example, by grounding their sitting bones in seated poses." – Melanie Cooper, Teaching Yoga Adjusting Asana © 2012 pgs 181 & 183

         Avoid taking the student out of balance.

         First, stabilize your own posture. Oftentimes, being in a lunge, horse stance or squat is conducive to physical adjusting. Avoid being out of balance.

         Use your weight and body dynamics, not your strength

         You are ALSO doing a posture

         Next, stabilize the student. This can be the key to making the adjustment feel safe and for it to be efficient & effective. This is best done by MIRRORING the student’s posture and understanding where the center point of the posture is.

         HIPS!

         Avoid pressing on joints or spine.

         If you feel any resistance, stop and observe. Err on the side of caution.

 Mindfulness & Professionalism

“I tell teachers to embody—to the letter—brahmacharya. Brahmacharya is commonly translated as celibacy or sexual continence. Practically speaking, it means personal energy management. …In other words, you do not merge your energy with that of the student. The boundary is apparent form your manner, professionalism and technique. –“ Jill Abelson, Extra Love: The Art of Hands-On Assists - The Definitive Manual for Yoga Teachers, Assistants and Advanced Students, Volume One © 2012 p 67

         Teachers are advised to dress professionally and avoid hanging hair, unkempt fingernails and dangling jewelry.

         Excellence requires staying present to your breath.

         You can vow to use the power of touch in a mindful way.

         Of fundamental importance is to stay grounded, aware and relaxed. Do not touch students while distracted or unfocused.

         Good touch is firm and confident without aggression, timidness or sensuality; use deliberate and non-sensual touch.

 Exiting

         Exit the adjustment and the student's space as mindfully as entering it, releasing pressure gradually.

         In cases where student is balancing in some way, ending for a breath or two with minor contact can give her time to stabilize before exiting.

Exiting is best done at the beginning of an exhale, making sure that the student can maintain the pose. (integration)