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:
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)
- 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).
---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)
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