Assisting & Adjusting Clinic
SUMMARY:
· Assisting Versus Adjusting
o
Primary,
Secondary & Tertiary Effects of Postures
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)
