Teacher’s Tales:
A
few years back I wrote a piece for this magazine that
posed the question: what makes an effective teacher?
At the time I was prompted to write it because I’d
overheard a conversation about teachers who did
strong hands-on adjustments as being better teachers
than those who did not. In the years that have followed, it feels as
though certain aspects of the yoga landscape have shifted, including
scandals involving high-profile teachers who abused their positions
and the emergence of MeToo.
Consent is not something that always comes to mind with yoga
adjustments or assists (‘assist’ being a preferable description and
distinction for some, as the word ‘adjustment’ can suggest correcting
something that is wrong). However, consent does matter here.
I’m a teacher who tends not to adjust physically in general classes.
Some people who regularly attend the classes I teach have told me
this is one of the reasons they do return. If you are someone who
loves to be adjusted (or assisted) in your asana practice or comes
from a lineage where assists are integral, then this might be strange
to you. But it makes sense to me. As a student, I don’t like being
touched and it is one of the reasons I don’t go to drop-in classesTo adjust or not to adjust? It’s a key question for teachers and students, says Paula Hines
much, as it often seems there is a presumed consent because you
are there.
In some instances, permission is sought beforehand, but even
when this is the case, there is still the student / teacher dynamic
where some students may not feel able to say no. In a class I
taught several years ago, I touched the hand of male student to
assist in triangle pose (I had asked if it was okay to do so) – he
visibly flinched. I never saw him again after that. Before this he had
attended every week for over a year. It might not be linked but I
cannot help but wonder.
From my own experiences as a student, a notable memory is
being straddled by a male teacher during a supine posture in a class.
He then asked, “Is this alright?” It wasn’t, but it was a bit late by then.
I have also been injured by teachers even though I’d previously asked
to not be adjusted.
I don’t have any definitive answers, but I do feel consent an issue
to be taken seriously by us all.Paula Hines is a London-based yoga teacher and writer
(ucanyoga.co.uk)Yoga adjustments and consent
Te acher zone