Here are 5 ways to keep your students and your own body
safe when giving physical adjustments:
A little tap goes a long way: In the early part of my teaching, I as-
sisted in the Ashtanga room of a well-known Los Angeles studio. Strong
adjustments were expected and encouraged. Ashtangis are daily practitio-
ners and a strong adjustment is part of the culture. Yet, most students that
come to public classes are coming in before, after, or even during a long
day of work or taking care of their family. They practice one to four times
a week, if they are lucky. This means tighter bodies and corresponding
energy. A strong adjustment may not be appropriate for someone who
you see once a month or a couple of times a week. Instead, using a light
tap to alert a part of the body that needs to wake up or lengthen can not
only have a greater effect than yanking them into position, it educates
the students how to engage, empowering them in their practice. Less is
often more.
Just because the body is ready, does not mean the mind is:
I had a private client who was quite able-bodied. She was a novice to
yoga when we met and progressed very rapidly in our sessions. Eager to
learn more, she would bring me pictures of poses she hoped to work on.
While she was quite flexible in her upper spine and shoulders, she would
hold her breath and sweat profusely in deep backbends. She desperately
wanted to do urdhva dhanurasana (upward facing bow). One day after
much preparation, she asked that I lift her into it. We had been leading
up to it for months, so it was worth an attempt, although I would let her
be in total control. I had her grab my ankles and braced my hands under
her shoulders. She lifted her hips and then began pushing into my ankles.
Before I even had a moment to cue the next action, her breath shut off
and her body went stiff like rigor mortis. I had her come down right
away since I could see that her body was more than capable of doing the
posture, but emotionally and energetically, she was not. I would not have
served her by yanking her into the shape too soon. Instead, I let her rest
and we decided to keep working on the preparatory poses, so she could
find her breath before revisiting the advanced shape.Like sex, good communication is everything: “Is this OK?” can
be a game-changing question when it comes to hands-on assists. I train
teachers around the world and there is always one person in the trainings
who is so eager to adjust that they jump right in and crank away before
really looking and sensing the body before them. We must slow our en-
trance down as we enter the student’s energy field. This will give us a read.
I am often asked, “How do you know if someone does not want to be
adjusted?” The answer is, “We ask.” Before you place your hands on the
person, you ask, “Is this OK?” Once you have your hands on them, ask
again, “Is this OK?” As you start to move them, ask again, “Is this OK?”
And even upon exiting it is okay to ask, “Was that OK?” Communicat-
ing with your students is a great way to learn more about them and their
needs, but it also teaches them to speak up and take control.Just say no: “No Touch” chips and placards are becoming more com-
monplace at studios. This is a private way for students to “voice” their
request without having to literally say the words. Some teachers announce
that they will be adjusting during class and in a posture where people’s
eyes are closed or heads are down like balasana (child’s pose), they do a