Potential Reasons to Assist: Adjustment & Assisting Guidelines

For some teachers and students, hands-on adjustments are central to their practice. And for others, it is a major component or a welcome addition.

In all forms of assisting (physical, verbal and energetic), a fundamental consideration is to clarify WHY you might assist a student. Some reasons teachers have for assisting a student include:

1. Remove student from an unsafe position due to poor alignment, excessive forcing, or other factors that might lead to injury.
2. Give information about alignment of pose.
3. Give information about the stabilization in the pose.
4. Give information about energy of pose.
5. Increase student’s awareness of her body or breath.
6. Provide alternative ways of experiencing the pose.
7. Provide encouragement.
8. Respond to a student who is asking for clarification or guidance.
9. Give student a “feel good adjustment” that helps to release tension.