The hands-on approach to teaching yoga is really an art form and skill to be refined through practice and experience. It makes a big difference to a yoga students experience of yoga.
6 reasons for the hands-on approach
- help avoid unsafe alignment
- deepen release and relaxation
- cultivate a connection with students
- encourage mindfulness
- provide insight into the energetics of a posture
- deepen the posture
The hands-on approach is referred to as an ‘assist’ or ‘adjustment’. Despite these two terms being used interchangeably within the yoga community, there is a distinct difference between them which has important implication in terms of the teacher's intent of use and the student's experience. A lack of clarity regarding the intention of an adjust vs assist can impede the effectivity of the hands-on approach to teaching yoga, so it's our responsibility as teachers to distinguish and clarify what we are doing.
assist:
“to give support or aid to; help”
adjust:
“to change (something) so that it fits, corresponds or conforms; adapt; accommodate”
They share the same ultimate virtuous intentions regarding deepening the experience of yoga, i.e. to facilitate the student in their pursuit of the experience of yoga, to bring integrity and safety to the posture and ultimately empower and serve the student and elevate the practice of yoga.
4 factors that influence the appropriateness of an adjustment vs an assist
1.familiarity
between student and teacher can affect the effectiveness of the adjustment or assist. Subtle and subconscious forces are at play during the communication of body language, touch and intimacy. The pre-existing connection and bond between student and teacher can influence this. A good-sense of familiarity is more likely to lead to an effective adjustment. If there is less familiarity, the yoga assist may be the less risky and more effective teaching tool to use.
2. trust
a student must feel comfortable and confident in order to be receptive to receiving a hands-on adjustment or assist. The student must feel a strong sense of trust in the teacher, in the yoga practice and also within themselves and their abilities to cultivate depth in yoga practice. An adjustment requires a stronger sense of trust than an assist.
3. timing
it’s all about timing… not just within the arc of the class but timing within the posture. If given too soon, too late, for too long or not long enough, the effectiveness of the hands on adjustment or assist is impaired.
4. how ‘in-their-body’ the student is
a person’s kinaesthetic intelligence and level of embodiment are good factors to consider when determining whether a hands-on adjustment or assist would be most effective for them and their yoga practice.
kinaesthetic intelligence is defined as a person’s ability and skill in using their body to express themselves, in addition to their co-ordination and fine and gross motor skills. A person with high kinaesthetic intelligence may be more inclined to learn better from physical touch as opposed to verbal cues because their intelligence is so physically orientated. Therefore a hands-on adjustment may be a more effective approach for them.
embodiment in regards to yoga practice is a student’s familiarity to a pose, whereby their physical expression of the posture is the manifestation of the yoga itself.
It is no surprise therefore that yoga practice increases a person’s kinaesthetic intelligence and embodiment. Therefore, I would argue that hands-on adjustment are most effective for yoga students that already have a regular and intermediate practice and show high levels of kinaesthetic intelligence and embodiment because they are already well-versed in yoga practice so are open and receptive to the communication of physical touch.
For students with lower levels of kinaesthetic intelligence whom are less ‘embodied’ and more likely to be beginners at yoga, a hands-on adjust may be too intense and may not be the most effective or appropriate teaching tool to use.
On the other end of the spectrum, my experience is that a student with a very high kinaesthetic intelligence with a stronger sense of embodiment of the yoga practice also wouldn’t really gain much from a teachers’ hands-on adjustment because the adept student already would have a strong sense of the posture for themselves and may be experiencing the ‘depth’ within the posture on a more subtler, intrinsic way and thus a teachers hand-on adjustment may just feel invasive or distracting and thus would detract from this deeper experience of yoga.
I have found that assists allow for more scope to be student-lead and so would be appropriate for a student irrespective of their level of yoga practice, kinaesthetic intelligence or embodiment. Therefore the effectiveness of a hands-on assist would be more dependent upon the other aforementioned factors, i.e. trust, familiarity and timing rather than how ‘in-their-body’ the student is.
10 tips for the hands-on approach to teaching
By adhering to the Real Flow Yoga principle qualities of mindfulness, trust and authenticity, you can rest assured in the high quality of your hands-on approach to teaching yoga. Be mindful of your breath, body, movement and touch as well as your students. Trust yourself and your students and cultivate your students’ trust in you. Let your touch be guided by your authentic intentions to serve the student and the flow of yoga.
Here are some tips for effective hands-on yoga teaching:
1. your words
before even undertaking the hands-on approach, it is useful to first ensure that you have provided as effective verbal cues as possible so that the student has a chance to attempt to find the posture for themselves first. Furthermore, it is important to ask permission, either at the start of class, addressing the class in general, or asking the individual ‘is this OK’ before or as you begin to make contact.
2. your intentions
recognise why it is you feel drawn to provide the hands-on approach. It should always be to serve the student and the process of yoga. If you feel like you’re only doing it out of routine, a sense of obligation or to please your own ego or your students ego, then it may be worth reconsidering.
3. alignment principles
consider the student and the posture in a holistic way. A posture should be ‘steady yet comfortable’ (sthira sukam asanam sutra 2.46) which is the guiding assertion provided to us by Patanjali’s yoga sutras. An indication of comfort and safety would be the observation of a smooth calm and steady breath with a lengthened and well aligned spinal column. First remove any immediate sign of risk to student’s safety in the posture and then refine the posture by giving primary focus to the integrity and quality of breath and spinal positioning.
4. your own yoga practice
it is essential that you understand the posture yourself, preferably in an embodied way, in order for you to assist or adjust a student in the posture. It is necessary to understand the principle emphasis within the posture as well as the key target areas in the body that create stability and enhance mobility within a posture.
5. your body language
be mindful and deliberate in your use of space and how you get yourself into a safe, steady and comfortable position as you approach the student. When initiating contact with them ensure that you are grounded and balanced yourself before attempting to reposition them.
6. your breath
use you breathing to encourage and inspire your students to breathe into the posture and the assist/adjustment that you are offering them.
7. your touch
the intention in your hands and your touch is as important as it is within your speech. The message that you convey in your touch needs to be clear and confident for it to be effective. Be confident and firm but build the firmness gradually during the hands-on and ensure that your contact is for an appropriate duration.
8. stabilise before mobilise
ensure that your hands offer support, balance and stability before you then offer depth within the posture. If the student is unable to balance, they are unlikely to gain any benefit from the hands-on.
9. let the student guide the depth
allow the student to participate in the assist/adjustment. Read their response to your touch and go with them, their breath and their movement. Work with their resistance rather than against it, coaxing them gradually and with patience. Never rush, push, pull or force a student into a place against their will even if you perceive that there is some potential that they can attain.
10. exit the hands-on with mindfulness
make sure that you come away from the hands-on assist/adjustment as mindfully and attentively in which you entered it. If you come away too quickly or without care it is likely that you destabilise your student. Maintain the intention in your touch all of the way until you have not only physically but also energetically completed the assist/adjustment.
Written by Tammy Mittell
Senior Yoga Teacher and Curator of Real Flow Yoga Teacher Trainings
www.realflowyoga.com
www.tammysyoga.co.uk
