Hands On Adjusting

Hands on Adjusting

Hands on adjusting in yoga is when the yoga instructor guides you towards more comfort in the yoga pose. Some instructors will walk around the class and watch for people to adjust in their pose. A lot of yoga students feel uncomfortable with adjustments because they think that when the instructor adjusts them they are correcting them and essentially telling them they are doing it wrong. 

I am here to tell you all that it is not that at all. There are hands on adjustments to help you have the right alignment and form in your pose, (which is really to prevent injuries, not to correct or chastise anyone.) and there are adjustments that are a symbiotic exchange between the instructor and the student. A good instructor (in my opinion) will give both types of adjustments. 

The symbiotic adjustments are adjustments where the instructor is in a yoga pose themselves as they adjust the student. Because both are in a yoga pose there is an exchange of energy between the two people. I am a 5'7" woman and I am able to give adjustments to students who are bigger than me (without trowing out my back) by maintaining my form in my yoga pose and if I am doing it right, I can get a similar release to the release I am giving. 

In my training at www.gobodhiyoga.com we learned how to properly adjust each other and we practiced, over and over our adjustments. (It was heaven.) We did this on each other so we would know how it feels to be adjusted and how it feels to adjust. I enjoyed both and was very excited to practice them on Husband. (He didn't seem to mind.) Once I know how and adjustment feels I am excited to share it with my students. 

Because touching is an intimate thing I try to ask my students before hand if anyone doesn't feel comfortable with adjustments. I do this because I really don't want to touch someone who doesn't like to be touched. It will take away my precious energy and we both will feel frustrated. If this sounds like you then don't be shy to say "I prefer not to be adjusted" in a yoga class. I would bet that your instructor is just happy to know before they cross your boundaries. I also try to spread my energy out throughout all my students, meaning I may give different adjustments to different students. It all depends on the timing of the class, what I have energy for and what I think they individually would benefit from. 

The hands on adjusting has been one of my favorite aspects of my yoga instructor training for so many reasons. There is something amazing that comes from hearing someone say "ohhh thank you!" and there is something great about feeling people's energies throughout the class. I really think it is a gift to be able to be in unison with my students even just for a moment. As we breath together and lengthen in poses, great things happen. :) I loooooove adjustments. 

The adjustments for form and alignment are just as important. The important releases in yoga happen in proper alignment (and frankly the poses just feel better). There were poses that I thought were impossible to me, I really thought "I can work hard, but this pose will never come." I learned that it was not my ability to do the pose that was holding me back, it was my alignment. I learned how to adjust my alignment and found I could do poses I never thought I could. I also found the poses that hurt before feel better and there is room to relax. This is because of alignment. Instructors can verbally or hands on adjust you in your pose to help get you to this place of contentment. I promise, we instructors want good things for you! Let the yoga fully come through you. :) 

Til next time!

Namaste,

Camille