Assists

[Kimberly]

Describe the role of assists in your yoga practice. Have them been helpful or hurtful? How do you plan to handle assists as a teacher?

[EmilyD]

Emily

I haven’t attended many classes where assists were performed on my, so my opinion of them is still being formed. When I have received hands on assists, I have liked them. They help me feel where I should be and give me a reference point for the next time I am in the pose. I’ve been lucky – all of the assists I’ve experienced have been helpful and have not caused me discomfort or hartm.

I think it is going to take a while before I feel comfortable touching anyone during for an assist. Unless a student is potentially causing real harm, I think I will do verbal assists and allow the entire class to benefit from them.

My opinion on this may change after we complete our anatomy section or after we go through assists in class. I have not been to many classes where assists were performed, so I am still figuring out when they are appropriate and how to approach them with students.

[heatherfly]

In the first years of doing yoga in Boston I did a lot of ashtanga and iyengar. In these classes, with these teachers there were a lot of hands on assists. They were so skillfully done. They were like tiny shifts that could change everything about how I felt in a pose. Tiny adjustments that sometimes showed me the whole point of the posture. That I couldn’t have figured out on my own. I hope to learn to do them as well as they’ve been done for me. I probably won’t do them until I have experience because I would only want them to be of total value for the practitioner, the way they’ve been for me. I’ll probably pursue continuing education on this subject. Because I’ve rarely had hands on assists since living in Ohio. The yoga class culture here is really different. I don’t mind and I still benefit by the voice cued adjustments. I have a lot of those tiny adjustment cues in my head from years of classes and different teachers and I’m gathering more recently as I try to stay open to the teachers whose classes I’m attending these days.

Another thing about hands on assists that I always noticed is that they make me feel like my practice in a class is noticed and it matters. It’s another way of feeling honored by a teacher. Like what I’m doing is seen by someone who can see more than I can see in any moment and they can see how I can make it even better.

[Beth]

I have had very positive experiences with assists in my yoga classes where this was offered. Usually I was in child’s pose or savasana, not typically adjusting my pose, but rather helping me get deeper into the pose. I am slightly wary of offering my own assists, even though I really enjoy them, particularly in savasana. I suppose I feel uncertain about touching other people but I am looking forward to learning more about how to offer safely. I think the power of touch can be used in a way that enhances a student’s overall yoga experience and help keep them safe. Where I don’t like assists is in classes where the vibe in the studio is competitive or judgmental and assists are used to “correct” a posture. I think touching another human being is to be taken very seriously and as a female, I feel that we are keenly aware of touch. I believe that in savasana, I am more likely to be emotionally open to an assist and it can make me feel even more connected.

[regmarlew63]

I have been given assists in class. And most of my assists came from a teacher I was very familiar with and felt extremely comfortable with. But, I have had both experiences with some assists being extremely helpful and some assists not so helpful, and even sometimes leaving me with some pain afterward. Which, I know is NEVER the goal.
I see where an assist could be an insightful tool, bringing awareness to something the student may not have even realized they were doing. Which in turn would not only prevent a potential injury, but also help to get a more meaningful and beneficial experience from their practice. In the times where an assist was needed on me, not only did I reap the benefits mentioned above, but it also gave me an “AHA” moment as I realized “wow, this feels so much better”.
As a teacher I would also want to bring that comfort level to my student, making them feel natural with any touch, and that touch would help them recognize their form and the difference from being in an improper form versus proper form.
Even though I may know the student for a long time, or have even taught them for a very long time, I would still be sure that they felt at ease and okay with me helping bring awareness to their posture. I would hope to be observant that some students are just not anatomically made to do certain movement. And I would not want them to feel inadequate in any way. With that, it falls on me to make sure they know it is something to accept and to work safely with those specific asanas.
In our readings, I realize there are so many different ways to offer an assist. Not just physical touch. Some assists may just be a matter of coming near the person on mat and cueing the correction as if it is for the entire class. Even coming within a distance that is more audible for them to hear your breath work can be an assist.
I also think if I am giving cues to have a whole class make adjustments, and I still see alot of misunderstanding, I can ask the group to pause, and observe me. Watching as I demonstrate the correct form and what happens to body when not keeping good form.
Ultimately, I hope my student will feel at ease, and safe from harm if ever offered or given an assist from me.
Regina Lewis

[sally200]

My experience to date with assists has been positive, the teacher always extends a common courtesy of asking if they can touch me, they ask for permission. They are respecting me and my space. I like that and will approach assists in the same manner. Right now I feel assists are a good thing for a teacher to offer. As a student I have been out of alignment, the assist helps connect the feeling of the alignment, the student (me) feels how off I am, and what it suppose to feel like in prior alignment.

My plan to handle assists as a each is to approach the student with respect and ask. With safety in mind for the student and myself, lightly touch the student to assist with alignment, stay with them til pose is completed. Always work with
Will all students.

[betshellhaas]

The role of assists in my yoga practice would be to help find the ‘feeling’ of the pose. I have noticed for myself when the teacher assists me it is like a new edge has been shown to me. This takes my poses deeper and allows my body to understand what the pose should feel like. I have found assists to be very helpful in taking my practice deeper. As a student, it is easy to get wrapped up in the thought of how a pose should look and, by assisting, the teacher is able to shed new light on where the focus should be. Especially for beginners I think it is easy to not understand your body in space and assists help to understand how it should feel, not look. I also enjoy assists because, being a massage therapist, I enjoy the touch. As a teacher, I plan for my assists to be gentle and light in touch. I also want to bring a sense of strength and protection to my students so that they feel comfortable to try new poses with my help. Alignment is a big part of my practice and I believe this is an area that will need assisting.

[LAD92761]

As I read Heather’s comments I do agree that when I get an assist, I feel like the teacher really cares about me and wants me to succeed. It’s funny but that’s where my mind goes. But just like a man that you don’t know that calls you “honey”, an assist can resonate great or awful. What I mean is have you ever had someone call you honey and it just grated on your last nerve but another person can call you the same thing and it feels nice? Well that’s my point on assists. So I guess I’m thinking you need to have had the student a few times in class in order for them to accept your assist.

[LAD92761]

I have a question that popped in my mind from Beth’s post. When I get adjusted during child’s pose, I feel the teacher wanting me to get deeper but when she leaves my body pops back up and then I worry that I can’t do pose deep enough. And as I’ve learned anatomy may be the reason. But honestly that assist did not serve me. Have others had that same feeling and what is your opinion of assists in Child’s pose? It’s happened to me a few times.

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by LAD92761.

[LAD92761]

I’ve written a few comments about my opinion on assists and honestly am looking forward to class about it because the concept of assisting scares me to death! I have not received many but one I got recently was at Modo Yoga and it was Warrior 2 and she put her feet, legs and hands in a position that were not intrusive or uncomfortable in order to help me move hips to side, but she also quietly told me what she was after. It was great. I knew I wasn’t in pose right when she started but I was tired from the sequence and my body and mind were not connecting. My thought was “that assist was truly needed”, and I was thankful and my practice was too. If you see a student that is tired or overwhelmed in class, I can see an assist making the class experience immeasurably better. Lori

[msinghal]

Honestly, I waited to write on this prompt because I wanted to attend the class about assists first. My personal experiences have been limited, so I was having trouble making my mind up in this regard. The assists that I have received in the form of touches have been so far positive; however, they have consisted more as acknowledgement of my presence than correction or deepening the pose. I personally like what a touch does to me (when of course done right), so I feel it must feel the same to others.

However, I realize that I must wait to (a) be confident of myself as a teacher (b) observe and know my students enough and (c) try the verbal assist first before attempting the physical one.

[KHuttsell]

Assists seem to be a tricky topic to me. You will hear some individuals rave about an assist they received that allowed them to go deeper into a pose or feel something new in a pose they had not previously experienced. However, it just takes one bad experience with an assist to make a student feel uncomfortable, emabarrassed or even physically hurt.

I personally am a bit hesitate to perform very physical, hands on assists. With a society that is not often comfortable with personal space – I feel that a more long standing relationship with a student must be developed before offering an intense physical assist. With that being said, however, I believe light touch on the back, shoulders and hands to validate a pose or make a slight adjustment could be part of my teaching.

In addition, I plan to use verbal assisting to aid students. I know I personal like the cues I have received to check myself in different poses. These cues allow me to improve my practice but also empower me to make the changes. This empowerment makes me feel more positive about my abilities – and makes me more likely to enjoy a class and/or a particular teacher.

[dooley]

Assist in my practice have been both helpful and hurtful. I had one hurtful assist. The teacher came over without asking if she could touch me and pushed down on my foot not knowing the reason for not being able to put my foot all the way down to the floor. I have had a helpful assist. The teacher came over while doing side angle pose put her body slightly up against my to help me straighten my pose. This was very helpful because I was able to make that slight adjustment in the pose.

I plan to begin with verbal assist in my teaching. As a new teacher I want to build confidence and become comfortable with helping my students with physical assists. With all the classes and wonderful teachers I have had, I know that verbal assists can help a student make any adjustments they may need for the pose that will allow them to feel comfortable in their body. Once I can confidence, as well as learn about my students, I believe I would start doing physical assists.

[lisaclick48]

Lisa Click –

I have been a yogi for a limited timeframe and I have had only a couple of assists by instructors who I already knew and trusted. I attended a backbend workshop and had assistance with leaning into a backbend in various poses and forms using different props. I had an assist for making me more comfortable during a restorative class too. I have seen a few assists for other students around me which seem very helpful and positive experiences.
As a teacher, I will be focused on providing verbal cues to try and help students get into a pose more efficiently or deeper. I will always be cautious about physical assists. I will not be doing physical assists for a while till I feel comfortable. I will focus on verbal assists and only do physical assists if someone is asking for it or in a pose that may cause them harm. I really enjoyed Laurie’s class about doing assists last Thursday night and I will use her direction and guidance. As my confidence and competency increase, I will be open to offering assists to my students who I know and frequently attend my class. I will always be cautious though…

[melross1]

This one I have been thinking about the most and the most challenging for me to answer. I like assists now, when I started my practice I did not. I felt like I was clunky and doing everything wrong I stayed in the back of the class. As I became more comfortable I wanted assists so my posture and poses were correct. My preference is verbal assists, there are only a couple of teacher that I am comfortable with hands on assists. Because of my personal story, I don’t know that I will every do hands on assists and if I do, they will be few and far between. During our discussion on Thursday, we don’t know everyone’s story or what they are feeling each day.
With all of that said, the one exception is if there is a special class or a new pose that is being taught that requires hands on assists and it is required or talked about from the beginning. For example learning to do inversions. I would hope that standing on ones head for the first time they would ask for help.

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