I'm not much of an adjuster. I was taught how to give students adjustments but it was never my thing. Some might say this isn't a good practice as a teacher and that students need adjustments in order to learn proper alignment. I feel there are a few ways to go about this. If a teacher has lots of experience with adjustments and knows their students well that they should adjust, but always with the students permission. By knowing your students well I mean their body type, flexibility, injuries and health risks. However, if you are a new teacher and you are eager to try out your adjustments on students you are at risk of hurting your students. For students and teachers there are a few things to consider.
I find that students are incorrectly in a pose for three reasons. One is that they physically can't get into the pose and adjusting them into it will pull on something that just can't give. Even a minor adjustment can be too much and could pull a tight muscle. Every adjustment I've ever had has been applied with gentle, but generous force. I've even had to ask teachers to back off.
The second reason an adjustment may be needed is lack of awareness. Students may think that their body is in the perfect position. When an adjustment is given it will bring awareness to the student that their body isn't where they think it is. This type of adjustment can be given verbally by a teacher. I will typically give a few verbal cues and if the student just isn't getting it I will go over and ask if I can adjust them. I feel that if the student has to move the body part themselves it sticks with them more so than having a teacher do it. Having the student adjust themselves will hopefully lead them to be more curious about their practice and get them to consider what else they can adjust.
The third reason is for the student to go deeper into the pose. I'm on the fence about this one. Hyper- flexibility is a major issue in yoga and is starting to gain exposure. Pushing our bodies into these hyper-flexible positions isn't good for our joints. It causes our bodies to lack in stability and can lead to arthritis, tendinitis and bursitis. The targets for these types of adjustments are always the flexible looking yogi's. If you are in a pose where you aren't feeling a stretch, you have gone beyond your stretch point (the amount of stretch that is healthy for a muscle) and you are just putting yourself into dangerous territory. The more you push the more likelihood that you will be stretching tendons and ligaments instead of muscle. If this is you, don't focus on the stretch in the pose, but the strength. If you are unsure how to do that, ask your teacher how you can adjust the pose. The good side to this one is that if you aren't hyper-flexible, a gentle nudge into the pose can feel great.
A teacher should always ask if you want an adjustment. Your body and mat are your space and the teacher should ask to enter into that space. It is ok to say no and it is so important to tell the teacher if the adjustment they are giving is hurting you. I was taking a class once with a friend and a teacher, without asking, pushed her deeper into down dog. My friend was new to yoga and didn't know to speak up. She pulled her calf muscle because the teacher pushed her past her edge.
If you are a teacher, make sure that the student is fully into the pose before you ask to adjust. Some students take their time getting into poses, going through their checklist of alignment issues. Don't be in a rush to adjust. If you're the student and this is happening to you, let the teacher know you aren't ready to be adjusted yet.
Adjustments have their benefit, but they can also cause issues. To get the best out of your adjustment you need to speak up. Let the teacher know if you are ok with an adjustment. Let them know if they are pushing too hard. Let them know if the position they put you in is uncomfortable and by all means ask questions and give feedback. A teacher may not know they are doing something wrong unless it is pointed out to them. If you need a little more help in a pose than can be offered in class, speak to the teacher afterwards. They may be able to help you then or can set up a private session. A good adjustment can really make a difference in your practice, but a bad one can prevent you from practicing at all.
Play with making adjustments of your own. You can make a pose new each time you enter into it. Focus on a different part of the body each time. For example in triangle, it is common to go into the same position each time, like on auto pilot. By doing this you won't get any benefit from the pose. Instead, next time you go into the pose focus on your legs. Are they engaged? Are your knees locked or is there a subtle bend? Is the position of your feet correct? The time after that focus on the hips. Are they opening up or is your pelvis twisting towards the floor? Bring your hand to your mid shin instead of the floor and see how your hips react. Each time you come into a pose, try a subtle adjustment, change it up a bit and see what you find. Remember if you can't find a stretch, work on strength.
The key to a healthy yoga practice is to keep on discovering. Finding new and better ways to get into a pose. Your body is different everyday and you need to explore that in your practice. No matter who makes the adjustment, remember to always listen to your body and decide if it is right for you.
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