At Omshanti we prefer to speak of assists rather than adjustments. The word adjustment suggests something is wrong and needs fixing. Assisting, instead, means working together: supporting the student to discover the pose from within.
General guidelines
- Ask permission: not everyone wants to be touched, and that must always be respected.
- Teacher’s stability: the teacher should be grounded and comfortable before touching.
- Start from the base: foundations first (feet, hands, pelvis), then the rest.
- Follow the breath: deepen on the exhale, never against the breath.
- Listen to the other body: if there’s resistance, we don’t force.
- Clear touch: whole hands, firm yet gentle, without hesitation.
- Leave slowly: remove your hands with the same care you placed them.
What it’s for
A good assist gives the body information about direction, stability or space within a pose. Often a well-placed hand says more than a thousand words. But the aim is always for students to find the pose themselves.
