Lesson Learned 2 : Touching... Careful, There.

An adjustment to a pose can be tricky in the office, depending on where you are touching, how you are touching and when you are touching. Sometimes verbal instruction isn't enough to achieve the desired adjustment.

Where: It seems very obvious where you should avoid touching. I limit where I touch my students. A general rule of thumb is "away from the torso." If touching the torso, the back of the body from the shoulders to the waist can be a non-sensitive area. Examples of permissible adjustments include:

• Positioning the outer rim of the foot, to ensure the students are grounding the whole back of the feet in Warrior I or II.

• Bringing the wrist to shoulder height, parallel to the floor.

• Pressing the shoulders during Savasana.

• Pressing between the shoulder blades during the backbend.

• Pressing the lower back while the student is in Child Pose

How: You don't want to press too hard or too soft with the fingertips. Use the whole palms with a certain firmness.

When: It is common to do adjustments when students are already in the pose; not entering/exiting the pose.

Always ask for permission at the beginning of class or when students are entering Savasana. For example, you might say: "I will be adjusting your body when needed. Please raise your hand (or place your palm on your chest) if you don't want to be touched."

When they are in Child Pose, laying down on supported Fish Pose,

One time, I only asked the question at the beginning and I didn’t reiterate before entering Shavasana. When I was about to give a shoulder press to one student, she was startled to see me approach. When you are giving the shoulder press to a student settling into Savasana, it is always safe to ask the student before she/he enters into complete calmness.