Sharing Notes on Assists
Hi everyone,
I was thinking that it would be a good idea if we shared our notes on our assists and observations.
From the 2 assists that I have done and the 2 times I was assisted, it seems the most challenging poses to assist are the balancing poses. I was assisted by Melody yesterday. One of the things I noticed was that in side plank pose and dancer's pose, she was stepping into me with her body and that threw my balance off. She later told me that she was thinking I would press back into her body and that would aid me in the balance. In my case, even in a regular class, there are not many assists in the balancing postures that help me. I really have to focus in the balancing postures and sometimes the assists distract me and throw me off. So in my particular case, very little assisting in the balancing postures, if any at all, could be helpful. I don't know if maybe the reason I was thrown off was just me and the way that I balance or what. In several poses, this stepping in with her body was reassuring- in Warrior 1 and Warrior 2.
I'm very tentative when it come to assisting in the balancing postures. The main thing is I don't want to throw the student off, so I shy away from experimenting with any juicy assists. I've only assisted twice, so hopefully confidence will come with more experience.
The one "universal" really good assist for a balancing posture that I've done and yesterday Melody tried with me is the one for Dancer's pose where you stand in front of the yogi and press into their palm. That one is relatively easy and really helps the person balance so they can focus on lengthening more.
It would be so helpful and appreciated if everyone shared their experience!
Peace~Melisa
posted by Melisa @ 8:54 AM
2 Comments:
great idea--will add notes after a good night's sleep
Here are some overall notes from the 3 assists I've done so far. Excuse the declarative tense, they are compiled notes to myself.
Don’t respond to the teacher’s instructions when to let go of an assist. Let the yogi decide, or breathe together into the next pose at own pace.
• I'm surprised how much difference there is in people's responses to assists, particularly in how strong to pusll/push in down dog.
• Place feet wide and precisely in order to maintain my balance and gracefully move with the pose. Moving feet is better than becoming riskily off balance
• What is the assist for crow pose, front and back?
• What is the assist for a standing split?
• Stand to the side of an inverter—they are very likely to yank themselves and hit you in the head.
• A compliment or noticing a real opening in the yogi really boosts confidence, so don't be stingy
Post a Comment
<< Home