Yoga Posture Adjustments and Assisting: An Insightful Guide for Yoga Teachers and Students

As a yoga instructor, I am always looking for good books to enhance my teaching. There are many fine books on asanas, but very few on how to teach yoga. With the current growth in the yoga teaching market, books that are useful to instructors are starting to pop up."Yoga Posture Adjustments and Assisting" by Stephanie Pappas is a relevant book whether you are a new yoga instructor or a seasoned one. It is common in yoga classes to get an adjustment by an instructor - however, for a teacher, especially a new one, it can be challenging to know how to adjust properly. Many injuries happen in yoga due to overzealous or uncautious adjustments.Pappas has written a book that is a clear and intelligent manual - I love that the focus is solely on adjustments. Big, easy to view photos demonstrating the proper way to adjust accompany every pose along with text that clearly spells out what you need to be doing as you adjust your student. Props are suggested when appropriate as well. I really liked the guidelines on what to say when adjusting - these verbal cues are really helpful as it is sometimes easy to become tongue tied in a class! Using these verbal instructions, I've felt I have been conveying the pose more clearly to my students. This book has certainly helped me to be a more confident instructor! At the back of the book, Pappas has delivered two chapters on questions that instructors ask as well as common questions from students. Her intelligent responses really gave me food for thought.Some of the adjustments pictured were a bit too 'intimate' for my tastes. But that is simply my preference - not a criticism on the overall greatness of this book. There are some teachers and students that may be more comfortable with that much body contact. Also, even with this book, it is probably a wise idea to get hands on practice with a qualified senior instructor before you practice these adjustments on a student - especially if you have never adjusted someone. Again, not a criticism of the book, just a little common sense.I think all teachers should consider adding this book to their library. I would also recommend "Cool Yoga Tricks" by Miriam Austin in addition to this book.

I am finding this book VERY helpful, I really felt like this area of my teacher education was lacking. My own teachers didn't believe in adjusting or assisting much, but sometimes verbal cues aren't enough to help a student who's confused or struggling. It's too difficult to listen and apply information while you're upside down or balancing!The information seems very solid, lots of good advice on what *your* body position should be to keep you safe while assisting. I wonder if some students will feel that some of the assists are too personal -- as a female instructor, I'm hesitant to press my body against a male student from behind, and some of my female students would probably balk at having their upper thigh touched, etc. I wish the book offered advice on handling this aspect of the assists.I recommend practicing each assist on a friend or family member who will give you lots of honest feedback before you try them out in a classroom situation. It really helps you feel confident when you've actually performed the assist, know how much pressure to use, etc.

There just aren't that many books that focus specifically on adjustments and assisting. It's detailed and the black/white pictures are pretty good. It has a section on general principles and guidelines. At the end it has a q/a section that's pretty interesting.

i bought the book with the intention of taking a workshop. i have dozens of yoga books (as most teachers do) i really love this book, well written (extremely easy to understand the dynamics of the assistance in the postures) i eventually did do the workshop, and i am even more of a fan! Stephanie is so very enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge, you come away with the understanding she is extremely knowledgeable, warm, and that she wants you to be comfortable in finding ways to touch your students in adjustments that verbal ques just can't express. i feel Yoga Posture Adjustments and Assisting: An Insightful Guide for Yoga Teachers and Students, is as easy to understand as the title states. a clear no nonsense guide you will refer to often.

This is a good book for novice yoga instructors. The information is clear and accompanied by photos that help visual learners to assimilate the information and put into action. However, as an experienced yoga instructor, I was dissapointed to find that I gleaned no new information from the book.

My yoga teacher training provided very little in the way of hands-on adjustments. Their philosophy is teaching mostly hands-off; but, when I take a class, I LOVE to receive "feel-good" adjustments and alignment corrections. I wanted to know how to safely do the same. First, I took a hands-on adjustments workshop, but only learned a few adjustments because of time limitation. This book stepped in as a perfect continuing resource. Sure, there are some adjustments I avoid because, in my opinion, they breach "personal space" (like the body sandwich), but the rest are WONDERFUL! There are so many postures in here. Take what you'd like. I got the electronic book on the Kindle-- a small price with a big value!

If you are a Yoga Instructor and love to give your students hands on enhancements this is the book for you. I have taken several workshops and Teacher Trainings and this puts all of those experiences together in one neat, easy to follow, reference guide. I especially like the last section of the book that reads as a Q & A - great for both old and new Yoga Instructors. If you are a trainer of Yoga Instructors, or teach advanced Yoga classes I would not be without this book.

As a yoga teacher I found this book excellent !!! The pictures, the details. It s an excellent tool for any teacher and I think it has to be recommended to teacher trainees. Thanks for the writter and editor. Love it !!!

I am studying to become Yoga teacher. Adjustment were taught during my course but to go through I needed something more and I found this book very useful.

I'm a yoga teacher and bought this book for inspiration. It's been really useful and the text is really concise

Lots of helpful advice about "adjusting" and "assisting" students in a huge range of postures, plus some interesting Q and A's at the end. Like other reviewers, I rate the information and advice in this book, and can't wait to start using some of the techniques. HOWEVER- a word about the quality of the actual book: the whole thing feels incredibly cheap and flimsy. The paper is poor quality, with grainy black and white photos, and a flimsy cover and binding. I can see this book falling apart after any lengthy use.There is no index, which is surely essential for any reference book, making it less user-friendly. These factors really let it down in my eyes. When you spend out money on a new book, it should be pleasurable experience, not a let-down.

amazing bookjust buy it