Yoga Adjustments: Philosophy, Principles, and Techniques Paperback – Illustrated, June 3, 2014

Mark Stephens has given the yoga world another excellent resource.Yoga Adjustments addresses the subject of hands-on instruction, specifically, how to use touch to encourage improved alignment, provide support and guidance, and clarify instructions. As always, Mr Stephens’ approach is student-focused and sensitive. Ask permission before touching. Respect personal boundaries and know that these can change during a session. Teach to the abilities of the person in front of you. Guide the student toward developing awareness and awakening through the asanas.The scope of the book covers everything from the purposes of touch to where and how (and how not) to touch. Stephens begins with the seven basic principles of hands-on teaching—teaching what you know, asking permission, clear intention, move and breathe with the student, staying safe, teaching the essential asana elements, and supporting stable foundations. From here, he moves on to defining the various responses we hope to elicit, from elongation and activation to stabilization and relaxation. He also is clear about types of touch that can confuse, injure, or cross personal boundaries. His five basic steps to giving hands-on cues and assistance include setting up the asana with a stable base, eliciting elongation and then motion of the spine, followed by refinement and deepening the asana. He outlines nine stances for positioning yourself to maximize stability, comfort, and safety, and nine different hand positions and motions for cueing.Then the fun begins.Stephens devotes seven chapters, one for each asana family, to a detailed application of these techniques to 99 asanas, showing specific hand placements for encouraging proper alignment and refinement. For example, for Dhanurasana (Bow Pose), he shows cueing for the hips to encourage posterior pelvic rotation, shoulders to draw them down and away from the ears, and knees to prevent splaying. Modifications include using a blanket under the top front of the pelvis to reduce pressure on the low back and to ease the weight of the position farther back, and a strap if it’s difficult for the student to grasp her ankles. The suggested progression is to explore Side Lying Bow. The section ends with references to pertinent pages in Teaching Yoga and Yoga Sequencing and Stephens’ website.The descriptions for assuming the poses are the same as those given in Teaching Yoga. Some of the discussion of touch is also from that book, but in Yoga Adjustments, it is elaborated and expanded. It makes for a valuable companion volume to Stephens’ other books.Motivated home practitioners will find the cues for individual asanas helpful in refining their poses, and will also benefit from the suggested modifications and progressions.Thank you, Mr Stephens, for sharing your knowledge and philosophy with others. Yoga Adjustments is a worthy and important addition to anyone’s yoga library.

In my experience this is very useful book in guiding the vast array of students that may come to your class. Stephen's does a great job of recognizing the uniqueness of physical and emotional qualities that each student brings to the mat. This book sets up a strong foundation of knowledge and guiding principles that apply to all adjustments, but that you can adapt to each individual need. It offers alignment cues on how to correctly guide students into a pose, then goes on to explore possible adjustments. Stephens offers both images and text to clarify the explanation of adjustments which has proven to be incredibly useful. For each pose he also offers ways to explore deeper or how to modify. As a teacher, I appreciate the realistic, easy to understand feel of this book.One things I really like about this(and Stephen's previous 2 books) is how he recognizes and talks about the roots of this ancient practice, while making the information relevant to the place where yoga is today.He builds a strong foundation in philosophy, history, and principles before going into detailed descriptions of set up and adjustment for a huge number of asanas. I like that this book has such strong alignment and structural foundations but also talks about the more subtle, energetic and spiritual side of this practice. Stephens does a good job of reminding us of the strength of each person's inner teacher. As we are adjusting, guiding, and teaching we are helping students find and recognize this inner light.Great book, would definitely recommend it to anyone on the teaching path!

This book is another amazing resource for yoga teachers by Mark Stephens. Teachers regardless of style or brand, will individually find insights to apply in their classes. Here is some of what the book actually covers.First, the question of why to give hands on guidance. Here Stephens connects the dots of ancient yoga philosophy with contemporary theories of touch and awareness, leading to a brief discussion of the mind-body separation question and its resolution through practices of embodiment like yoga.Next in exploring the question of yoga philosophy and ethics, Stephens adds a compelling voice to those asking that as teachers we ask permission before touching, underlying his idea in earlier books that, "the best teacher is inside," that our role as formal teachers is to guide in ways that feel comfortable and helpful to our students.The chapter on techniques goes far beyond what is currently offered in other books or magazines. If you really want to learn the fundamentals of guiding with your hands, this chapter is for you. Then go on to the next chapters and you'll find it all applied in tremendous detail with some of the best passages I've ever read on teaching yoga.It is a fantastic book that should be in the hands of every yoga teacher before they begin doing hands on adjusting with their students. The book has also very appropriately been endorsed by yoga teacher luminaries!