Ashtanga yoga and adjustment

1st time: Theme: Adjustment

If I google these 2 words, I can’t get much information.
I can find less than what I expected about yoga and adjustment,
Not just for ashtanga yoga.

Adjustment is a big theme for myself and ashtanga yoga.
I’m going to write about adjustment several times.

Adjustment [posture refinements by teacher]

I write about ”hands on adjustment” here, not by words.

What is adjustment and what is the purpose of adjustment in a yoga class?

• one of teaching skill
• changes in direction of energy flow
• lowers body stress and reduces injuries
• helps students to learn to be conscious of their own body and potential
• encourages learning pose by hand work
• learning pose by body feeling
• communication between instructor and student
• guides an easier approach to pose
• increases intensity and deepens pose

I found these by searching the general definition and purpose of adjustment.
Information was limited.


Now, what is adjustment?
And, what is the purpose of adjustment for ashtanga yoga?
Though some things are repeated, I will write impartially so please read with an open mind.


1: Teaching itself, more than one of teaching skill

Ashtanga yoga is not taught by words but by adjustment.
It teaches how to pose, deepen pose and use the body and direction of gravity center and energy flow.

Teacher uses words only when there is no other option.

Why?

If you hear a lot of words, you start to think in your head much more than hands on adjustment.

Once you start thinking, your mind is occupied, being conscious of certain muscles and movement.
Then your body and movement become stiff and loses its smooth flow movement. As a result you have to stop and set your mind and start moving again.
I experienced this a lot when I started yoga practice.

Also:
when a teacher speaks to you, you respond and often ask questions.

Of course asking questions during the class is not bad, but I prefer to make that less for Ashtanga teaching method.

Because you lose the real joy of Ashtanga yoga: FLOW.  You also lose heat and energy made in your body by opening mouth to talk.
Active meditation is stopped.


2: feeling can convey energy work better than words

Ashtanga yoga is about energy work. It’s not possible to express this energy work 100% by words.

A teacher observes student’s energy flow and guides and leads to better flow.

I experienced this invisible sequence by hand in a flash more often than spoken words.


3: Adjustment guide to bandha

“An ashtanga teacher’s job is leading students by adjustment so that they can get bandha consciousness on their own.

That’s what I wrote in my blog in 2015.
I was so passionate in those days. ho-ho-ho

As I said before, adjustment is not all about teaching and now I have broader vision and flexible mind.

But I still fundamentally believe adjustment is teaching itself.

Center of Ashtanga yoga is bandha and that hasn’t changed so far and will not in the future.

Therefore Ashtanga posing is roundish and different from many other kinds of yoga posing, which are square and stretch straight.

Adjustment directs energy towards bandha and guides students to discover bandha feeling.

It is important for students to discover bandha feeling by themselves.

Adjustment makes this situation and it is difficult to discover through words.