Yoga Training with Ron Reid & Marla Meenakshi Joy in Golfe Juan

TOPICS COVERED:

Ahimsa and The Art of Assisting
Caring, intelligent, and thoughtful assists have the potential to give students a clear, tactile sensation of what a pose should feel like in their bodies. Intelligent adjustments involve correct alignment, precise intention and an appropriate level of intensity.
When combined with effective modifications for individual needs, having assists supports the students to find versions of each pose that can take their practice to the next level.
Ahimsa, one of the key principles of Ashtanga Yoga, translates to “do no harm.” Most yoga-related injuries result from either misalignment or pushing beyond a healthy depth of practice.
To identify the boundaries of a student’s practice, as well as the means by which to shift those boundaries slowly and safely, teachers require a different form of knowledge than what they hone leading led classes.
This knowledge not only comes from one’s own personal practice, but the understanding that going deeper involves awakening the body’s inner intelligence. Out of this experience, we as teachers guide others toward a deeper relationship with the practice itself. The skill to “read bodies” from the very first moment a student enters is one that is so important for a teacher. Our journey to refine those skills and deepen our understanding requires some time, patience, observation and a keen eye. All the way from reading bodies, actions in poses, injuries and how to both recognize them and give alternative approaches and healing modalities. Recognizing what’s required for each individual is necessary to help them develop a sustainable life-long practice.

Ahimsa and the Art of Assists
A lot of poses, as well as everyday activities, require us to be open in our hips. The hips are also the “seat” of emotions.
By understanding and finding preparations that allow us to specifically focus on this area and release it, we can move to a deeper awareness in our bodies and in our practice, and release stress in the spine.
Twists rotate the spine and stretch the muscles of the back. This helps to restore and retain the spine’s natural range of motion and helps us to “return to homeostasis.

Observing Bodies
By watching our students as they move through their practice we may begin to notice certain common themes, like tight hips and hamstrings and also specific limitations unique to that student that may affect them in their practice. The ability to keenly observe different bodies is a very specific skill necessary for yoga teachers to be effective in applying the appropriate assist, modification and/or prop.

Modification & Therapeutic Applications
Modifying poses is a teacher’s way of tailoring a pose specifically to fit each student. Some of these modifications will be common and some less so, sometimes requiring experimentation to get it “right”. Students at times may require specific aids or props to help them with certain challenges they may be facing. Being aware of when and how to use these practice aids and/or how to modify their approach to a given pose may be key in helping them to move forward in their practice.

Assisting in Led Classes, Workshops & Privates
Different types of classes require a different types of adjustments…so we will explore the differences to give you a full range of skill sets to apply in each setting.

Injury Assessment and Management
There are some common injuries in the yoga practice that come up over time such as hamstring pulls or tears, sacroiliac joint issues, herniated discs, scoliosis, and other structural or functional issues. In these cases we need tools in both recognizing the challenge the student has, as well as working with adjustments, props and alternate exercises that might benefit them to overcome the injury or limitation.
Often the source of limitation is based on acute injuries and/or long-term pre-existing conditions. Being aware of common injuries and their causes will help us to guide our students toward an injury free practice.

The importance of Self-practice (Mysore)
During the Mysore (Self-practice) lass component of the training, students will get individual support in their practice, receiving adjustments to develop key actions in their bodies, encouraging conscious movement and the prevention of injuries. Receiving adjustments is also an essential component of learning to give adjustments; passing along information that can only be known once it has been felt. Students will always have the opportunity to ask questions as they continue forward in their journey, looking for the means to ultimately go deeper. In learning the specific tools to adapt a student’s practice to their individual needs and concerns, we feel there is a greater opportunity for pain-free, liberating individualized practice. In this training we will learn the skills to help our students understand the actions necessary in aligning the spine and energy body for the most gratifying experience possible.