JB – January 20th, 2025
A new member of our community recently asked me why I don’t make physical adjustments during classes. It prompted a really interesting conversation, and I wanted to share some thoughts with our wider community about this topic.
Trigger warning – some generalised, non-specific discussion of sexual abuse follows. Scroll down to continue reading.
This paragraph is from our Employee Handbook:
Keep physical adjustments to an absolute bare minimum, and never touch someone without asking permission in this format: “is it ok if I touch your [name body part]?”. If you feel it is important to use an adjustment, choose ones that keep the student in control; for example, instead of grabbing and pulling the front knee wider in Warrior 2, hold your hand outside of the student’s knee, then prompt them to touch your hand with their knee.
Personally, I take this one step further. I very, very rarely make physical adjustments in a group class setting. I may consider it in a workshop, but only with explicit consent as per the above guidelines, and only when I believe it to be completely necessary.
Why? Great question. This is where it gets a bit heavy.
As much as it conflicts with the core philosophical tenets of Yoga, there is a history of ‘gurus’ sexually abusing their students. This behaviour is completely abhorrent, it should never happen, and yet sadly it has occurred in the past and continues today.
Yes, sexual abuse happens in lots of settings. And of course, it is never acceptable. But in a teacher-student relationship, where students are preyed upon by teachers who abuse their position of influence and power – it’s worse.
Just this week Mel and I spoke about another (not local) studio that is currently running a Yoga teacher training. One of the male course attendees was creeping on a fellow female student. Even after being directly addressed and asked to stop, his behaviour continued.
The questions being asked by this studio were, “How many warnings do we give him?”, and “If we ask him to leave the course, how much should we refund him?”.
I believe the only real question to consider is, “Do we want this person, who is already showing predatory behaviour towards women before they are in a position of power, to be a Yoga teacher?”.
To which the answer is a very clear and emphatic, “Fuck No”.
To be completely clear, I don’t believe that any of our team are likely to engage in this sort of behaviour. And, let’s be honest, it’s most likely men that are the guilty party, and most of our teachers are women.
But when we set a policy of minimal physical adjustments, we set an up-front expectation that our team will respect our student’s physical boundaries. And that’s something we consider absolutely paramount within our space.
Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, most of us have experienced trauma of some sort in our lifetime.
For example, 2 in 5 Australians have experienced physical or sexual violence. That’s a horrifying statistic.
Imagine someone that has experienced sexual or physical violence. Imagine that person in Yoga class, in Child’s Pose – a shape that many feel vulnerable in. Then imagine their teacher coming behind them with no warning, squatting down, placing both of their hands on the student’s lower back, and pushing down.
This is a common adjustment, and it’s an inescapably intimate way to touch someone. I’ve done it myself (with consent), and honestly I found it very uncomfortable.
Now imagine how it would feel to someone who has been abused.
This is why we discourage physical adjustments. It’s not about the intent by the teacher; it’s about the invisible but life-changing trauma that could have been experienced by a student.
It’s difficult to cater for every type of trauma people may have experienced – but we do our best.
When I offer Butterfly pose to a class, I’ll also offer alternatives (such as Baby Giraffe). It’s the difference between legs apart, and legs together. That difference could mean a lot to someone who has suffered sexual abuse.
When I ask people to close their eyes, I’ll offer an option to lower their gaze instead. For some people, closing their eyes in a room full of strangers is a deeply difficult thing to do, so we offer alternatives.
There’s many other examples. Do we get this right all the time? Of course not. But approaching teaching through a trauma-informed lens helps make the practice more comfortable for everyone, which is core to my role as a teacher.
Mel and I have come to believe that physical adjustments are usually not the best way to show a student where we think they could be in a pose.
If I can use my voice to help someone find their way deeper into a pose, or find additional muscle engagement, that is fantastic.
Imagine training a dog. If you want to teach her to sit, would you push on her lower back, trying to force her into the position? Or would you use a treat to lead her into a sitting position, helping her to find her own way there, in a gentle, simple and repeatable way?
Of course, teaching yoga is very different to training a dog! But if I can help you find your own way into a pose without using external force, your brain and nervous system start to hit ‘save’ on that work, and you’ll be more likely to find your way back there in the future.
One of our most dedicated students is the picture of health. She can move well, she practices remarkably consistently, and she gets a lot out of Yoga.
She’s also had a double hip replacement, and has arthritis in her toes. And this means there’s some poses that she needs to modify to suit her body.
Because I’ve known her for years, and she’s felt comfortable to share her medical history with me, I understand why her practice differs slightly. But this is not usually the case!
When people tell us about injuries, we’ll offer options where we can. But we’re not trained in every health condition – we’re Yoga teachers, not doctors or physiotherapists! It’s outside of our scope to tell students what they should, or shouldn’t, do. That information should come from a health professional. And worse than advising someone on their individual situation is physically adjusting that person when they’re in a pose.
If you have an injured knee, and I physically push you deeper into Child’s Pose, I may cause further injury. If you have a shoulder injury, and I grab your arms and externally rotate them in Downward-Facing Dog, you could well walk out of the class in worse shape than when you arrived.
But if I give you permission to move within your range of motion, finding that sweet spot between not enough and too much, and offer alternative variations of the pose for different bodies – you’re much more likely to walk away feeling wonderful in your body.
I always love meeting those students that are chasing perfection in their practice. They want to know exactly how a pose should look. Interestingly, they tend to focus less on how a pose should feel, which I would argue is much more useful. And often, we’re asked for physical adjustments to assist on this path to perfection.
This pursuit of perfection is admirable, but the concept of perfection is a challenging one.
If you’re a runner, do you expect to beat your 5k time every time you go out for a run? Of course not. You’ll have good days and bad, and what really matters is how that run makes you feel – not the PB you’re chasing to impress your friends on Strava.
I wholeheartedly believe that wanting to improve your practice and challenge yourself more is a wonderful thing. But accepting that the practice feels the way it feels today, right now, without comparison to others, or yourself at other times – that is Yoga.
I’ll leave you with a (slightly paraphrased) quote from the profoundly wise Prasad Rangnekar.
The emphasis on perfection in popular Yogic culture is real. The pressures of wanting to be perfect, especially with regards to the body, poses and Yogic lifestyle influence many yoga practitioners, mainly the new ones. So, here’s some thoughts about it.
Yoga is not about being perfect, because the being is already perfect. One can’t become what one already is.
The perfection of body, pose, behaviour, emotion and morality is an illusion, because these things are transient, and whatever is transient is not regarded as perfect in the Yogic view. Your asana will never be perfect, your behaviour will never be ideal – so why get frustrated perfecting that which can never be perfected?
So, what to do then?
Focus on being sincere to the Process, instead of being obsessed by Perfection.
Chasing perfection is exhausting – I’m sure you know what I mean. It’s like looking for black cat in a dark room.
Personally, over the years I’ve realized how beautiful imperfections are. I’ve fallen in love with my incompleteness. I’ve embraced my inadequacies and rejoiced in my failures because, over time, I’ve failed so many times that life itself seems like a big joke!
A little child is not an imperfect adult, it is a child. A tiny sprout is not an imperfect tree, it is a sprout. You, as a Yoga practitioner, are not an imperfect Yogi, you are a Yogi in process. Everything imperfect is perfect if we care to drop the notions of perfection.
Live, laugh, learn, let go and move on. Neither take yourself, nor your identity as a student of Yoga seriously, but do take it sincerely.
Personally, I very, very rarely make physical adjustments in a group class setting. I may consider it in a workshop, but only with explicit consent as per our studio guidelines, and only when I believe it to be completely necessary.
Why? Great question.
Guests must comply with the venue guidelines. Any damage to venue property or belongings is the responsibility of the guest.
Guests must be at least 18 years of age to attend the retreat. Guests under 18 who regularly attend classes at Stone’s Throw Yoga may be allowed to attend, provided they are accompanied by a guardian 18+ years old and are approved by Stone’s Throw Yoga prior to booking.
Attendance at the retreat is by approval only and Stone’s Throw Yoga reserves the right to refuse booking to any person for any reason.
We do not offer any refund or credit for arriving late or departing early, missing activities for any reason (including illness), not utilising airport transfers or any part of the scheduled program.
Guests are required to agree to the retreat terms and conditions and retreat waiver on booking.
The schedule of payments for the retreat are as follows. All payments are non-refundable in the case of cancellations.
Failure to make any of the above payments by the due dates may result in forfeiture of your place and payments made.
Payments by credit card incur a 1.70% + A$0.30 service fee. Direct deposit is available at no cost.
Early bird pricing is available until 31st January 2026. Your deposit must be paid prior to this date to claim the early bird pricing.
Due to our commitment to the accommodation and workshop providers, we cannot make any exceptions to our cancellation fees. We strongly recommend obtaining travel insurance at the time of booking to cover you in case you need to cancel or miss part of the retreat for any reason, including Covid-19.
Cancellations must be made in writing to [email protected]. Your cancellation will take effect as of the day you provide this written notification. All payments made prior to cancellation are non-refundable, however you will not be held liable for any upcoming payments still scheduled.
Alternatively, you may transfer your place and payments to another person (subject to approval by Stone’s Throw Yoga). If you have not paid for the retreat in full at the time of transfer, any outstanding payments owed must be paid by the transferee.
Transfer requests must be made in writing, and are subject to a $50 administrative fee.
We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule the retreat should there be extenuating circumstances beyond our control, including if our minimum number of attendees have not been met.
If the retreat is rescheduled or cancelled for any reason, you will have three options available to you:
Note that we can refund fees paid for our retreat services only. We are not responsible for any cancellation fees to airlines or any other agreements made by guests with outside operators.
We strongly recommend arranging travel insurance that covers medical bills incurred while overseas, and cancellation of your booking by you for any reason.
For twin-share bookings, if one attendee cancels, we reserve the right to place another individual, who you may not know, in their place. Alternatively, you can choose to upgrade to a private room at your own cost.
By booking the retreat, you understand that there are large amounts of free time scheduled, which is rest and recharge time for you and also the retreat organisers. It is up to you to decide how to manage this time for yourself or with the help of the venue’s team.
If you experience any symptoms that may be indicative of COVID-19 or similar, we may require you to complete RAT or PCR testing. If you test positive, we will ask you to isolate and not take part in any indoor group activities (practices, meals, outings etc) until you test negative or symptoms subside.
Your retreat cost has the following inclusions:
If you have any concerns during your retreat, please let us know immediately. Your happiness and comfort are important to us. Retreats are held in international locations where infrastructure, health services, safety standards, and cultural expectations may differ from those typically expected in Australia. We’ll do our absolute best to resolve any reasonable issues for you, however we cannot be held responsible for complaints arising from circumstances that are outside our control or that reflect the local standards and conditions of the host country.
Guests who are deemed to be acting in a way that is inappropriate to the local environment, our team, the on-site staff or other guests will be requested to stop. If the inappropriate conduct continues, we may prevent the guest from participating in the retreat activities, and no refund or credit will be provided.
Inappropriate conduct includes but is not limited to verbal abuse, aggressive behaviour and violence, repeatedly disruptive behaviour, consuming excessive alcohol or drugs, sexual harassment or other behaviour deemed inappropriate by our team. It also includes unwelcome behaviour that intimidates, offends or humiliates a person because of a particular personal characteristic such as age, race, gender, disability, religion or sexuality. No refund will be given in this circumstance.
In booking, the guest agrees that photographs and video will be taken during the retreat, which will be used by Stone’s Throw Yoga for promotional and marketing purposes.
Guests must comply with the venue guidelines. Any damage to venue property or belongings is the responsibility of the guest.
Guests must be at least 18 years of age to attend the retreat. Guests under 18 who regularly attend classes at Stone’s Throw Yoga may be allowed to attend, provided they are accompanied by a guardian 18+ years old and are approved by Stone’s Throw Yoga prior to booking.
Attendance at the retreat is by approval only and Stone’s Throw Yoga reserves the right to refuse booking to any person for any reason.
We do not offer any refund or credit for arriving late or departing early, missing activities for any reason (including illness), not utilising airport transfers or any part of the scheduled program.
Guests are required to agree to the retreat terms and conditions and retreat waiver on booking.
The schedule of payments for the retreat are as follows. All payments are non-refundable in the case of cancellations.
Failure to make any of the above payments by the due dates may result in forfeiture of your place and payments made.
Payments by credit card incur a 1.70% + A$0.30 service fee. Direct deposit is available at no cost.
Early bird pricing is available until 31st January 2026. Your deposit must be paid prior to this date to claim the early bird pricing.
Due to our commitment to the accommodation and workshop providers, we cannot make any exceptions to our cancellation fees. We strongly recommend obtaining travel insurance at the time of booking to cover you in case you need to cancel or miss part of the retreat for any reason, including COVID-19.
Cancellations must be made in writing to [email protected]. Your cancellation will take effect as of the day you provide this written notification. All payments made prior to cancellation are non-refundable, however you will not be held liable for any upcoming payments still scheduled.
Alternatively, you may transfer your place and payments to another person. If you have not paid for the retreat in full at the time of transfer, any outstanding payments owed must be paid by the transferee.
Transfer requests must be made in writing, and are subject to a $50 administrative fee.
We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule the retreat should there be extenuating circumstances beyond our control, including if our minimum number of attendees have not been met.
If the retreat is rescheduled or cancelled for any reason, you will have three options available to you:
Note that we can refund fees paid for our retreat services only. We are not responsible for any cancellation fees to airlines or any other agreements made by guests with outside operators.
We strongly recommend arranging travel insurance that covers medical bills incurred while overseas, and cancellation of your booking by you for any reason.
For twin-share bookings, if one attendee cancels, we reserve the right to place another individual, who you may not know, in their place. Alternatively, you can choose to upgrade to a private room at your own cost.
By booking the retreat, you understand that there are large amounts of free time scheduled, which is rest and recharge time for you and also the retreat organisers. It is up to you to decide how to manage this time for yourself or with the help of the venue’s team.
If you experience any symptoms that may be indicative of COVID-19 or similar, we may require you to complete RAT or PCR testing. If you test positive, we will ask you to isolate and not take part in any indoor group activities (practices, meals, outings etc) until you test negative or symptoms subside.
Your retreat cost has the following inclusions:
Note that some of our activities are weather-dependent. If we are unable to engage in any of the above activities, another will be substituted.
If you have any concerns during your retreat, please let us know immediately. Your happiness and comfort is important to us and we’ll do our absolute best to resolve any reasonable issues for you.
Guests who are deemed to be acting in a way that is inappropriate to the local environment, our team, the on-site staff or other guests will be requested to stop. If the inappropriate conduct continues, we may prevent the guest from participating in the retreat activities, and no refund or credit will be provided.
Inappropriate conduct includes but is not limited to verbal abuse, aggressive behaviour and violence, repeatedly disruptive behaviour, consuming excessive alcohol or drugs, sexual harassment or other behaviour deemed inappropriate by our team. It also includes unwelcome behaviour that intimidates, offends or humiliates a person because of a particular personal characteristic such as age, race, gender, disability, religion or sexuality. No refund will be given in this circumstance.
In booking, the guest agrees that photographs and video will be taken during the retreat, which will be used by Stone’s Throw Yoga for promotional and marketing purposes.