To Correct Or Not Correct As A Yoga Guide

By Barbara Schuette on March 31, 2022

As Yoga guides, we try our best to help 'guide’ our yoga students through their practice so ultimately they can feel better. I honestly believe that’s our goal! Why else would we work the insane hours we work, often times before and after our ‘day’ jobs and on weekends? Yoga is the epitome of “help me help you!” (in the famous words of Cuba Gooding Jr. in the movie “Jerry Maguire”!)

Here are some thoughts from yogis on the topic of receiving corrections or adjustments during a yoga class:

“Absolutely. I have had teachers who would simply spit out canned instructions without interacting with students. Teachers who correct and adjust are the really good ones, and I for one love to get adjusted.”

“I am a teacher and even I NEED correction in class. No one is ever going to do any pose perfectly, and you can always go a little bit deeper in the pose with the assistance of someone. I welcome all adjustments, corrections, etc., and you shouldn't feel bad. Sometimes you need someone to come along and tell you that your feet need to be wider in Warrior II so you don’t injure your bent knee by overextending it.”

“Corrections make me feel like I'm learning something. Of course I would get a lot out of yoga even if I do it exactly the way I did it last week, but that's not why I attend a class. I attend a class to learn something I didn't already know.”

Yoga teachers truly want to guide you into safe + effective positions. If your teacher, guide or instructor asks you to do something differently be mindful of these 2 things. She or he wants you do do the pose the ‘right’ way NOT the ‘perfect’ way to your fullest range of motion because:

1- Doing a pose the right way with proper form is SAFE, thereby avoiding injury.

2- Doing a pose the right way with proper form is EFFECTIVE, thereby getting the most bang for your buck in the pose.

Next time your yoga guide requests that you move this way or that or do a pose a certain way, simply do your best. That’s all she’s asking. Like any other emotion that comes up in class.... feel it, acknowledge it, and let it go staying focused on your own practice, not comparing yourself to anyone else.

Namaste 🙏