--- product_id: 104744457 title: "Yoga Adjustments: Philosophy, Principles, and Techniques" price: "£1.86" currency: GBP in_stock: false reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/104744457-yoga-adjustments-philosophy-principles-and-techniques store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Yoga Adjustments: Philosophy, Principles, and Techniques **Price:** £1.86 **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Yoga Adjustments: Philosophy, Principles, and Techniques - **How much does it cost?** £1.86 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/104744457-yoga-adjustments-philosophy-principles-and-techniques) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The quintessential guide to yoga assisting and hands-on teaching, Yoga Adjustments introduces the art and practice of providing yoga assists to yoga students. Addressing one of the most important topics in the yoga field, expert yoga instructor and best-selling author Mark Stephens covers the philosophy of yoga practice, the sensibilities of touch in teaching yoga and improving alignment, the seven principles of hands-on yoga teaching, and the twenty-five most effective methods of tactile cueing. An invaluable resource for all yoga teachers, teacher trainers, and serious yoga students, this book includes a foreword by yoga star Shiva Rea as well as over 850 unique instructional photos and explanatory captions demonstrating precise ways of guiding a variety of flowing sequences. Opening with an in-depth discussion of the philosophy of yoga assisting, Part I-- Foundations describes the methods and techniques of giving yoga assistance, with detailed discussions of all of the elements of yoga assisting including communicating with students, qualities of touch, the five basic steps of providing hands-on cues, hands-on positioning and stance. Part II-- Applications demonstrates how to assist students in each of over 100 postures in the seven families of asanas (poses). Each chapter begins with background on an asana family and close consideration of its foundation asana. Each asana is presented in a two-page spread with photos that show how to give students effective guidance and support. Part III-- Evolution offers thoughts on the further development of yoga in the twenty-first century. Review: Another Winner from Mark Stephens - 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. Review: Great resource for teachers - 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! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #1,148,746 in Kindle Store ( See Top 100 in Kindle Store ) #66 in Physical Education #107 in Consciousness & Thought Philosophy #123 in Yoga (Books) | ## Images ![Yoga Adjustments: Philosophy, Principles, and Techniques - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81TDd6+eAgL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another Winner from Mark Stephens *by T***Y on June 9, 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. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great resource for teachers *by M***E on June 8, 2014* 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! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Impressive in breadth and scope! *by A***R on June 3, 2014* I was quite excited to read Mark Stephens’ "Yoga Adjustments: Philosophy, Principles, and Techniques" to learn different techniques for giving tactile cues. The detail and illustrations, which highlight various tactile cues for over 100 asanas, are clear and concise. Along with the extensive details and application, this book draws on, and gives relevance to, the great works of yoga philosophy ("Hatha Yoga Pradipika," "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali", and "Bhagavad Gita") as well as Western Philosophy (Plato, Socrates, William James and others) to give a broad historical overview of thought regarding the body's innate intelligence. Finally, I found it quite useful that Stephens offered an extensive notes and references section that allows the reader to dive more deeply into the information presented in the book. I feel like I'm barely scratching the surface of the content in Stephens' book and I am sure I will be continuing to go back and uncover deeper layers upon each subsequent reading. I definitely recommend this book for yoga teachers and those interested in Somatic Theory, and anyone interested in exploring the intelligence and connection between the body/mind. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/104744457-yoga-adjustments-philosophy-principles-and-techniques](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/104744457-yoga-adjustments-philosophy-principles-and-techniques) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-19*