Skillful Assists, Safe Touch & the Healing
Power of Presence for Yoga Teachers
An Experiential Workshop in Assisting, Connection &
Healing Touch
Touch can be one of the most powerful tools we have as yoga teachers—but using it skillfully requires more than simply knowing where to place our hands.
It requires presence, sensitivity, clear intention, consent, and an understanding of how touch can support a student without forcing, fixing, or imposing our own idea of what a posture should look like.
Skillful Assists, Safe Touch & the Healing Power of Presence is a highly experiential workshop designed to help yoga teachers become more confident and intentional in the way they use verbal guidance, hands-on assists, and therapeutic touch to create a safe, supportive, and healing experience for their students.
Part One: Skillful Assists
During the first half of our day, we’ll explore verbal and hands-on assists for the primary postures of yoga, with an emphasis on helping students experience greater awareness, stability, ease, and connection within their practice.
Rather than simply “correcting” a pose, we’ll learn how to observe the individual in front of us and offer guidance that honors their unique body and experience.
We’ll explore:
- Effective verbal cueing and intentional language
- Hands-on assists for foundational yoga postures
- When to assist—and when not to
- Supporting alignment without forcing or over-correcting
- Adapting assists for different bodies, abilities, and needs
- Consent, boundaries, communication, and safe touch
- Developing confidence, sensitivity, and intuition as a teacher
Part Two: The Healing Power of Presence & Touch
In the second half of the workshop, we’ll shift our focus from assisting the posture to supporting the whole person.
We’ll explore how intentional touch, grounded presence, and compassionate connection can enhance relaxation, nervous system regulation, and the overall healing experience of yoga.
You’ll be introduced to ways of thoughtfully incorporating principles and techniques from Reiki and Thai Yoga into yoga classes, restorative practices, and relaxation experiences.
We’ll explore:
- The difference between assisting touch and healing touch
- Creating safety and establishing consent
- The importance of presence, intention, and energetic awareness
- Reiki-inspired techniques that can complement yoga practice
- Thai Yoga-inspired touch, gentle compression, and supportive techniques
- Incorporating healing touch into restorative postures and Savasana
- Holding space without feeling the need to “fix”
- Honoring personal and professional boundaries
Learn by Doing!
This is a highly interactive, hands-on workshop. You won’t simply watch demonstrations—you’ll practice.
Throughout our day together, you’ll work with a variety of people, giving and receiving assists and experiencing different bodies, responses, and perspectives. This experiential approach will help you become more comfortable with touch while developing the confidence and discernment to adapt your approach to the individual in front of you.
You’ll leave with practical tools you can begin incorporating into your teaching immediately, along with a deeper understanding of how skillful assisting, safe touch, compassionate presence, and thoughtful connection can transform the experience of yoga.
Saturday, October 3 | 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Crossroads Nazarene Church | Chandler, AZ
Investment: $175
REGISTRATION ENDS WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30!
A Continuing Education Certificate for CEUs will be provided upon completion of the workshop.
Come prepared to move, practice, give, receive, connect, and experience the power of presence from both sides of the mat.
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