Manju Jois' Adjustments and Assists for Primary and intermediate series Ashtanga plus Shanti Mantras.

Notice, that for Manju, the feet are crossed above the head here, not behind the head/neck/shoulders as I'd grown accustomed to doing it after practising 2nd series

Two videos I came across that run through Manju's Adjustments/assists for primary and on the 2nd clip, Intermediate series Ashtanga. The best part of manju's TT course was that we got to run through these (the primary series assists - intermediate is another course) again and again, each day going over yet again the assists from the previous days.

Below the videos are a couple of paragraphs from an earlier post on Adjustments/assists, followed by the thranscriptions to the Shanti ( peace) Mantras you hear in the background ( because Manju is encouraging us to explore the meditative practice of chanting after our pranayama, at the end of our asana practice while still in padmasana - a traditional, integrated Yoga practice), also some info on Annemieke van der Zouwen and yogapassie.nl who you see Manju working with in the videos.

Manju's Adjustments/assists  for Primary series

And of course I HAVE had adjustments, all those modification of postures in David Swenson's book are in a sense adjustments or assists, at least for the home Ashtangi, a block, a pile of cushions, a strap, a bolster for supta vajrasana an alternative bind, these are all home adjustments, home assists.

It was something I was finally prepared to explore and try and understand a little better, one of the reasons I chose Manju's TT rather than his Intensive.

I don't know how others adjust/assist but with Manju it stuck me that he was mostly about being supportive, helping somebody keep their balance in standing postures, allowing them to keep the bind they already had in some of the seated asana, reminders, guidance and lengthening into the postures, making room for the breath.

In Aikido there is the move and then the counter to the move and even the counter to the counter of the move, it felt a little like that. For every asana there was, in a sense, a new posture, finding balance, a place of strength, stability, comfort for the Adjuster to adjust the adjustee and both led, guided by the breath, fascinating.

And that's why it's so up close and personal, again like Aikido you step in close to better work with your partner, their energy, the direction of their body, to redirect rather than impose your own energy on them, the least force possible.

Ashtanga Mysore, It's a long class, there can be a lot of bodies.

It's like lifting a box you don't want to bend over and and reach out to lift it, you want to get as close to the box as you can, get your legs around it if possible... like a Sumo wrestler, wrap your arms around it

Manju Jois Chanting, Jois Yoga Encinitas 12-9-2012 from Amanda Manfredi on Vimeo.