Inappropriate adjustments.

Apologies for the long quotes but I think we need as much of the context as possible here. I recommend if anyone feels like commenting they do so on the actual articles linked to below after reading them carefully rather than here on an fb feed.

Can Difficulties Give Us Insight? (http://www.richardfreemanyoga.com/…/imsgnih1igya0m8ajzmx4n6…)

"In fact, it is well documented that my own teacher, Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois, (whom I love dearly) had certain “adjustments” that he gave to female students that were sexually invasive and inappropriate. One in particular that some have dismissed as an attempt to teach mula bandha was especially bad. I can say unequivocally that he never gave me that adjustment, but that I know he did give it to other women. I will also say that he did adjust me (and other students, both male and female) in Ubhaya Padangusthasana, elevating the student’s chest in such a way that with female students he had hands on their breasts.

These adjustments were sexually inappropriate and I wish he had never done them. On some level, I wish also that I had spoken publicly about them before now, but they were confusing and so much not in alignment with all of the other aspects of Pattabhi Jois that I knew, that I didn’t really know how to talk about them without disparaging the entire system. I can say that my experience was that he began doing these adjustments after foreign female students came to practice with him wearing very revealing Western-style clothing. To a provincial, orthodox Brahmin from a tiny village, who knows what these women looked like? Certainly they probably didn’t appear to be chaste or well bred. Around the same time, Western students stopped bowing to his feet in appreciation for class and instead began hugging and kissing him as a demonstration of gratitude. I am certain both of these things were mixed messages to him culturally.

Not to say that the scantily clad or overly effusive women were at fault for the sexually inappropriate adjustments. He was the teacher; even if he did misconstrue their message due to cultural differences, he should have seen through his own mind and through them. His behavior was wrong and it caused damage to many women, for which I, as one of his students, feel deep regret (as does Richard)."

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But see too this response from Karen Rain (Nee Haberman), one of the six in the famous Pattabhi jois Led Primary.

"Kudos to Mary Taylor for publicly acknowledging the corrupt adjustments of Pattabhi Jois and thus validating my claims and the claims of other women. It takes bravery, I’m sure.
However, if she truly doesn’t want to blame ‘scantily clad or overly effusive women,’ for his behavior, she really shouldn’t mention them in an apology. By doing so, it says that either on some level she accepts it as an excuse and does blame the women or is hoping that other people will accept it as excuse. After all it is a classic, easy to use excuse. It’s the one that the most people buy into. Plus, it takes the focus off of the behavior of the perpetrator, which is a relief when you don’t want to talk or think about it.

Taylor describes Jois’ behaviour as a “flaw”. Committing sexual assault is not a “flaw.” It is a heinous crime.

Often when people find out about someone committing sexual abuse/assault, they have trouble reconciling that with other experiences they have of the person. This is not unique to Pattabhi Jois at all. However, he was supposedly a Yoga master. He abused his power. His adjustments were egotistical and cruel. Sexual abuse and assault are cruel!

The master of ‘Ashtanga Yoga’ did not cultivate the yamas. His behaviour, and the negligence of any of his students who minimized, rationalized or justified it in the past (myself included) or continues to do so now, demonstrates significant flaws in Jois’ system, as well as the deep hypocrisy that the yoga world can harbour." from here http://www.decolonizingyoga.com/karen-rain-responds-mary-t…/

Personally, as a home Ashtangi I've never felt the need for any assistance or hands on adjustments. Minor support to stop somebody falling over perhaps, a wave of the hand or a tap at most to indicate, "lift here", "reach out there", seem more than sufficient. A wall for dropping back or coming up or a towel around the back to assist is surely all that is required. I hear Sharath's adjustments are minimal as are Manju's. If we have to be forced deeper into a post grunting and groaning then I would suggest we aren't quiet ready for the posture and a variation leading towards it might be more appropriate. But then I'm coming from the home practitioner perspective.

Note: Ramaswami mentioned that Krishnamacharya never assisted and rarely demonstrated but then of course there wasn't a language barrier.