Asana: Techniques, Alignment, Contraindications and Adjustments
Technique and alignment
The classical standard is sthira sukham asanam - steady and comfortable. Teach every posture through a small set of checks: a stable base, a long neutral spine where appropriate, breath that stays smooth, and a chosen drishti. Know the families - standing, seated, supine, prone, inverted, forward bends, backbends, twists, balances - and how to counterpose across families. Alignment cues should describe direction of movement, not aesthetics.
Contraindications that get tested
Inversions (head below heart) are avoided in uncontrolled hypertension, glaucoma and retinal detachment, raised intracranial pressure, recent stroke, vertigo, and severe cervical spondylosis, and are modified in later pregnancy. Deep forward folds are unwise in acute disc prolapse, osteoporosis with fracture risk, and recent abdominal surgery. Deep twists are modified in pregnancy, osteoporosis and disc pathology. Vajrasana and padmasana load knees and ankles; use supports. Sarvangasana loads the cervical spine - blanket support and a shoulder stand only with competent supervision. Always check breath, facial expression and joint sensation rather than assuming a shape is safe.
Adjustments
Ask consent, demo or cue verbally first, then offer a hands-on adjustment only where trained and appropriate. Avoid pressure on the abdomen, breast tissue, neck and lumbar spine, never push a joint toward pain, and never adjust a student mid-inhalation into a shape they cannot exit safely.
Traps
Options often list a posture as contraindicated for a condition where only the intense version is; pregnancy is usually a modification question, not a blanket ban.
Rule of thumb
If the breath turns ragged, the face grimaces, or the limbs tremble, the student is past their threshold - reduce, prop, or come out.