When you are trying your best to get to your yoga classes and to hang in there throughout each of the various poses, it can really feel as though your confidence is taking a hit when your instructor decides to correct your form or alignment. The thing is, yoga isn’t something that is always easy to do and most people don’t just pop their bodies into the right positions without the right guidance and practice.

The Benefits of Being Corrected in Yoga Class

There is no reason to be embarrassed or to feel bad about yourself if your yoga instructor gives you a little bit of help. In fact, you should consider it a good sign that you have chosen an instructor who cares enough about you that he or she will stop you from potentially damaging your body and to make sure that you are actually working toward the benefits that you are seeking.

When you do the poses correctly, there are a large number of benefits you can enjoy from each one.  Your muscles, joints, nerves, heart, ligaments, tendons, and mind – among other things – can all benefit from what each position has to offer, when done right.  When you are corrected in yoga class, you can feel confident that you are aiming directly toward those outcomes. It will help you to avoid injury or strain which can happen if you’re doing one of these poses improperly.

The Difference Small Details Make

Practicing yoga can be one of the best things that you can do for your health, but only when you’re doing it right. Even the slightest changes in rotation or angle can make the difference between improving your strength, flexibility, posture and overall health, or causing harm to your joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.

Nobody likes to be corrected, but when it comes to your yoga class, try to think of these adjustments as positive feedback. Every time you listen to what is being said and you correct as requested, you’re giving yourself just a little bit more in terms of improving your health, reaching your goals, and building an important fitness skill.

Overcoming Negative Feelings About Being Corrected in Yoga Class

It’s important to overcome the feeling that you’re being corrected because you’re doing something wrong. Instead, you need to take on the mindset that you’re being advised because there is a way to do it even better than you already are. You’re preventing injury and your giving a gift to your body and your skill as a practitioner of yoga. The instructor is not trying to tell you that they know more than you and that they know better than you. Instead, they are sharing their knowledge with you so that you can improve your own experience through their support and concern.

The Alternative

If the yoga teacher didn’t care about you, then it would be much easier for that person to simply allow you to continue to hold the wrong positions. After all, they’re still being paid for their time.

However, a good yoga instructor knows that there are a large number of postures that can feel as though they are being done correctly, but where it is impossible for the practitioner to be able to tell without having first been instructed. The assistance of your instructor can help you to recognize those areas of improvement and can place you on the right track toward being your best in each of those poses.

Being Corrected Properly

Naturally, there is a right and a wrong way to be corrected in yoga class.  Every instructor has his or her own style.  Overall, it is common for an instructor to give you gentle advice and recommendations.  He or she may also gently physically adjust you, provided that’s acceptable to you.  Most responsible yoga instructors who respect their students will ask for permission in advance before making physical contact.

If you’re not comfortable with the way you are being corrected in yoga class, don’t hesitate to respectfully address the topic with your instructor. It is likely a situation that will be very easy to resolve, and you’ll hardly have been the first person to want to make sure you’re communicating with each other in a comfortable way.