Vinyasa 30hr | Hands On Assisting

As yoga instructors, we communicate with our students in many ways. One powerful method is using our hands to help deepen a student’s understanding and experience of an asana. In this 30-hour continuing education training, we will explore hands-on assists that emphasize skillful communication, anatomical integrity, and informed consent.

This training is designed for yoga instructors who have completed a 200-hour teacher training and wish to expand their ability to observe, understand, and assist students in their asana practice.

Teaching Faculty

This Continuing Education is led by Gretchen Garnett. She is honored and excited to guide you through this process.

Gretchen Garnett

Gretchen began dancing when she was young and was first introduced to yoga as a teenager as a way to gain strength and flexibility. She practiced yoga throughout her dance education, but it wasn’t until after school that she really fell in love with the practice. Gretchen moved to San Francisco in 2005 and had the opportunity to practice with a group of wonderful and diverse teachers and to learn more about the practice and how it interacted with her life. She began to discover that yoga not only helped her gain strength and flexibility physically, but mentally as well. Yoga gives her a sense of calm that she has not experienced elsewhere and gives her the opportunity and the permission to notice and learn new things about herself every day.

Gretchen completed her Vinyasa teaching training in 2012 at the Laughing Lotus Yoga Center in San Francisco and then moved to Amsterdam to begin this new phase of her practice. Gretchen’s classes are fun and challenging and connect movement and breath with the flow of a dance. She aims to encourage students to find their own expression of the yoga practice and foster a creative and empowering atmosphere.

Curriculum

Building a Foundation of Trust

Trust is the cornerstone of the teacher/student relationship. We begin by exploring our own foundations and intentions, clarifying when and why we offer assists. Topics include:

Obtaining consent for hands-on assists
Evaluating bodies in motion to determine appropriate support
Identifying the right moments for assistance

Course Highlights

Participants will engage in detailed demonstrations of assisting techniques, with a focus on common asanas found in the Vinyasa practice. The course is structured to allow ample time for both giving and receiving assists, fostering dynamic communication between teacher and student. Key topics include:

The importance of presence, breath, and non-verbal communication
The ethics of assists
Various types of touch and hand positions for different effects
Techniques for reading bodies and assessing the most appropriate touch
Using verbal cues and props to enhance assists
In-depth exploration of asanas and corresponding assist techniques
Daily asana practices that integrate practicing and assisting

Dates

22 & 23 November 2025
6 & 7 December 2025

Daily Schedule

8:30–9:45: Asana practice – alternate between practicing and assisting
10:00–12:30: Lectures and discussions
12:30–13:30: Lunch
13:30–17:00: Detailed breakdown of specific asanas and assisting techniques

This course is spread over two weekends. Between sessions, you will have the opportunity to experiment with the techniques you’ve learned in either group classes or one-on-one settings and document your experiences.

Consent and Participation

Please note that this course involves both giving and receiving hands-on assists. While your safety and comfort are our top priorities, it is essential that you arrive with an open mind and a willingness to engage physically in a respectful manner.

Qualification

This training program qualifies as Continuing Education hours for Yoga Alliance registered teachers.

Training fee

Regular rate

500

Contact

Feel free to email us through: trainings@yagoy.nl

Download Registration Form

Register Here