Hands-on Yoga Assists

Kiara Armstrong, E-RYT 500, CMT, YACEP, first started practicing yoga in 2002. It played a central role in her personal journey to overcome mental and physical illness. In 2010, she began her first 200-hour yoga teacher training and started teaching in 2011. Five years later, she began leading 200-hour yoga teacher trainings and has since taught continuing education programs, including 300-hour yoga teacher trainings. She has a deep reverence for the human body, having spent time working independently with a cadaver and sharing her knowledge as an anatomy instructor in both yoga and massage schools. In addition to being an E-RYT 500 registered teacher with Yoga Alliance, she is a certified massage therapist. Her experience working with clients in a medical setting has given her a more intimate understanding of the body-one that extends beyond what is visible in a yoga classroom.

Kiara's love for hands-on assists began early in her yoga practice when she was introduced to them in structured, traditional settings. Over the years, she encountered a wide range of assisting styles-some that felt profoundly helpful and others that left her questioning their safety and effectiveness. At times, she experienced strains and injuries from well-intentioned but imprecise touch interventions, which led her to explore the mechanics of assisting more deeply. As an employee of Yoga Journal magazine, she was exposed to a variety of teachers who employed different approaches to hands-on techniques, further reinforcing the need for a system that was clear, teachable, and adaptable to different body types and classroom environments.

Her search for a structured approach led her to formal Thai massage training, which provided valuable insight but ultimately did not translate seamlessly to a yoga setting. She continued experimenting, refining her understanding through thousands of hours of teaching and hands-on experience. Slowly, through practice, observation, and adaptation, the Rubber Band Method (R) was born. This method makes a clear distinction between assisting and adjusting, recognizing that while both have a place in yoga instruction, they are not interchangeable. Kiara developed a systematic approach that prioritizes sustainable body mechanics for the teacher, purposeful and intuitive touch for the student, and the ability to read tissues through tactile awareness.

Through years of trial, refinement, and student feedback, Rubber Band Method (R) evolved into a structured, accessible system that any yoga instructor can learn and apply with confidence. Designed to prioritize both student safety and teacher sustainability, it provides a clear framework for offering hands-on support that is intuitive, effective, and respectful of each individual's body. Kiara continues to refine and share this approach with the goal of making safe, skillful assisting an integral part of modern yoga education-one that can stand on its own and be passed on for generations to come.