For the last couple of weeks I’ve been assisting one of my favorite teachers in San Francisco.

Janet Stone’s Friday night Mellow Flow classes are so welcoming and warming that I’ve never left one of them feeling anything but energized, encouraged, and just plain happy. I don’t know if it’s the loving tone of Janet’s voice, the dim, candle-lit atmosphere, or the positive energy of the students who are happy to be done with the work week and kicking off the weekend with yoga.

Whatever it is, I want more of it.

So when I got word that Janet was looking for an assistant, I jumped at the chance. The warm-fuzzy effect the class has on me when I’m a student translates beautifully into assisting.

Even so, the first time I approached the class of nearly 80 eager students, I felt the familiar twinge of butterflies begin to flutter in my stomach.

This class was not like the beginner-oriented classes I’d taught or assisted before. These were fully grown adults who pay $16 for an hour-and-a-half class on a regular basis. If I give one of these folks an incorrect adjustment, they have the potential to know it.

Luckily, most of my nervousness floated away as the beginning warm-up concluded and I began to watch bodies and offer my assistance. I could tell by the way the students were breathing that my touch was welcome—very welcome, in fact.

Working with warm and enthusiastic yoga students in a class this is a lot like playing with modeling clay—warm modeling clay that has been sitting in a hot car for a several hours. With just the gentlest touch, their bodies seemed to melt open and their breathing grew deeper.

The connection and exchange of energy with the students, however, began to make my job harder as the class went on.

Instead of looking at a person and seeing a body that could be more grounded or better aligned, I started thinking to myself: "That’s SO beautiful. How am I supposed to improve upon perfection?" I spent at least several minutes admiring poses and being that kind of loopy yoga teacher that says, "Beautiful!" all the time.

But then I remembered the advice Janet gave me before the class, "Just give them a loving touch, and go with your intuition." So that’s what I’ve been doing.

And it has come back to me four-fold—albeit sometimes more than I’d like. I’m still not sure how to keep from feeling a little uncomfortable when I’m giving someone a little Savasana adjustment and he or she groans out loud with delight. It still feels kind of creepy to me, and my first instinct is to pull my hands away and look around to see if anyone else noticed. I’m sure I’ll get more comfortable with experience.