I dont want to beat it into the ground by repeating what everyone else has already posted here. I'll just say that while Im fairly new to BPs Ive had other snakes before. Very real fact is that most people who own snakes as pets are bound to get struck at some point for a long list of reasons...just be careful around the snake and try not stress it. While strike wont hurt with smaller snakes...pulling away (if the snake decides to hold on or get stuck on you) will cause some pain. You're doing good by paying attnetion to it's posturing. When I think that my snakes are considering a strike while Im holding them, I slowly change my hand position in order to support them a bit more secure with one hand underneath the front portion of the body (I usually bring it up to the snake's chin VERY SLOWLY). This seems to snap them out of the transe like stare they get...then I put them back in their enclosure to give them a little alone time. This worked for my boa I used to have and it seems to be working for my BPs. I hope it helps you!