Dione Yoga

Slowly… Slowly… getting somewhere 💙🌀

What I often hear is: “Ashtanga isn’t for me because it’s too hard.” Time to gently debunk that.

Yes, Ashtanga can be very challenging. And yes, some asanas might look impossible. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

There’s this idea that you have to be able to do the full expression of every pose right away, but that’s not really what the practice is about. In the beginning, you’re simply sketching the outline. You’re learning the rhythm, the breath, the language of your body. The depth and the details come later.

Ashtanga is not meant to be a constant struggle. If it feels like you’re fighting your way through the practice every time, something is off. Yoga was never meant to be about pushing yourself to the edge.

In the Yoga Sutras, it’s said that an asana should be steady and comfortable. So when it’s not, you adjust. You soften. You take a step back, or you choose a version that supports you, instead of drains you.

It really is that simple: Ashtanga shouldn’t be too hard. Just find a version that suits you. 💛

Lately I’ve been slowing things down. Exploring backbends, not just physically, but noticing what they do to my nervous system.
Finding more space, more awareness, more compassion and less pushing. I’m learning patience through Laghu Vajrasana, because it keeps teaching me that.😅

And honestly… the cat support is real 🐾

Don’t compare. Yourself. To others. Someone else may have decades of practice behind them.

The process is not linear. There will be phases where you make a lot of progress, and phases where it feels like you’re not moving forward. Trust that everything will come when you’re ready.

Don’t focus only on asana. Ashtanga is so much more than the postures you do on the mat.

Listen to your body. You can’t expect every day to feel the same.

Be patient. Step on the mat, practice. Have compassion.
Uhm most important lesson I’ve learned: don’t get frustrated. Lol. (Still practicing that part, but now mostly with humor)
I think that’s where the magic happens. 🌸✨

The moment I step on my mat, I tune in how my energy is today. You simply can’t expect it to be the same every day.
There are so many factors that can lower your energy: the season, your cycle, how you’ve slept, stress and busyness, emotions, or even just how full your mind feels.

When I step on my mat, I feel. My mind may have all sorts of opinions, but it’s so important to listen to what the body is telling you.

So how do I adapt my practice? Sometimes it’s modified postures, sometimes I skip certain poses, sometimes I take more time for pranayama and shavasana. Sometimes I move more slowly, sometimes more intuitively.

When you give yourself the space to feel what is possible today, you create not only more balance, but also trust. Your practice stops being something to “perform” and becomes a moment of tuning in. A way to stay in conversation with yourself.

How do you adapt? ❤️
yogateacher