There was a time — not so long ago — when I first stepped onto my yoga mat. I gazed at the people around me, copying their postures, mimicking their breath, feeling unsure, slightly lost. Back then, yoga felt like just a workout. But as the years passed, the practice began to shift. What once felt like fitness slowly revealed its deeper wisdom: self-discovery, healing, and transformation.
If I could go back and start from scratch today, here is everything I would do differently — and everything I now know I would do just right.
1. Choose Depth Over Performance
When I began, I was all about the poses. But yoga is so much more than flexibility or strength — it’s a way to regulate the mind, to process emotions, to recognize your true self. If I were starting over, I’d dive into the why behind the practice sooner. I’d learn breathwork, meditation, and philosophy with the same intensity I once reserved for handstands.
2. Embrace the Beginner Mind
I used to skip foundational classes, feeling embarrassed or impatient. Now, I wish I’d honored where I was at and given myself time to build a real foundation. Learning the basics — alignment, breath, how to use props — is not a detour. It’s the road.
3. Let Your Teachers Find You, Then Grow With Them
Early on, I bounced from one instructor to another, chasing what felt good. But over time, I realized that a teacher isn’t just someone who teaches a sequence — they guide your inner work. If you find a teacher who resonates – hold space for them. Learn from others, too, but trust that your growth will be richer when guided by someone aligned with your journey.
4. Make a Real Plan for Your Practice
Yoga isn’t random. The most powerful labs of transformation happen when you commit to a path: not just “take classes when I feel like it,” but design a sequence of growth. Decide your next steps — whether it’s mastering restorative asana, trying pranayama, or building a meditation habit — and stick to them with intention.
5. Trust the Invisible Progress
There were stretches of time when I felt like nothing was changing — the physical practice felt stagnant, my emotions still felt messy. But healing isn’t always visible. Sometimes the biggest shifts happen in whispers: a calmer mind, a breath that doesn’t race, trust that creeps in slowly. I’d tell my past self: don’t give up when it’s the hardest; the work is rooting on the inside.
6. Honor Your Season of Life
What your practice looks like when you’re twenty-something is not what it will look like in ten years — and that’s okay. Life evolves, and your yoga should, too. When I started, I chased sweaty flows because that’s what I thought “yoga was supposed to look like.” Now, I know there’s grace in gentleness, in slowing down, in yoga that meets me where I am.
7. Live Your Truth (Practice Satya)
If I could begin again, I’d lean more fully into satya, or truth. I wouldn’t chase what looks trendy or what others think is “correct.” I’d listen to myself — to what I need, how I want to grow, what teachings resonate most with me — and follow that. The real path isn’t the loudest one. It’s the truest one.
If you’re starting your yoga journey (or maybe restarting), I hope this encourages you to slow down, tune in, and do things your way. Progress doesn’t mean perfection — it means showing up, again and again, with curiosity and courage.
With love,
Elle
