Yoga Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All: Exploring Adaptability in Practice
Like many people, I was initially drawn to yoga for its physical benefits. Fresh out of Emerson College, classically trained as an actor (but, shockingly, not employed as one), I found myself working a desk job. I was spending hours each day sitting still - and my body felt like it was... wilting.
I had been trained to use my body as an instrument–moving, expressing, exalting. So it made sense that when I wandered into my first yoga class looking for reconnection, something clicked.
As I began moving and breathing in these intentional ways, my body felt satiated. That was sixteen years ago.
Since then, I’ve become not only a committed practitioner but also a yoga teacher & a teacher of yoga teachers.
Asana still fascinates me. I’m continually lit up by the incredible variety of shapes our bodies can take, and how profound even just a little movement and breath can be.
(Side note: yoga & asana are not the same — but asana can be a powerful pathway into yoga.)
Over the years, I’ve experienced my fair share of injuries that have required my practice to evolve. I’ve also had the honor of working with hundreds of students navigating everything from pregnancy to vertigo, broken bones to cancer treatments - and so much more.
When someone shares they’re working with something that might affect how they move, I see it as a privilege to help them explore tools and variations to support their practice.
One of the most empowering lessons I’ve learned-and love passing on-is this: asana isn’t about creating a cookie-cutter pose. Bodies are incredibly diverse. Beyond differences in strength and flexibility, our skeletal structures vary. Add to that injuries, life stages, or contraindications-and it becomes clear asana cannot be one-size-fits-all.
So what happens when we can’t “do the pose” the way it’s commonly shown?
When we break a wrist and can’t bear weight on our hands? When we’re healing? When our range of motion changes? This is where adaptability - & accessible yoga - come in.
For example, when I was teaching Tittibhasana (Firefly Pose) recently, we broke it down into its component parts - the actions that make up the shape. We explored core engagement, hip opening, arm positioning, & breath. Even if you’re not taking flight that day-or ever-you can still embody the essence of the pose through its actions. And that is the posture.
Another way we embrace adaptability is by changing the plane of movement or our relationship to gravity.
Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) doesn’t need to be practiced standing–you can explore the same actions lying on your back with a strap around your foot, like in Utthita Padangusthasana II. Even Handstand can be practiced in bed–arms overhead, pressing into the headboard or wall, activating the core, visualizing the line of the pose, and breathing with intention. The orientation may shift, but the energetic and muscular engagement stays alive.
I’ve had to re-learn this many times over the course of my own journey-especially when injuries forced me to pause, adapt, or reimagine what practice looked like.
But each time, I was reminded: the magic of asana lies not in performance, but in presence. In showing up as you are - & allowing the practice to meet you there.
If you’re curious about developing a practice that truly supports your body, your needs, and your life—we’d love to help. Whether you're recovering from injury, are new to yoga, or are ready to deepen your practice in a more personal way, working one-on-one can be a powerful next step. Reach out here to begin.
