YOGA POSES : LEARN THE BASICS, ALIGNMENT AND ADJUSTMENTS

Elodie Abadie • 8 décembre 2023
Hello yogis!
Have you heard about the famous "asanas" in yoga?
They're the foundation of this ancient practice, which combines flexibility, strength and peacefulness. But before you bend like a giant origami, it's crucial to understand the basics, alignment and adjustments to avoid injury and maximize benefits. So let's roll out our mat and learn everything we need to know about asanas!

1/Asanas: What are they?


First of all, "asana" is simply the Sanskrit word for "pose". It includes everything from the basic to the advanced ones. Asanas are much more than just physical movements. They are designed to balance your body, calm your mind and expand your awareness. Each pose has its own benefits, whether it's strengthening your muscles, flexibility or relaxing after a busy day.


Learn the basics : Yes, you can!


If you're a beginner, it's important to start with the basics. Don't worry, we've all been there. Here are a few basic asanas to get you started:


1. **Tadasana (Mountain pose)**: Stand with your feet together, arms sideways, looking forward. This simple pose is perfect to work on alignment.


2. **Balasana (Child's Pose)**: You can rest in this pose at any time during your practice. On your knees, bend forward and bring your forehead to the floor. Breathe deeply and relax.


3. **Sukhasana (Easy Pose)**: Sit comfortably and cross your legs. This pose is ideal for meditation and breathing.



4. **Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)**: Bend forward, hands and feet on the ground, buttocks up. This pose strengthens your arms and stretches your legs.


2/ Alignment : The key to success

Correct alignment is essential to get the most out of each asana and avoid injury. Here are a few tips to to help you align yourself properly:


1. **Stretch and straighten your back**: By stretching, you avoid arching and protect your spine.


2. **Keep your shoulders relaxed**: Avoid lifting them up towards your ears. You want them away from your ears, relaxed.


3. **Look forward**: Focus on a spot on the floor in front of you to maintain a long neck and avoid looking down.


4. **Breathe deeply**: Breathing is essential for alignment. Breathe deeply and steadily.


3/ Adjustments : The art of doing it right

Adjustments are a crucial part of asana training. They help you to master your pose, to feel the proper alignment and evolve in your practice.

However, it's important to understand that adjustments aren't always necessary, and that you should never be afraid to refuse an adjustment if you're not comfortable with it. Here are some common adjustment types:


1. **Physical**: Your yoga teacher or partner may push or pull your body to help you align yourself properly. For instance, for a standing forward bend, someone may help you touch your feet.


2. **Verbal**: Your teacher can give verbal instructions to correct the pose. For example, "Lengthen your back" or "Stretch your arms toward the ceiling".


3. **Visual**: Sometimes, just looking at someone is enough to understand how to perform a posture correctly. Online yoga classes or videos are perfect for this purpose.


4. **Accessories**: Blocks, straps or bolsters can help adjust a pose. For example, blocks can be placed under your hands in downward facing dog

if you are not able to reach the ground.


4/ Advanced asanas : At your own risk

Once you've mastered the basics, you can explore more advanced asanas. However, be careful. Advanced poses can stress your body and require greater flexibility and strength. Make sure you go at your own pace and with the appropriate guidance if necessary.


5/ Asanas and mental health: mind-body balance

In addition to the physical benefits, asanas have a profound impact on your mental health. The practice of yoga helps you to get in touch with yourself, reduce stress and calm the mind. It promotes concentration, meditation and inner peace. So don't underestimate the power of asanas to balance your body and mind.


To sum up: Practice, patience and pleasure


Ultimately, asanas are an exciting adventure in the yoga world. They require practice, patience and fun. Don't be afraid to fall, slip or laugh at yourself. Yoga is a journey, not a destination. So stretch, breathe deeply, and enjoy every asana on your mat. Namaste!

Why Teaching Yoga Is Never a Neutral Act

par Elodie Abadie • 19 janvier 2026
Teaching yoga is never a neutral act. Behind every class, every transmission, every guided posture, there is a deeper intention than it may seem. For some, teaching yoga comes from an inner calling—almost visceral.
For others, it is a fully structured profession, grounded in economic reality.
And for many, it is also—sometimes without intending to be—an engaged, almost militant act in a world that moves fast… too fast. So, teaching yoga—
Is it a vocation?
A profession like any other?
Or a conscious stance toward society? The truth is that teaching yoga often sits at the crossroads of all three.
And that is precisely what makes it so powerful… and so complex.

🌿 How to Find Your Path: A Journey Back to Yourself

par Elodie Abadie • 5 janvier 2026
Finding your path.
These words sound like a promise… and sometimes, like pressure. We’re constantly told to “find our purpose,” “follow our heart,” “live our passion.”
But in reality, it’s rarely a straight road. It’s more of a winding path — full of doubts, sparks, turns, and awakenings.
A deeply inner journey before anything else. So how do you find your path when you feel lost?
How do you know what’s truly right for you — without being influenced by others’ expectations?
And most importantly, how do you move forward even when the answers aren’t clear yet? This article is an invitation to come back to yourself — not to search harder, but to listen differently.

🧘‍♀️ How I Stay Organized as a Yoga Teacher & Entrepreneur

par Elodie Abadie • 29 décembre 2025
Between teaching, creating, managing projects, running trainings, and nurturing a personal life, being a yoga teacher and entrepreneur can easily feel like a balancing act.
You’re expected to inspire, teach, plan, organize, create — all while leaving space for yourself, your family, and your breath. People often ask me: “How do you manage it all without burning out?” So today, I’m opening the doors to my own routine — not a perfect or rigid system, but a living, breathing, adaptable rhythm that changes with my energy, priorities, and inspiration. If you’re a yoga teacher, a creative entrepreneur, or simply someone trying to find balance between structure and flow, this is for you.

🪷 Yoga: Spiritual, Physical or Political?

par Elodie Abadie • 15 décembre 2025
Yoga intrigues, fascinates, and sometimes even divides.
Some see it as a physical practice, others as a spiritual path, and some as a symbol of engagement or resistance. But deep down… what is yoga really?
Is it a lifestyle? A path of awareness? A way to connect with yourself and the world? In this article, we explore the many faces of yoga — physical, spiritual, and even political — to rediscover its essence: a living, embodied, and profoundly human practice.

🌿 Living Yoga Every Day

par Elodie Abadie • 1 décembre 2025
What if yoga wasn’t just about postures?
What if, beyond the mat, this ancient practice became a way of inhabiting your life — acting with awareness, breathing with presence, and connecting deeply to yourself and the world around you? Through its eight branches, yoga offers far more than a series of physical exercises.
It’s a complete philosophy of life, a daily art of living, and an inner compass to navigate with balance, authenticity, and serenity. In this article, you’ll rediscover the 8 limbs of yoga — known as Ashtanga Yoga — and learn how each one can transform your life, step by step, breath by breath.

Yoga Alignment: Beyond the Postures

par Elodie Abadie • 17 novembre 2025
You might think that alignment in yoga means placing your knee perfectly above your ankle, keeping your hips square, and your spine long and straight.
But what if it was so much more than that? In our culture of “doing things right,” alignment is often reduced to a technical cue — a matter of perfect lines and precision.
Yet in yoga, true alignment goes far beyond the body .
It extends into the breath, the energy, the emotions — and the way you connect to yourself. This article invites you to revisit this word we hear everywhere and rediscover its deeper meaning — on your mat and in your life.

Simple Yoga: Returning to What Really Matters

par Elodie Abadie • 3 novembre 2025
What if we practiced yoga to return to simplicity? 
Not to perform.
Not to master a thousand postures.
Not to impress.
But to come back to what truly matters: one breath, one presence, one body we truly listen to. Today, yoga is often seen as a performance discipline — associated with the image of the perfect body or the most advanced pose. 
Yet, in its essence, yoga is a practice of awareness and unity .
It’s not about doing more, but about being more present. This article invites you to drop the masks, let go of the “shoulds,” and rediscover yoga as a path back to yourself — to slowness, to simplicity, and to truth.

Emotional Release Through Movement

par Elodie Abadie • 20 octobre 2025
What if your body had messages that your mind can’t put into words?
What if free movement was a doorway to everything you feel deeply but don’t dare to express? The body remembers.
The body speaks.
And sometimes, all it takes is letting it move differently so it can finally set itself free. In this article, let’s explore the emotional intelligence of the body, the blocks that manifest through physical tension, and the power of spontaneous movement to bring back breath, clarity, and inner peace.

Dancing Your Yoga: Freedom and Expression

par Elodie Abadie • 6 octobre 2025
What if your yoga mat became more than just a space for postures?
Imagine it as an inner playground, a sacred space where you can move differently, breathe deeply, and express yourself freely. Dancing your yoga is a unique practice that blends free movement, breath awareness, and spontaneous creativity.
It’s a yoga that both grounds and liberates.
A yoga that isn’t limited to “doing it right,” but one that invites you to feel, create, and vibrate. In this article, discover what it means to dance your yoga, the benefits of this practice, and how to integrate it into your daily life.

How to Overcome the Fear of Failure?

par Elodie Abadie • 29 septembre 2025
The fear of failure affects everyone, regardless of age, background, or life path. It often prevents us from taking action , seizing opportunities, or truly believing in ourselves. Combined with the fear of judgment from others, it can become paralyzing if we don’t learn how to understand and transform it. In this article, let’s explore why the fear of failure exists, what the signs are, what failure can teach us, and above all, how to overcome it to regain confidence, serenity, and motivation.