5 Mindset Shifts That Helped Me FINALLY Advance My Yoga Practice

1. Finding the Right Yoga Community

A huge part of my growth came from finding a yoga studio that truly felt like home. I was lucky enough to discover my studio, Satorii, during their soft opening and immediately became a founding member. Finding your community, whether it’s a local studio or an online yoga program, matters more than you think. When you feel connected to the space and people you practice with, consistency follows naturally. And consistency yields results.

2. Practicing to Advance (Not Just to Stay in Shape)

This was the biggest mindset shift for me. For years, I practiced yoga to stay in shape or to stay flexible to prevent injury. Over the past year, something shifted in my brain and I started to focus more on getting better at yoga than at how many calories I was burning in class. Externally this looked like trying new things when they were offered to me, even if I knew I wasn’t goign to nail it the first (or second or third) time. Ironically, once I started chasing progress, the physical results followed and I started to notice more visible muslce tone, especially in my arms. You end up pushing yourself harder when you’re chasing more than just “in shape”.

3. Taking Intention Setting Seriously

You know at the beginning of class when an insturctor tells you to close your eyes and set an intention? I used to have no idea what to at that time, my intention would often be “push yourself” or “take it easy”. However, now that I’ve started choosing one every class, I can much better maintain my focus. My go-to intention is “grace”. When I practice with grace in mind, I move slower, engage my core, and connect more deeply with my breath. It builds presence and mindfulness, which makes everything else fall into place. Feel free to borrow this until you find something that resonates with you!

4. Focusing On Transitions – Not Just the Poses

Look, we all love nailing a pose – this article is literally inspired by how hype I am about nailing some of my goal poses, so, I get it! But how you move from one pose to the next can be equally as critical to advancing your practice as working on a pose itself. Moving *gracefullly* from one pose to the next builds strenght, stability, and flow. It’s where your practice becomes artful insetead of mechanical. This is another technique that helps me stay in the practice mentally.

5. Practicing A LITTLE BIT Outside of Class

A “daily yoga practice” always sounded so daunting to me. Realistically, I’m not rolling out my yoga mat every single day, even though flowing is something I love and enjoy. But there is a whole world between “everyday” and “never”. What’s worked for me is short, intentional, at-home sessions, especially when I’m learning something new. Take 10-15 minutes to work on a pose you’re sruggling with when you’re fresh—not at the end of a long class! Warm up, play around, and keep it light. That extra little effort, once a week or even once a month, will compound in a big way.

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If you’ve felt stuck in your practice or like you’re not improving fast enough, trust me, I’ve been there. What worked for me wasn’t necessarily logging more hours, but being more intentional with the time I did dedicate to practice. Find your community, set intentions, play with transitions, and give yourself a little grace. The breakthroughs will follow.