Gentle is the New Advanced: The Joy of Slowing Down Your Yoga Practice

I used to think yoga was all about the destination – mastering that next pose, pushing a little further. Maybe if I just tried a LITTLE harder, I would lose those last few pounds, I would “tone up,” I would finally be the idealized version of myself I wanted to be.

It’s a common mindset in our achievement-driven society – we’re conditioned to believe that more effort equals better results. That if we’re not sweating or pushing to our limits, we’re not making progress.

Then something shifted.

…Maybe it was watching my students struggle to keep up with a fast pace.
…Maybe it was my own body asking for something different.
…Maybe it was my continuing education where I learned more about mindfulness and the nervous system.
…Or maybe it was simply the wisdom that comes with experience.

Whatever it was, I began to discover something powerful: the magic of slowing down.

What I’ve learned might surprise you – those dramatic lifestyle overhauls and intense workout programs aren’t always the answer. Sometimes, the most profound changes come from gentle, consistent practices that we can actually sustain.

The power of the pause

In our rushed world, we’ve become remarkably disconnected from our bodies.

We push through pain, ignore early warning signs of tension, and often can’t tell the difference between helpful challenge and harmful strain.

When was the last time you really noticed how your shoulder blade moves as you reach for something? Or how your breath changes with different movements? For many of us, the answer might be “never.”

This disconnection isn’t really our fault – it’s a natural response to our fast-paced, mind-focused lives. But it does come at a cost. We lose touch with our body’s natural wisdom, its ability to tell us what it needs and how to move in ways that support rather than strain.

In yoga, we create space to rebuild this essential connection. That momentary pause between movements? It’s not empty time – it’s where the real learning happens.

It’s where we really feel into our body.

It’s where we notice if we’re gripping somewhere we don’t need to, or if there’s a way to move that feels more natural for our body.

It’s where we notice the effects of what we’re doing.

These small moments of awareness might seem insignificant, but they’re actually the building blocks of lasting change.

Less really CAN be more

I’ve had some of my students tell me they’re surprised by my gentle yoga classes. They come in expecting a slow practice to feel boring or ineffective.

Instead, they discover that these mindful movements create a deeper awareness and connection with their body than they’ve ever experienced before.

When we slow down, we discover what being ‘advanced’ in yoga really means. It’s not about mastering complex poses – it’s about:

• Feeling which muscles are actually doing the work
• Noticing where we’re holding unnecessary tension
• Finding more efficient ways to move
• Building real strength through control and awareness
• Developing a deeper inner awareness that helps you understand what your body needs day to day
• Learning to trust your body’s signals and respond with wisdom rather than reaction

The breath knows

You know what’s fascinating? When we slow down, we suddenly discover our breath has been trying to tell us things all along.

That catch in your breath when you push too far? That’s your body’s wisdom speaking.

That deep, smooth breath when you find just the right position? That’s your body saying “yes, this is it.”

I often tell my students: if you can’t breathe smoothly in a pose, you’ve gone too far. The breath is our most reliable teacher. When we push beyond what serves us, our breath becomes strained or we might even find ourselves holding it.

But when we find that sweet spot – where we’re challenging ourselves just enough while staying connected to our breath – that’s where the real yoga happens. That’s where we learn to work with our body instead of against it.

Simple movements, big breakthroughs

Some of the most profound moments in my teaching have come from the simplest movements. Watching someone’s face light up when they discover a pain-free way to turn their head, or seeing the quiet satisfaction when a student finds their perfect, stable mountain pose – these are the real “advanced” poses in yoga.

Take the hip hinge, for example. (This is the specific way I teach the “forward fold” in yoga.) It’s a fundamental movement we use every day – bending to pick something up or loading the dishwasher.

Yet learning to move from our hips instead of rounding our back can be absolutely transformative.

Recently, a student shared how just five minutes of exploring this simple movement changed his approach to bending and lifting.

These “aha moments” happen not when we’re pushing into complex poses, but when we slow down enough to understand how our body naturally wants to move.

These revelations often come with everyday movements – standing with better posture, reaching for something overhead, or walking up stairs. Because that’s what yoga is really about: not mastering difficult poses, but bringing more awareness, ease, and intelligence to the movements we do every day.

Building lasting strength

Gentle doesn’t necessarily mean easy. Some of the most challenging moments in yoga come from moving slowly and mindfully.

Try lowering into a squat very slowly, with complete control and no compensation – you’ll discover muscles you never knew you had!

When we take our time, we can’t fully rely on momentum, compensation, or shortcuts. Instead, we build strength through every inch of the movement. Now that’s a different kind of challenge.

The strength we develop through gentle yoga isn’t about how much weight we can lift or how many repetitions we can do. It’s about building strength that lasts, strength that supports us in our everyday movements, strength that helps us stay active and independent as we age.

The nervous system’s sweet spot

There’s something fascinating that happens when we slow down in our practice: our nervous system begins to shift.

In our fast-paced world, many of us are constantly operating in a heightened state of arousal – that “fight or flight” mode that leaves us feeling wired but tired, anxious, or overwhelmed.

Gentle yoga offers something different. Those slow, mindful movements, combined with conscious breathing, help activate our parasympathetic nervous system – our rest-and-digest mode.

It’s a myth that gentle yoga is just about relaxation. We’re actually training our nervous system to be more resilient, to find that sweet spot between activation and rest.

It’s a myth that gentle yoga is just about relaxation. We’re actually training our nervous system to be more resilient, to find that sweet spot between activation and rest.

Mikah Horn

This regulated state is where real healing happens. It’s where we can access our body’s natural wisdom, where chronic tension begins to release, and where we build the kind of resilience that supports us through life’s challenges.

In many ways, this might be the most powerful benefit of slowing down – not just the physical changes we can see, but the deeper shifts in how our nervous system responds to both stress and rest.

The gift of self-compassion

Perhaps the greatest lesson gentle yoga has taught me is the power of being kind to ourselves. In a world that often pushes us to do more, be more, achieve more, there’s profound strength in saying, “This is enough. I am enough, exactly as I am today.”

When we approach our practice with kindness and patience, something magical happens. Not only do we often make more progress than when we push and force, but we enjoy the journey so much more. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

In my years of teaching Lifelong Yoga, I’ve seen time and again how this gentler approach helps people create sustainable, enjoyable practices that truly last. Because when we slow down, we’re not just practicing yoga – we’re practicing self-awareness, self-compassion, and the art of truly listening to our bodies.

So the next time you step onto your mat, try this: Instead of thinking about where you want to get to, focus on where you are. Notice the small sensations. Appreciate the subtle movements. Embrace the power of moving slowly and mindfully.

Because sometimes, the greatest progress comes not from pushing harder, but from slowing down enough to hear what our bodies are trying to tell us.

How has slowing down – in yoga or in life – impacted you? Share your experiences in the comments below.

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