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Finding Freedom: Flexibility and Deep Stretches

bySushmita MukhiaClasses at studios in Sanpada and Seawoods, Navi MumbaiStarts from500 Per SessionView full gallery

Flexibility is not about how far you can bend, but how much space you create within yourself. Whether you are working toward your first splits or simply looking to release years of tension, these practices help you move with more ease.

Aum Namah Shivaya. A deep backbend in Hanumanasana (splits), offered in reverence at my studio. This pose opens the heart and the hips profoundly.

Hello Sunday. A beautiful moment in Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (one-legged king pigeon pose) in the studio. This is a wonderful heart and hip opener.

More than flexibility, yoga is about mental preparedness. This deep King Pigeon pose is a result of an open mind and a trusting heart.

I'm not a natural backbend lover, but I practice them for my spinal health and posture. This is a variation of King Pigeon in splits, a very deep stretch.

A quick stretch after my morning batches. This video shows me easing into Samakonasana, the middle splits, a pose that requires consistent practice.

A mobility check after a workout. It's important to stretch after strengthening, and here I am moving into the middle splits to release my hips.

Splits has always been my first love. A moment of quiet practice in the studio, sinking into the middle splits.

Go vegan. A short flow showing the journey into middle splits. This pose teaches patience and the art of breathing into tight spaces.

I am not naturally flexible. This middle split is the result of years of dedicated practice and trusting the process, not just focusing on the end result.

"Yoga is about self-acceptance." Using a doorway to deepen a standing split. Props at home can be wonderful tools for your flexibility journey.

About Finding Freedom: Flexibility & Deep Stretches

If you are looking at these photos and thinking, I will never be this flexible, I want you to know something. I was not born flexible. I spent years in a corporate job, feeling stiff and disconnected, until I committed to showing up for myself on the mat every day. You do not need to be bendy to start; you just need to be willing to breathe into the discomfort and let the stiffness go, one session at a time.

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