Finding Freedom: Flexibility and Deep Stretches
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.
About this collection
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.
Flexibility is often misunderstood as a physical achievement, but I have found that it is actually a form of mental liberation. When we hold tight in our bodies, we often hold tight in our minds. In my Hatha Yoga sessions, we use a combination of traditional asanas, like Hanumanasana (splits) and various backbends, to systematically unlock the hips, hamstrings, and spine.
We use props, like yoga blocks, straps, and wall-mounted ropes, not to make the poses easier, but to make them safer and more accessible. Using the wall for traction, for instance, allows your spine to lengthen in ways that floor practice alone cannot achieve. Whether you are attending a group batch at my Sanpada studio or opting for a 1-on-1 session to work on specific injury recovery or mobility goals, we move slowly. We do not force.
I guide you through breathwork, such as Pranayama, to calm your nervous system, which is the secret key to deeper stretching. If you are stressed, your muscles will fight you. When you breathe, your body softens. You do not need to commit to years of practice before you see results. My goal is to help you find that initial release in your first month of membership. If you are struggling with chronic stiffness or just want to regain the mobility you had years ago, let us look at a plan that fits your current level, not where you think you should be.
Sushmita Mukhia
I am Sushmita. My journey into yoga began as a way to find sanity away from a corporate desk, and today, I help others find that same release. I do not believe in forcing the body into shapes; I believe in moving with intention, using breath and patience to undo the stiffness we carry.
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