Erja and Marko live in the countryside, where there always seems to be something to do around the house and garden. Erja is an osteopath, physiotherapist and entrepreneur. In her free time, she walks in the surrounding countryside, enjoys strength training and spends time with her pets. Marko is an osteopath, massage therapist and entrepreneur, and enjoys running and lifting weights. They also practise Ashtanga together. Two mats fit comfortably side by side in their living r

Viivi is a former orchestra musician, a healthcare professional and a yoga teacher. At home, life is full with her partner and two lively boys, aged four and eight. There are jobs, children's hobbies and all the ordinary logistics of family life. As Viivi puts it, the years they are living now are literally very busy. And somewhere in the middle of all that, there is the practice. When the practice changes with life Viivi started Ashtanga about six years ago, through a beginn

Minna’s life is full. Alongside her day job working with legislation, she volunteers as the head of an art school and spends much of her free time painting and exploring other creative crafts. Animals and travelling are close to her heart, too. At home, she shares her life with four cats and an aquarium, although she says that all animals are important to her. Art, animals and travel form the landscape of her life outside yoga. Astanga became part of Minna’s life when we met

Hannele has a full life, no nearby weekday morning shala and no desire to keep adding more to her calendar. Online Mysore has helped her keep a steady connection to Ashtanga — and discover that even a little time on the mat matters.

Have you ever felt a little ashamed of what you've found in the cleaning process? I have. As I wrote some time ago, I've been decluttering and cleaning my home because I'll be moving to a smaller place at the end of the month. ​ I've found a Lululemon top in the "wrong" colour tucked away at the back of the wardrobe. Half-used lipsticks from years ago. Bottles of things I no longer need. I've noticed that there's simply too much stuff. And I've had to acknowledge that I haven

Before I started yoga, I studied fine arts for seven years. As part of my studies, we spent countless hours drawing and painting the human figure. It was a big part of the curriculum: learning to measure the body, to understand its movement and proportions, and, perhaps most importantly, to really look. ​From the age of sixteen, I spent hours looking at nude bodies. Male and female, young and old. ​I loved discovering the many movements and directions of a single human body—a

So, me and my dog Laddu moved to a new home in July. As in our previous home, there’s no elevator in the building. We live on the third floor, which means it’s not that many stairs, but with Laddu, it takes us a while to get upstairs. And downstairs, too. ​ Not because she isn’t fit enough, but because she finds the staircase absolutely fascinating. “Did you hear that?” She seems to be asking, looking at me with her big, excited eyes. And we stop to listen after every few ste

What comes to your mind when you think about strength? We tend to recognise strength when it looks like effort, determination, achievement or control. A physically strong person. A strong asana practice. Someone decisive, who knows what they want and goes after it.​ These are all expressions of strength. But they also tend to keep our attention focused on the individual: How strong am I? What can I do? How far can I go?​ ​ When preparing for Saturday's online conversation, I