There is a very popular hashtag added to many social media posts about yoga. If you search #yogaeverydamnday on Instagram, some 20 million posts are available for your viewing. The vast majority of these are styled, beautiful pictures of folks showing off their headstands, handstands, arm balances, and other poses that not only require an incredible amount of strength and flexibility, but also a very particular body type. Like most things on social media, these photos are not an accurate representation of the reality of daily yoga practice.

At its core, āsana is really just a special arrangement of the limbs and body that gives a particular experience, and aims to form new patterns within you. In yoga therapy we use āsana to alleviate patterns of discomfort and solidify patterns of ease and well-being.