The human side of yoga humans

// flows for bird of paradise and soldier pose

Dear Humans,

I have been feeling to call to share more of myself and my story with you all, but then I encounter an interesting mental block.

It sounds a lot like:

They don’t really want to know about you. Keep it about yoga. Keep it about the sequences. Keep it professional.

What’s with that last part, anyways? The part that says that sharing our humanness is “unprofessional”.

It strikes me, as this newsletter grows, how easy it might be for me to lose the heart of it. The internet is like a hungry monster. It is always telling you that more is better. More content. More posts. More followers. More money. Keep producing. Keep growing…

I’ve often been wary of “more.” I learned that outlook from yoga, of course. From the concept of Aparigraha—non-grasping—letting this—this right here—be enough.

And let me tell you, this, to me, is more than enough.

It’s enough to write to you each week in this beautiful virtual community. It was enough when there were one hundred of you, it’s enough now that there are a few thousand of you.

I guess my fear is that I know not everyone will always like what I have to offer or agree with my outlooks. Some won’t like it when I talk too much about yoga philosophy, some won’t like it when I share more from my own “voice,” some won’t like it when I only share sequences. It’s hard to please the “internet.”

That fear voice can almost be crippling. Better to just not put yourself out there. Not let them in. It’s safer that way.

But you’re not the internet. You. You, who are reading this. You’re a human. Just like me.

And what do I know about being a human? Well, I know that it can be hard. That walking this human path means taking wrong turns and falling into ditches and climbing up summits and gazing at the sun. It’s beautiful and messy and sometimes so heartbreaking. But it is. It is everything.

Yoga taught me that. And that’s why this community is called Yoga Humans.

And if I were to bring this back to the practice of being a yoga teacher, I would say that all of this is exactly true of being a teacher, too.

You will feel called over and over to do “more.” You will feel like maybe what you have to offer isn’t enough. You will encounter people who criticize your approach. You will encounter those who don’t like your style.

And that’s vulnerable. To put yourself out there, knowing that you can’t please everyone.

But we do it anyways. How brave is that? Because there’s a teacher for everyone. And trust me, my dear humans, you are the teacher for someone. For many someones.

So, I guess all I want to say today is that I won’t be a perfect guide. This is me, in a small slump of doubt, making a promise to you that I won’t always be perfect— but I promise to come to you with good intentions and a lot of heart. I promise to try to show you the beauty in the imperfectness that is being human.

I want you to know that this is a space for you to come as you are, too. Write to me. Send me questions—the ones you want to ask about yoga but have been afraid to because you fear being judged by the big hungry monster of the “internet.” I’m here to help. To listen. To support. I’m not here just for the sake of “more”—I’m here because I believe in the power of being here.

Let this space not be like “that” one. Let this be a space where we honor one another—perfectly imperfect. Perfectly human.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for being here.

Izzy

Izzy Martens

author, yoga teacher, sequence enthusiast

yogahumans.substack.com | yogahumans.com

IG: @yoga.humans

Today, I’ve shared FOUR FLOWS which can be taught for a yummy vinyasa class, appropriate for many levels, getting into the hips and the shoulders.

I start by sharing the first two sequences I taught in class: a warm-up flow and a mini-flow. The warm up flow starts to lengthen the hamstrings and hip flexors. It features some super yummy hip circles from gate reach. Then, I share a mini-flow, which is a standing sequence that foreshadows some of the bigger movements in the main flow.

For paid subscribers, I am sharing the main flow, which leads us into Bird of Paradise as a peak, and has one of my favorite core-work roll ups. Then, finally, a cool down flow! This cool down flow brings us into cow face pose in a really unique way. I think you’ll love it.

Enjoy! <3

If you don’t want to become a regular paid subscriber, but want to share some love for the time and energy it takes to create this content, you could buy me a coffee instead!

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PS. I thought this was funny and on brand for today’s letter :)

What I Taught in Yoga This Week | Feb 19, 2025

warm up flow write-up:

• three legged dog

• lizard lunge

  • feel it out!

  • rock forward and back

  • drop the back knee

  • add a bind and a twist

• unwind to three legged dog

• three limb table

• tiger curl

• gate reach

• hip circles

  • I cue it something like: “start to bend your back knee, sinking your hips and bringing your top elbow into your body, crouching low. Then arch forward, straightening the arms and the leg and expanding through the side body. Keep circling.”

• unwind to three limb table

• knee to nose

• three legged dog

• optional: vinyasa with lifted leg

mini-flow write-up:

• three legged dog

• warrior II

• reverse triangle

• warrior II

• reverse triangle

• warrior II

• extended side angle

  • half-bind

• star

• goddess squat with cactus arms

  • add pulses!

• star

• warrior II (back of mat)

• reverse warrior

• cartwheel to standing splits

  • option to balance by reaching for the standing ankle

• low lunge

• easy twist

• wide leg forward fold

• side to side lunges

• low lunge (front of mat)

• easy twist

• side plank or wild thing

• vinyasa!

Okay, let’s keep it going! Here are two more flows: the main flow, which leads us into Bird of Paradise as a peak, and has one of my favorite core-work roll ups. Then, finally, a cool down flow! This cool down flow brings us into cow face pose in a really unique way.