Let Your Gut Guide You: Trusting Yourself on the Mat

In today’s world, it feels like everywhere you look, someone’s telling you what to do — what to eat, how to move, what poses to avoid, what cues are “right” or “wrong.” And while some of that advice can be helpful, it’s important to pause and ask: how can someone who’s never met you possibly know what’s best for your body?

The truth is, no one else lives in your body but you. No one else feels what you feel. And that’s why, when it comes to yoga — or any movement practice — your inner guidance is everything.

In my teaching, I’m very careful about saying “never do this” or “always do that,” unless something is truly unsafe. Even then, context matters. A cue that may not land for one yoga practitioner could be the exact one that sparks an “aha!” moment for another. I’ve seen it happen — a unique or unconventional cue that might seem “wrong” to some suddenly helps another understand a movement in a way that finally clicks. That’s the magic of individuality.

We are all our own best teachers. Yoga instructors, myself included, are simply guides — not gurus, not all-knowing beings. We offer suggestions, support, and tools, but it’s up to each yogi and yogini to check in with their own body and decide what resonates.

That’s where the beauty of Anjali Mudra comes in — palms together at the heart, a gesture of reverence, humility, and connection. To me, it’s a reminder to listen inward. To trust your gut. To honor your own experience above any external voice.

If a movement doesn’t feel right — pause. If a cue doesn’t make sense — skip it. You’re allowed to modify, shift, and move in a way that serves you. That’s autonomy. And in the yoga room, autonomy is everything.

When we practice with agency and inner trust, we stop striving to get it “right,” and instead, we start feeling into what’s true. Your practice becomes a conversation with your body, not a performance.

So next time you step onto your mat, remember this: You don’t need to earn your right to listen to your body. You already have it.

That's one cue I’ll always stand behind: trust your gut.

Namasté,

gina