19 Inspirational Yogis You Should See

One thing we know for sure, age is certainly not a factor when it comes to yoga. It’s amazing to see how much fun these yogis seem to be having whether they are young or old. There is something powerful about inversions and the feeling you get when confidence grows to do it on a regular basis.

This is Laura Kasperzak, my favorite yogi. She shows off her amazing yoga poses with her little baby girl Mini. It doesn’t get better thank this, her style is so graceful and posing with the 4 year old daughter adds that touch of inspiration. You can find out more about Laura Kasperzak yoga pictures and videos on here Instagram page or on here website . You can also can also sign up for her workshops in Atlanta, Ga and New York. Social media love her as evident by over 1 million followers so far. This is the result of over 18 years working at being one of the best yogis of all times. A contrast between softness and strength. The soft focus background and gentle lines of the yogi’s pose contrast with the obvious strength displayed here. The yogi is strong yet feminine. The lines of the yogi’s pose blend seamlessly into those of her daughter, representing their bond.  There is a contrast between the suggestion of winter outside (bare branches against whiteness) and the obvious warmth of the relationship shown in this image.

There is an earthy, grounded strength to this image. The yogi is clear-sighted and still in her focus. The circle created in her pose is reminiscent of the natural order of things. Nature is echoed in the muted tones of her clothing and the floral pattern. Jewelry accents remind us of the yogi’s femininity and can link to the beauty that can be found in nature and things in their natural state. There is more focus to this than the last image, which had a dream-like quality. This brings to mind the Maya Angelou poem, ‘Still I rise’- there is a quiet dignity and strength here.

There’s vitality here, in the brightness of this yogi’s smile and the light in her eyes. There is also glamour; this lady is subtly adorned with gold, her hair is perfectly coiffed, there is the hint of makeup around her eyes and upon her lips. There’s an air of expensive elegance about this yogi; as well as her attire, there’s the suggestion of antique furniture behind her. However, like the previous two yogis, there is simplicity, too. There is a joyful focus, and an enduring, hopeful strength here. This yogi is perhaps not as limber as she once was, but still delights in her practice, which tells us something about the benefits of what she is doing- benefits which go beyond the physical. Perhaps her vitality and sprightly appearance are linked to her yogic practice: it would seem that way.

The most stripped back shot so far; there is nothing here but the lines of the yogi. This image suggests strength and focus; the yogi gazes serenely at a spot in front of her, despite the difficulty of the pose and the strength required to maintain it. The simplicity of her clothing and the way in which her hair is pulled back is reminiscent of a ballet dancer in training at the barre; she wishes nothing to be in the way of the lines of her body- there is no fussy clothing or loose hair. It is all about what the body can do, and being aware of what the body can do.

Like our other older yogi, there is a vitality to these shots, and a sense of fun- the outdoor location is not perhaps the most likely place for an elderly lady to practice yoga, but this is no barrier to our yogi: this suggests the ease with which she can still adopt these poses and the ready joy she finds in doing so. I’d imagine that after years-perhaps a lifetime-of practice, slipping into yogic poses is second nature, something that even the stiffening of age cannot prevent. There is focus in her steady gaze. I’d imagine that this lady could be talking to you one minute about the weather and the next, slipping into a headstand with a ready smile.

There is little here to detract from the yogi’s pose: no background noise. This image challenges our preconceptions of what those practicing yoga might look like: this yogi is not built like a ballet dancer, as some of our other featured yogis have been, but there is the same stillness, strength and grace exhibited in the other images. Like the shots of the elderly yogis, this reminds us of the uniting nature of yoga practice. There is a real determination in this yogi’s gaze: she will not be distracted from her practice. You can sense stillness about the scene. I imagine it is silent but for the sound of her breath.

A stretch requiring hours of practice which looks effortless here. The black and white adds a stylized element to this image; this is a contrast to the warmth and earthiness of some of the other images. The satin slippers conjure up images of the ballet, of hours at the barred indeed, it would appear that this yogi stands upon the smooth wooden floor of a dance studio. There is no music now, however, as the yogi has focused in on her breath and reached the state of quiet focus also shown in our other images. This focus unites them. There are long, clean lines to this dancer’s body. Her palms, flat to the coolness of the wall, and her feet anchor her.

An athletic form, lost in her own world of focus, of the in-breath and the out-breath. Her face in shadow, we are drawn to the lines of her legs and arms, which root her, ground her. The studio is unfussy, bare. The yogi is almost spotlight by the natural light which is streaming in from the right. Perhaps it is a hazy late afternoon outside, and she can hear, dimly, the noises of the city outside- the rumble of car engines, the odd snatch of conversation, the slamming of doors- but these noises fade with her practice, as the light does at the edges of the image. She is grounded in this moment.

Reaching a pinnacle on top of a mountain: rather than survey the land below her, the yogi gazes toward the sky, her jaw soft, the faint suggestion of a smile. Her mouth is open, suggesting the breath is deep, controlled: this is physically challenging, but she wants to do it, to stay in the moment in this beautiful place. She looks to the sky to steady herself; perhaps the breeze blows the strands of hair around her face; perhaps she can see birds fly overhead. Like them, she is part of the natural order of things. In this pose, she has become part of the landscape, and yet, we are reminded of the contrast between the natural and the man made in the graffiti image we can see on the tree stump on which the yogi stands. The shoes, whilst another man made feature, echo perfectly the color of the horizon behind her. These elements hint at the ways in which the modern and manmade can work alongside nature in harmony.

Perhaps the quietest of the images so far. What stillness, what focus. The darkness of the edges of the image draws us completely to the lines created by this yogi. There is the suggestion of supportive strength here: the yogi hugs her torso to her legs to steady herself. She is self-sufficient; she steadies herself. This self-possession is seen too in the steady, clear-sighted gaze of our yogi.  Her face is perfectly still.  There are no jarring angles on this yogi’s body, everything is smooth, tucked in, rounded. This smoothness is echoed in the burnished wood of the floor. The muted tones in the image create a calmness and serenity and are reminiscent of the natural world.

Outside it is cold and icy; snow covers the ground. The light is sharp and bright, and illuminates the studio where mother and daughter are absorbed in their practice. Their bright attire is set off by the brilliant white of the frozen world outside. Their pose echoes the winter world in that it is still, quiet, the way that sounds are muffled with the first fall of snow. There is warmth in this stillness, however, in the bond between the two, which does not require words. The mother is the grounding energy here; her palms and the soles of her feet are rooted to the floor. Her strength enables her daughter to adopt her elevated pose. How many times will this mother’s strength enable her daughter to reach higher in her lifetime? This could be representative of the relationships between parents and their children. This image reminds us too of the inclusiveness of yoga: those who practice are not always those we expect- they include the old, the very young, and everyone in between.

Another image which calls to mind the focus of the ballet dancer. There is nothing to detract from the lines of the yogi’s body here; our immediate focus is on the legs, twisted like vines. The yogi’s face is still, yet shows determination; she is focused entirely on holding this pose. Her mouth is parted slightly; she is pushing the breath out, counting it back in again, reminding herself to steady, to focus.  The studio is empty but for her; the late afternoon light throws her shadow across the smooth wooden floor.  Her gaze falls ahead of her; perhaps she looks into a mirror, checks her form, allows herself a moment of satisfaction for her accomplishment- she has worked hard to get to this point, as the lean lines of her body show.

It’s a cool, damp morning; there is still dew on the deck, but this yogi seems to like the coolness of it against her skin. She is completely absorbed in holding this pose; she gazes at the blue of the painted boards beneath her, and breathes deeply through her nose. The circular nature of the pose, and the green of the trees behind her, call to mind nature and the natural order of things; her nail polish, the glimmer of a bracelet, the geometric pattern of her shorts and the wink of a hot-pink strap under her top suggests a fashion-conscious, urban woman. This again reminds us of the inclusiveness of yogic practice. It suggests that there is a need within us all to connect to the outside world.

A joyful pose, as indicated by the broad smile on our yogi’s face and the setting- almost as if she has spontaneously begun her practice in a rather unlikely setting. The long, lean, lines of the yogi echo the tall reach of the lamps behind her and the building to the left, but her wooden beaded bracelet and leather ankle bracelet are an earthy contrast to the coolness of the white structures behind her. The point of her toes and the direction of her gaze suggest someone who is forward looking, positive and at ease in this pose.

A minimalist image- there is little to distract the viewer from the strength exhibited by our yogi. The difficulty of the pose is revealed in the yogi’s open mouth- he looks intent on focusing on his breath-inhale-exhale- and his closed eyes reveal the level of concentration he needs to maintain this. The muscles in his back and arms are taut, are working hard, and yet the overall feeling is graceful. The cropped trousers are reminiscent of male ballet dancers’ attire.

Progress is not effortless: there is a commitment to bettering one’s practice. Each image here is similar in the level of focus displayed by our yogi; in each, her lips are slightly pursed, as she counts her breath in and out, slow, controlled. Focusing on her breath allows her to push that little further each time, inch by inch, until her toes nearly graze the crown of her head. Through the changing seasons and outfits, the pose remains; rooted, grounded. In June, she adopted a mural with the thumb and forefingers of each hand; she is nearly there, but must push herself that little further to achieve her goal. At the end of the summer, she has done it, and a faint smile plays across her lips.

If Vogue did yoga… this moody black and white image is reminiscent of those early Kate Moss shots on the beach, all sand-covered, tousled, long-limb perfection. Stylized as this may be, there is still a natural quality to the image: the strength of the yogi’s pose is clear in the clasping of her hands about her head and the points of her toes. The black and white adds a stillness to the image. In reality, I imagine she is listening to her breath, which in her ears roars like the waves behind her. There is salt spray hitting her limbs and her hair, and she can smell the sea.

A stark setting; the whitewashed brick walls set off our yogi, who appears to be almost grimacing with the effort of holding this pose. His eyes, whilst focused resolutely ahead of him, are almost squeezed shut: nothing exists for him in this moment except the breath and the trembling and burning of the muscles in his arms. The bracelet he wears, the sweatpants and the thick beard suggest an urban man; this is echoed in the almost industrial looking background: he could be in a disused factory yard, somewhere in the middle of the city. All this hardly matters, however, because right now this is all there is and he just needs to hold it that bit longer.

Sheer serenity. The background is what most of us think of when we hear the word paradise: we can almost hear the sound of the surf on the beach, feel the palm fronds sway slightly in the warm, tropical breeze.  The yogi, too, looks as if he is in paradise- almost a heavenly one- as his pose suggests floating effortlessly above everything. The difficulty of the pose is not evident in our yogi’s face, which is serene, relaxed; his arms are steady, strong. He seems to have achieved a different state of consciousness here, and transcended the ordinary, moved past the burning of muscles and tightening of tendon and sinew.  He is at one with his surroundings- the wooden beads of his bracelet summon up images of earth and the bark of the trees around him, whilst his cross-legged pose, which largely obscures his shorts from view, makes him look naked-completely natural. The tattoos are a contrast with the natural feel of the rest of his appearance, and bring in an urban, tougher element to the image.

Source if Images: Pinterest