Heidi R Yoga

Heidi R Yoga Ashtanga yoga with Heidi Ruokoniemi (KPJAYI/SYC Level 2). Traditional Mysore style classes, worksho Ashtanga Yoga with Heidi Ruokoniemi (SYC Level 2).

Traditional Mysore style classes, workshops and online classes.

THE PRACTICE IN REAL LIFEMeet Minna.Outside yoga, Minna’s life is full. She works with legislation, runs an art school a...
10/09/2026

THE PRACTICE IN REAL LIFE

Meet Minna.

Outside yoga, Minna’s life is full. She works with legislation, runs an art school as a volunteer, paints and makes things, travels, and shares her home with four cats and an aquarium. Art, animals and travel are at the heart of her free time.

And in the middle of all that, there is the mat.
For Minna, practice is a moment to pause in the middle of everyday life — to simply be with her body, breathe and listen.

She has also found that online practice has taught her something unexpected: to stay very much on her own mat.

There is no need to compare what happens on someone else’s mat, and without a teacher physically beside her, she has learned to listen to her own body even more closely.

At the same time, having a teacher and a group helps her keep moving forward.

Left completely to herself, the practice can easily get lost among everything else life brings.

And perhaps what has surprised her most is how much connection is possible through a screen.

Even though many of us have never met face to face, Minna describes a strong sense of togetherness and support in the group — an atmosphere of acceptance and kindness that she rarely encounters elsewhere.

Her three words for practising with us?

Ryhmähenki. Yhteinen asia. Sallivuus.

Community. A shared purpose. Acceptance.

This is The Practice in Real Life — stories from the people who practise with me online, and the many different ways a practice can find its place in an ordinary life.

Thank you, Minna Minna 💜

Before yoga, I studied fine arts for seven years.I spent countless hours drawing and painting the human figure — learnin...
08/09/2026

Before yoga, I studied fine arts for seven years.

I spent countless hours drawing and painting the human figure — learning to measure, to notice movement, proportions, light and shadow.

It was not only about learning to draw or even less, to “copy”, but learning to look.

Later, yoga turned that looking inward.

Looking in in order to notice patterns.
To see what’s actually there.
To distinguish what is real from what is just a story.

I think the two practices have more in common than I realised.

The outer world is so fascinating.
And so is the inner one.

And there is always more to see!

On Saturday, September 26, we’ll explore Viveka — the art of discernment in our next online Saturday session.

8:45 Silent Sitting
9:00 Led Primary Series
10:35 to 22:00 Cultivating Discernment

€40 / €30 early bird until Sept 16
Led class only €20

Email me at [email protected] to join.

In the photo: a painting of mine from 1998(?), tempera and beeswax on mdf, 100cm x100 cm.

PRACTICE IN REAL LIFE — HANNELE ❤️Meet Hannele.She’s a mum, a grandmother, and someone whose life is very much full of t...
03/09/2026

PRACTICE IN REAL LIFE — HANNELE ❤️

Meet Hannele.

She’s a mum, a grandmother, and someone whose life is very much full of things happening.

Work, studies, hobbies, family, exercise… she’s actually trying to do less these days.

And yet somehow, the calendar always seems to have plenty going on. 😊

Hannele started practising Ashtanga in 2011.

It wasn’t love at first sight, but she kept going.

And eventually, she says, she simply didn’t know how to stop.

These days, her practice looks very different from trying to fit everything in.

She practises with our online group 2–3 times a week.

And she has stopped trying to do more.

This amount keeps her connected to the practice while leaving plenty of room for all the other things that make up her life.

I love this.

Because sometimes sustainability isn’t about finding a way to fit more practice into our lives.

It’s about finding the amount of practice that allows us to stay with it.

For Hannele, practising online also means that a practice that would otherwise require a 25 km journey can happen at home, in her own yoga space.

No driving. No public transport. No negotiating over the family car.

And, importantly, morning practice is possible.

Perhaps the biggest lesson she has learned through online practice is a very simple one:

Even a little time on the mat is good for you.

You don’t have to have time for the perfect practice.

You can simply step onto the mat for the time you have.

And then there is the thing she didn’t expect.

She used to think that physical adjustments were essential to Ashtanga practice.

Now she has discovered how much can happen through verbal guidance — and how close and connected a community can feel even when everyone is practising from their own home.

When I asked Hannele to describe our practice together in three words, she chose:

Accessible. Allowing. Deep.

And when I asked what she would especially like people to know about practising online, she said:

“Ryhmä antaa harjoitteluun ryhtiä ja hyvää energiaa myös ruudun välityksellä.”

The group gives the practice structure and good energy — even through the screen.

I think that’s something worth remembering.

Sometimes the thing that helps us keep practising isn't more discipline.

It's simply making it easier to show up.

❤️

Practice in Real Life is a series where I introduce some of the women who practise with me — and the many different ways yoga can find its place in a real, busy, imperfect life.

Meet Laddu, my little big teacher on attention and commitment. 🐕Anyone who has a dog — or a family — probably knows how ...
01/09/2026

Meet Laddu, my little big teacher on attention and commitment. 🐕

Anyone who has a dog — or a family — probably knows how much attending to someone else resembles the yoga practice.

The routines, the dedication and the gradual realisation that life is not about you only.

There are things you do because they need to be done.

The morning walk.
The evening walk.
The pee-and-poop walk when it’s cold and raining and you really, really don’t feel like going outside.

And sometimes, the asana practice is a little like that too.

You show up.
Not because you’re always inspired. Not because you feel like it. And certainly not because every practice tastes sweet.

You show up because this is something you’ve chosen to return to. And then, more often than not, you’re very happy that you did.

Even Laddu knows this.
She doesn’t want to go out in the rain either.
But somehow, once we’re back home, she seems quite pleased with herself.

Commitment isn’t about wanting to do something every day.
Maybe it’s simply knowing what matters enough to return to.

Even when it rains. 🌧️

Practice in Real Life: AngiAngi lives in a village near the Alps in Switzerland, works full-time as an IT Application Ma...
31/08/2026

Practice in Real Life: Angi

Angi lives in a village near the Alps in Switzerland, works full-time as an IT Application Manager, loves photography, and spends time with family and friends.

Yoga has become part of her working week — three evenings and one weekend morning, most weeks.

Her Monday practice is the full Primary Series with us. On the other days, she practises modern Vinyasa at a nearby studio.
And I really love the way she has found a practice that fits into her actual life.

When I asked her what makes her return to the mat when life is full, she said:
“There will always be something that can interfere with practice, so I decided to make yoga a high priority.”

I love this.

She also told me that she used to clean her apartment before practising. Now?

“It is as it is, and I can ignore it much better.” 😄

This, to me, is practice in real life.
Learning that you don’t need the perfect time, the perfect space, or even to feel your best.

Sometimes you practise tired.

Sometimes with a headache.

Sometimes you only have time for a shorter practice.

And sometimes the living room is simply… as it is.

What matters is that you return.

Angi first discovered Mysore at a retreat and immediately fell in love with the freedom and focus of the practice. But with her nearest shala an hour’s drive away, regular in-person practice wasn’t realistic.

Online Mysore became the bridge.

And what surprised her most?

How connected and present people can feel, even when they are physically far apart.

Her three words for practising with us?
Kind. Humble. Devoted.

Thank you for practicing with us, Angi. 🤍

Not practising despite your life.
Practising within your life.
And finding a way to keep returning.

PRACTICE IN REAL LIFE — VIIVI ❤️Meet Viivi.She’s a former orchestra musician, a healthcare professional and a yoga teach...
27/08/2026

PRACTICE IN REAL LIFE — VIIVI ❤️

Meet Viivi.

She’s a former orchestra musician, a healthcare professional and a yoga teacher. She is also a partner and a mum to two lively boys, aged 4 and 8.

In other words: life is full. Very full. 😂

Viivi started practising Ashtanga about six years ago and was immediately drawn to the depth of the practice. These days, her practice looks a little different from those early years.

She used to practise six days a week and wake up at five to get on the mat.

Now, her practice has learned to move with her life.

She practises at home in her little yoga room, joins our online Mysore class once a week, and aims for at least three practices a week — adjusting the length and intensity according to what she needs.

And perhaps most beautifully, she says:
“Olen oppinut lepäämään harjoitusta tehden.”
I’ve learned to rest by practising.

This is something I think about a lot.
A sustainable practice isn’t necessarily the practice we manage to squeeze into our lives by trying harder.

Sometimes it’s the practice that teaches us to listen, adjust, soften — and recognise what we actually need.

For Viivi, online practice also creates something that would otherwise be difficult to find: the experience of practising together.

She says she has been surprised by how strongly the presence of other people can be felt even through a screen.

And I know exactly what she means. ❤️

There is something special about entering the room, rolling out your mat, and knowing that other people are doing the same — even when we are all in our own homes.

When I asked Viivi to describe our practice together in three words, she chose:
Present. Inspiring. Full of joy.

I couldn’t ask for a better beginning to this series.

Thank you, Viivi. ❤️

Practice in Real Life is a series where I introduce some of the women who practise with me — and the many different ways yoga can find its place in a real, busy, imperfect life.

Why I care more about returning than achieving 🪷When we talk about yoga, it’s easy to talk about what we’re achieving.A ...
26/08/2026

Why I care more about returning than achieving 🪷

When we talk about yoga, it’s easy to talk about what we’re achieving.

A new asana.
A deeper backbend.
More strength.
More flexibility.

And there’s nothing wrong with any of that.
But after more than twenty years of practising, I’m increasingly interested in something else: Can you return?

Can you return to your mat after a busy week, a long break, illness or travel?

Can you return when your practice looks different from how it used to?

Can you return when you’re tired, distracted, or simply not feeling it?

Because real life doesn’t move in a straight line. Neither does practice.

There are seasons when we have more time and energy, and seasons when simply showing up is the practice.

I think the strength of a practice isn’t only what we achieve on the mat. It’s the relationship we build with returning.

This is one of the reasons I love teaching Mysore. We learn to meet our own practice as it is, and keep coming back to it.

And this is the idea behind a little series I’m starting here: The Practice in Real Life.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be introducing some of the women who practise with me online and sharing their stories — how they found Ashtanga, what their practice looks like in everyday life, and what helps them keep returning.

Because I don’t think a meaningful yoga practice has to look impressive from the outside.

I think it has to be livable.

And I can’t wait to introduce you to these women. 🤍

Things you don’t necessarily see in beautiful yoga photos: A dog in the bedThe slightly messy kitchen behindA full day w...
24/08/2026

Things you don’t necessarily see in beautiful yoga photos:

A dog in the bed

The slightly messy kitchen behind

A full day waiting on the other side of the practice

The body that feels stiff and achy

And yet… we practise.

I’ve become less and less interested in perfection in postures, or having the perfect conditions for practice.

I’m much more interested in asking: How can the practice live here?

In this body, with this mind and in this particular season of life. Here, in this home and with everything else going on.

This what makes a practice sustainable: not that we create perfect conditions for it, but that we learn to return to it in the middle of the ordinary life.

This is also why I love teaching Mysore online. You don’t need to live near a shala or rearrange your whole life around your practice. You can build a relationship with your teacher and your practice while staying rooted in the life you already have.

Not perfect life.
Not yoga life.

Real life.

Our online Mysore classes continue on Monday evenings and from September 2nd onwards, on Wednesday mornings. Message me if you’d like to practice with me and the group from home! ❤️

Astangajoogasunnuntai Porvoon Linnunlaulussa 20.9. ✨Elokuun Porvoon kurssimme oli ihana, ja nyt sille on tulossa jatkoa:...
18/08/2026

Astangajoogasunnuntai Porvoon Linnunlaulussa 20.9. ✨

Elokuun Porvoon kurssimme oli ihana, ja nyt sille on tulossa jatkoa: 20.9. jatkamme Asento on vakaa ja miellyttävä-teemaa pureutumalla tällä kertaa tarkemmin asanatekniikkaan.

Ohjelma:
10-12 Ohjattu seisomasarja ja Mysore
12-13 Asanatekniikka

Tuo mukaan itsellesi haastavat asanat yhdessä purettavaksi! Kurssi sopii kaikille astangajoogan harjoittajille ja harjoituksen pariin palaaville.

Hinta: 70 euroa, Early-bird hinta 60 euroa voimassa 28.8. asti.

Ilmoittaudu mukaan: [email protected]
Nähdään matolla! ❤️

Where do you go when you practice? 👀Into the breath?Into your head?Into “why is this pose suddenly impossible today?” 😅Y...
19/05/2026

Where do you go when you practice? 👀

Into the breath?
Into your head?
Into “why is this pose suddenly impossible today?” 😅

Yoga has this sneaky way of showing us how we relate to ourselves.

The inner coach.
The critic.
The one trying very hard to be “good.”
The one who just wants a nap in savasana.

And often… we don’t even notice the conversation happening.

This Saturday, we’ll explore all of it together — through practice, reflection, and a little curiosity.

✨ Led Primary Series + Talk
🗓 Saturday, May 23
🧘‍♀️ Online

We’ll move, sit, breathe, snack ☕️ and explore:

Yoga, the Self & Learning to Be Free from Self-Judgement

Come as you are.

To join:
Email [email protected] with
“I’m in for Saturday, May 23rd!” 💌

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