Why You’re Not Progressing in Yoga (and the 3-Steps to Finally Break Through)
I’ve Been There Too…
If you’ve been practicing yoga for months — maybe even years — and still feel stuck, you’re not alone. Many of us practitioners hit a yoga plateau, where physical progress slows down or seems to disappear altogether. It can feel frustrating: your handstands aren’t getting steadier, your flexibility isn’t improving, and you wonder, “Why am I not progressing in yoga?”
I know that feeling of hitting a wall in my own practice. For a long time, I thought more classes and more effort would automatically equal better results. I would practice every day at my local studio for years and still not be able to do certain poses or feel a sense of balance. It wasn’t until I began a home practice, a bit by force cough cough 2020, but it was the best thing I ever did. I found a great teacher online and found my OWN rhythm; my practice SOARED. I mean LEAPS and BOUNDS. Progress in yoga isn’t about pushing harder — it’s about practicing smarter. The truth is, most practitioners struggle because they’re missing one (or more) of the key elements that actually create growth in their yoga practice. I learned this first hand when I accomplished things I was only dreaming of. Progress in yoga doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you follow a system that balances strength, mobility, nervous system support, and — maybe most importantly — consistency with a teacher you trust.
That’s the recipe we’re diving into today. I’ll share the three proven steps to break through a yoga plateau so you can start feeling stronger, more flexible, and more confident on your mat. And if you want a done-for-you system that brings it all together, my online yoga studio, The Recipe, was built for exactly this.
Why we Plateau in yoga (The Hidden Reasons You’re Not Improving)
Most of us begin practice dreaming of feeling stronger, more flexible, and more confident on the mat. But many hit a wall — a frustrating yoga plateau where improvement stalls. The good news? Plateaus don’t mean you’ve reached your limit; they just mean something in your yoga practice needs to shift. Here are the most common reasons yoga students struggle to progress:
Lack of Structure
Jumping from one random online class to another might feel fun, but it doesn’t create measurable growth. Without a structured plan, your body never adapts in a way that builds long-term progress. (Yoga improvement tip: follow a progression, not just a playlist.)Strength/Flexibility Imbalance
Some yoga students love deep stretches but neglect strength; others push hard in power flows but skip mobility work. To truly advance your yoga practice, you need both. Imbalances lead to plateaus — and sometimes injuries.Nervous System Overload
Progress isn’t only about muscles and poses. If your nervous system is constantly in fight-or-flight mode, your body won’t feel safe enough to explore new edges. Restorative practices, breath-work, and meditation are essential for sustainable growth. Read more about nervous system regulation HERE.Inconsistency (Bonus tip)
This is the silent progress-killer. Sporadic practice means your body never gets the repetition it needs to adapt. Without consistent effort, ideally guided by a teacher you trust, progress stalls before it even begins.
Let’s get into the details!
👉 These are the hidden reasons most yoga practitioners stop progressing. But the good news is, each one has a solution. That’s where my 3-Step Recipe comes in, a proven path to break through plateaus and fall in love with your practice again. Explore The Recipe HERE!
Step 1: Structure Your Practice
One of the biggest reasons people stop progressing in yoga is simply because their practice lacks structure. Jumping from random online classes to whatever feels good in the moment might be fun, but it doesn’t create measurable growth. Without a clear path, your body never adapts in a way that builds long-term progress.
The science - Progress in yoga follows the same principle as progress in fitness: progressive overload. This means gradually increasing the challenge in a structured way so your body learns, adapts, and gets stronger over time. Without that progression, your practice plateaus no matter how often you roll out the mat. This isn’t often taught in a yoga setting so many practitioners aren’t even aware of progressive overload. This concept is especially important for those who are interested in arm balances, inversions and overall strength building.
Yoga improvement tip - Follow a structured plan instead of a random video here and there. That might mean dedicating specific days to strength, mobility, and restorative practices, or working through a step-by-step program that builds on itself each week.
✨ (Inside The Recipe: every program is built around structure — from the Foundational Strength Series to the Fluid Movement Program. You’ll know exactly what to practice, in what order, so you can finally make measurable progress in yoga.)
Step 2: Balance Strength and Flexibility
Many people who practice yoga lean heavily in one direction: either they love stretching and skip strength, or they push through powerful flows and neglect mobility. Both approaches create imbalances that stall progress — and in some cases, lead to injuries. To truly advance your yoga practice, you need both strength and flexibility working together. Think about it like this: you can have the strongest shoulders in the entire world but if your hamstrings and back body aren’t open enough to allow for putting your hands on the ground, you will never achieve a press handstand! The duality of strength AND flexibility is extremely important.
The science - Research shows that strength training can actually increase flexibility just as effectively as stretching. When your muscles are strong, they stabilize your joints and give you the freedom to safely explore deeper ranges of motion. Pair that with consistent mobility work, and your body becomes resilient, not restricted. We want to be able to build flexibility that can be used! If we can squat down to the floor to pick something up but then can’t get back up, what good is that level of flexibility? Training our body to use the ranges of motion we are creating is KEY. We want longevity + usefulness in our practice which means cultivating a healthy balance.
✨ (Inside The Recipe: my Foundational Strength Program builds the muscles that protect your joints, while the Fluid Movement Program keeps your body mobile, open, and flexible — so you never get stuck in one extreme.)
Step 3: Support Your Nervous System
“Nervous system regulation” is a phrase that’s being thrown around an awful lot lately. Well, long before it was cool and easily googled, I was learning to breathe deeply, somatically ground myself, and create little quirky ways to help me feel less panicked. I grew up with panic attacks and very high anxiety. I found my own ways to calm down when I was younger; later I learned these were actually legitimate tools for bringing my nervous system into a parasympathetic state. Progress in yoga isn’t just about muscles and poses, it’s about the state of your nervous system, your mind, and your soul. If your body is stuck in fight-or-flight mode from stress, anxiety, or overtraining (big one), it won’t feel safe enough to open up or grow stronger. A calm, regulated nervous system is the foundation for advancing your yoga practice with ease and confidence.
The science - Studies show that stress and nervous system dysregulation can decrease mobility, reduce recovery, and even impair muscle growth. When your body feels unsafe, it protects itself by tightening muscles and limiting range of motion. By practicing breath-work, meditation, and restorative yoga, you activate the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) system, creating the conditions your body needs to adapt and progress. I find this especially true for me in poses like the splits and deep flexibility.
Yoga improvement tip: Add nervous-system-friendly practices into your weekly routine. Try restorative poses, slow flows, or breath-work like alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodhana) to reset your energy. Even 10 minutes of focused breath can shift your body back into balance.
✨ (Inside The Recipe: you’ll find my 7-Day Nervous System Reset and guided meditations designed to support your whole system — so your body feels safe enough to explore strength, flexibility, and new challenges in your yoga practice.)
* Bonus Step 4: Stay Consistent with a Teacher You Trust
The biggest progress-killer in yoga isn’t lack of talent or even lack of time — it’s inconsistency. Sporadic practice means your body never builds the patterns, strength, and awareness needed for long-term growth. Consistency is the secret ingredient that transforms effort into results. And having a teacher you trust makes showing up that much easier.
The science - Studies on habit-building show that consistency is the single most important factor in achieving goals — more important than intensity. Practicing three times a week for months will advance your yoga practice more than cramming in long sessions and then falling off for weeks at a time. With regular guidance, you build momentum that compounds over time. My handstand teacher told me that once I’ve kicked up to a handstand about 1,000 times, I’ll be getting somewhere. 1,000 TIMES!!! Building a yoga practice takes devotion and patience; the rewards you gain from giving this time to yourself are infinite and continuously unfolding.
Yoga improvement tip: Choose one main teacher that you vibe with or program to guide your practice when you’re trying to establish consistency. This creates accountability, builds trust, and ensures you’re following a progression rather than starting over again and again.
✨ (Inside The Recipe: you’ll have me as your guide! You’ll never have to wonder, “What should I practice today?” — you’ll always have a clear path forward.)
Your Next Step: Break Through and Grow 🌱
Progress in yoga doesn’t happen by chance — it happens when your practice is built with intention. When you have a clear structure, balanced strength and flexibility practices, nervous system support, and consistent guidance, you’ll finally move past the your plateau and step into a practice that feels strong, fluid, and alive. Honestly it is good to feel ALIVE!!! Yoga helps us remember who we are and it’s such a beautiful journey. Feeling capable and strong in our bodies is a birth right.
I know how frustrating it can feel to work hard and not see results. But I also know the transformation that happens when you follow a clear path and have someone walking beside you every step of the way. That’s exactly why I created The Recipe — my online yoga studio designed to give you the structure, programs, and support you need to truly progress in yoga. Check it out HERE!
Inside The Recipe you’ll find:
✅ Over 100 hours of on-demand classes incorporating strength, flexibility, and flow
✅ Structured programs like the Foundational Strength Series, Handstand Conditioning and Fluid Movement Program
✅ Nervous system resets, breath-work and meditations to support your whole soul
✅ New content added to keep your practice fresh and inspiring
✅ Me, as your teacher, guiding you consistently with love, clarity, and intention. You always have access to me for questions and help!
✨ If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and finally advance your yoga practice, I’d love to welcome you inside The Recipe.
Because your practice deserves progress. And so do you.
See you on the mat!
xoxo Jess
Join The recipe!
Your recipe for strength, flexibility, breath + inner connection. Get anytime access to our growing collection of over 100 classes, ALL programs, and exclusive content. Yoga, meditation, strength + more.
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