Yogalistic with Dionne

30/10/2026

9 years ago, I completed my second yoga teacher training experience, 500hrs in Mysore, India.

Both of my trips to India for yoga teacher training set me up well to feel confident actually teaching a class. It's something I'll never forget and I'm super proud of myself for doing it.

What I've discovered over the years though, those 500 hours of training is really just the tip of the yoga iceberg. You can NEVER stop learning yoga and most of my deep learning and understanding has actually come from the students who turn up to practice with me.

I love learning and exploring more about yoga, both for me and to be able to offer more to students, so the course and trainings never really stop.

Forever grateful to ALL of my teachers, past and present, and of course to my students. Those that come and go, those who appear once or twice never to be seen again, those who've stayed with me the long haul. You all make me who I am 🩵🧘🏼‍♀️

25/10/2026

18/10/2026

Weekend yoga view. A lovely few mornings teaching for a fabulous group on Yoga & Pilates Retreats retreat

17/10/2026

Practicing yoga OFF the mat. 🧘🏼‍♀️

This weekend, I had a real-life reminder that yoga isn't just about what we do on the mat!

For the last 8 years, I've been incredibly lucky to teach some of my weekly classes at the most fabulous location. Beautiful gardens for sunny days, a lovely indoor studio for rainy ones, and right next door to me! I feel so blessed to be able to teach there.

Recently, I was told that, over the next 5 weeks, the indoor space wouldn't be available for my classes due to the types of groups staying at the hotel and their need for access to the gym and studio when outdoor activities aren't possible.
And of course, with rain forecast, darker evenings and colder weather approaching, this is exactly when we need indoor space most! 🤦🏻

I ABSOLUTELY GET IT.
and I'm genuinely happy to see the hotel busy and attracting groups who prioritise health, movement and activity. But it has also reminded me that things can change, and nothing is guaranteed.

So, cue some serious OFF THE MAT YOGA 😂

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras describe the eight limbs of yoga, including the Yamas and Niyamas — our ethical foundations and personal practices for living well.

Two that have really resonated with me this weekend are:

✨APARIGRAHA — Non-attachment. Remembering not to become so attached to things, places or circumstances that we struggle when they change.

✨ SANTOSHA — Contentment. Finding peace with what is, rather than wishing things were different.

I've had to remind myself that I am not the venue I teach in. My ability to teach, connect with people and share my love of yoga comes with me. It doesn't live in a garden or a studio.

Of course, this realisation came after a mini meltdown and sorting out Plans B and C with some fabulous people (my mum, a student and a studio owner) for rainy days! 😂😂
Because practising yoga doesn't mean we never get frustrated. It means learning what to do with that frustration.

So, classes continue, with some temporary venue changes. Hopefully, everything will soon be back to normal. And if it isn't? We'll adapt, adjust and flow with the change.

After all, isn't that what yoga is all about? 🩵

13/10/2026

THINGS YOUR MASSAGE THERAPISTS DOES THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU😳

I saw this post recently and resonated with every point. So sharing with a few points of my own.

You’re lying there, relaxed, listening to peaceful music, probably halfway to falling asleep. Meanwhile, your massage therapist has a lot going on....

1. MASSAGE MATH.
Oh, we’re calculating! How many minutes do I have left? What time did I start? S**t, spent way too long on the shoulders now I only have 20 minutes left and I've not even started on the front of the body! 🤭

All while looking perfectly peaceful and listening to music and making those last 20 minutes feel like 30. It’s a skill. 🤣

2. WE HAVE MASTERED THE SILENT YAWN
Ever tried yawning silently with your mouth closed?

We have.

And let me tell you, there’s nothing attractive about the silent yawn face 🤣

3. YES, WE’RE TRYING TO READ YOUR TATTOOS. 👀
We’re over here squinting, trying to figure out what it says without looking like we’re inspecting you for evidence. 🤓

4. IF YOU FART, WE NOTICE. 💨🤣
And sometimes we smile on the inside!

Listen, bodies are bodies. Muscles relax, digestion continues, and sometimes things happen. Go on. Relax those butt cheeks.

You’re not the first person to pass gas on a massage table, and I can promise you won’t be the last.

We’re professionals. We carry on. 😉

5. HOLDING ON TO OUR OWN FARTS 🤭
We literally have the tightest butt cheeks ever!! However sometimes one is going to sneak out anyway. Come on, we're human, we have a digestive system too! We just try to time it so we're at your feet and not your head when that fart fights it's way out!

6. OUR NOSE ALWAYS ITCHES AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME.
Both hands are occupied, we’re in the middle of some really good therapeutic work, and suddenly our nose decides it needs immediate attention.

Now we’re trying to figure out how to scratch it without contaminating our hands or interrupting your treatment.

Trying to turn your head 90° and scratch your nose with your shoulder is a real trick.

7. WE STRETCH WHILE WE WORK ON YOU.
Yep! We’re shifting our stance, stretching our calves, adjusting our backs, and making sure we don't seize up.

8. THE PESKY FLY FIGHT
The one that knows our hands are busy so it's paying special attention to landing somewhere on our face. Then it turns it's attention to you and we're trying all kinds of weird body movements to try and keep it away without actually physically hitting you

9. THE SNEEZE
The itch hasn't subsided and now the nose is twitching faster than a rabbits on narcotics. We feel it coming, we're trying to hold it in, we're pulling all the gurney faces.... And it comes anyway. A lot of therapists have mastered the silent sneeze as well as the silent yawn. Not me, my sneeze explodes like a bomb whilst I'm still trying to keep hands on you and suddenly we find out necks have the power to rotate 180° and we sneeze somewhere into our own backs.

10. WE'RE COUNTING THE MINUTES UNTIL WE CAN P*E.
We're half way through your massage and suddenly the bladder shouts that the half litre of water we guzzled between our last 2 clients has decided it's time to release what it no longer needs.

Those few minutes between appointments involve changing linens, freshening the room, washing up, hydrating, AND trying to make it to the bathroom. Before greeting our next client like we've been ready and waiting for at least 10 minutes.

11. THE SINK BATH. 🤣

Between clients, we’re washing our hands and forearms like we're about to go into surgery, freshening up, and occasionally giving ourselves what can only be described as a miniature bath in the sink. Massage is physical work! We get HOT! 🥵

12 . SOMETIMES WE NEED SOME SILENCE AND ALONE TIME WHEN WE GET HOME.

This one is a little more serious.

Massage Therapists hear a LOT. Sometimes people share grief, stress, trauma, family struggles, and things they haven’t told anyone else.

We care about our clients, and we’re honored when they trust us.

But being present for people all day can take an emotional toll, too.
Sometimes that quiet time is a way of resetting ourselves.

HERE’S THE THING…

We love what we do. We take our work seriously, we respect our clients, and we’re paying attention to far more than you probably realise.

But we’re also human!

We get hot. We get tired. We have bodily functions. Our noses itch. And sometimes we’re doing mental gymnastics while you’re enjoying the most relaxing hour of your week.

Let me know if anything here surprised you. Or what have you noticed your therapist doing that he/she didn't realise you'd seen?
Pop it in the comments, I'm curious 🧐

11/10/2026

The hotel up the road had a wedding party in today and I could hear the beautiful sounds of Spanish guitar rolling down the hill, so I decided to do my practice outdoors. Allowing my senses to absorb the music, coolness of the breeze and warmth of the sun and the smell of the roast dinner wafting from the kitchen.

(* Soundtrack on this video not the actual music that was playing as that didn't come out with clarity on the vids)

23/09/2026

HOW CAN WE NOT BE ATTACHED TO SOMETHING WE LOVE?

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Yamas (ethical and moral guidelines of living your life) are the first of the eight 'limbs' or eight paths of yoga.

One of these Yamas is Aparigraha, meaning non-attachment, non-possessiveness, or non-greed.

I have always struggled with this one, asking "how can I not be attached to someone / something that I love."

Then recently I came across a post that explains it beautifully. I'd like to share it here with you.....

HOW DETACHMENT MAKES LIFE EASIER

Many people misunderstand detachment.

Detachment does not mean you stop loving people. It means you stop sacrificing your peace trying to control what was never yours to control.

The Buddha taught that attachment is a major cause of suffering. Not because love is wrong, but because we cling to people, outcomes, and expectations as though they must never change.

Yet change is the nature of life. The more we resist it, the more we suffer.

1. Detachment frees you from constant disappointment.
The tighter you cling to expectations, the more painful life becomes when things unfold differently. Detachment allows you to appreciate what is without demanding that everything go according to your wishes.

2. You stop needing everyone’s approval.
Your self-worth no longer depends on praise, acceptance, or validation. Peace begins to grow when you stop asking others to confirm your value.

3. You learn to accept change.
People leave. Circumstances shift. Chapters end. Detachment helps you move with life instead of exhausting yourself by fighting what cannot be changed.

4. You overthink less.
Much of our anxiety comes from trying to control the uncontrollable. Letting go creates space for clarity, calmness, and a deeper appreciation of the present moment.

5. You love more freely.
Attachment says, “Please don’t leave me.”

Detachment says, “I’m grateful for your presence, but I don’t need to possess you to love you.”

That is where love becomes peaceful instead of fearful.

6. You stop forcing what is not meant for you.
Not every relationship, opportunity, or chapter is meant to last forever. Sometimes the doors that close are making space for something more suitable.

7. Your emotions stop making every decision.
Detachment creates a pause between what you feel and how you respond. Within that pause, you find clarity, patience, and wisdom.

8. You become emotionally stronger.
When your happiness no longer depends entirely on temporary people or circumstances, life may shake you, but it does not have to destroy you.

Hold everything gently.

People change.
Circumstances change.
Feelings change.
Life changes.

Detachment is not coldness.
It is not indifference.
It is not giving up.

It is emotional freedom.

The freedom to love deeply, appreciate fully, and let go gracefully when life asks you to.

True peace begins when you stop clinging to what was never meant to last forever.