This best of compilation is a little unusual: Here you won’t find the most challenging asanas, performed by the most beautiful people in the most stunning surroundings – there’s a lot of that floating around the web already.

No – it’s a selection of truly inspiring images – not so much taken from the ‘we.bend.till.we.break’ angle but rather highlighting yoga as a transformational practice, with asanas being no more than the tip of the iceberg. I felt inspired to post these after a video on this site (Yoga ruins your life) sparked a very lively discussion about the dangers of (ashtanga) yoga. Want to chip in? Comment here.

Wishing you an absolutely stellar start in a fantastic 2014, let the champagne (sorry, the coconut water, of course) flow!

~ Andrea

All photos by Robert Sturman, view the full compilation here.