Yoga Anatman: What If Saying No Were the Most Beautiful Yes to Yourself?

This article is a synthesis of the Yoga Anatman session of November 5, 2026, guided by Alexandre Anatman, live in the room and as a replay for those who practice from afar.

Have you ever felt, deep in your belly, that quiet warmth that whispers “this is home”? This morning at 8 o’clock, the mats unrolled the way you might ease a door open. Behind that door waited a very ancient question: where does my space begin?

A blindfold, a strap, a cup of chai still steaming within reach. Feet found the floor again and the arches awakened. Then a whole circle of practitioners spoke the same sentence, like a key sliding into a lock: “I surrender to my inner yogi”.

Then the breath took over. And little by little, the body began to tell a story of territory, of sovereignty and of freedom regained 🌅.

The Door of the Third Chakra

There is a place, just above the navel, where your identity lives. This is the seat of the third chakra, the solar fire that says “I am.” This morning, Alexandre chose to pour all the light of the session there, from the first deep OM to the last sip of elixir.

You are about to discover why your first space is your body. Why the child in you said yes to everything, and why the sacred adult finally dares to say no. And why your life resembles a painting in which you hold the brush 🦋.

Settle in. Breathe. The veil is gently lifting on a truth both simple and dizzying: you are free, and your freedom begins with a boundary drawn with love.

The Morning’s Teaching

It all started with a word. In the room, as the elixir was being prepared, Élise shared what had been stirring inside her: “intrusion”, that feeling of others entering her space without being invited. Alexandre welcomed the word like a seed, reminding everyone that intrusions always travel in both directions.

Then, in the altered state of consciousness, cup in hand, the first mantras rang out: “I create my territory. I create my space.” Then: “I have the right to have my space. I have the right to be at home. I am sovereign. I allow myself to defend my territory.” And already, in the room, tears were flowing, welcomed with tenderness 💧.

The Body, Our First Kingdom

The realization came with crystal clarity. The more I create my identity, the more I love myself. The more I love myself, the more I connect with my physical body. And the more I understand what a space is.

“My 1st space is my physical body.”

Next comes the space around the body, that invisible bubble. Then comes the house, the home. It is a very animal wisdom, very third chakra: cats, dogs, everything that walks on four legs knows the notion of territory instinctively 🌿.

Here Alexandre opened a delicate door. People who experienced abuse in childhood often grew up unable to claim their territory. Invaded so many times, they may in turn invade others, unconsciously. For whoever sets their own boundary naturally recognizes the boundary of the other. Territory is an apprenticeship in reciprocity.

And so, the more conscious I am, the more I sense how receptive the other person is. I ask them if they would like a hug. I enter their space with delicacy, the way you knock softly on a beloved door 🕊️.

The Forgiveness That Seals the Breaches

Then came the mantras of repair, addressed to all those who have invaded your territory, in this life and in others: “I am sorry. I forgive you everything, I forgive myself everything. It is over now. I defend my territory. I protect my territory.”

With them came the release, in love, of all the energies brought in without your consent. The gratitude of receiving the grace of Mary to purify every cell of the body. The gratitude of having an inner alarm system, and the permission to denounce every form of abuse and intrusion. Then this simple, powerful gesture: “I start again from zero.”

Alexandre invited everyone to imagine an energetic bubble all around them. Your territory. Your energy. Your vibration ✨.

Sovereignty, the Art of Defining Your Life

The circle widened to relationships: “Gratitude for building my sovereignty, for declaring it, for claiming my territory, for setting the rules within my territory.” Gratitude for defining each relationship, and for creating space to nourish it and let it unfold.

Then a cascade of permissions: I define the nature of each relationship; I allow myself to end relationships; I allow myself to create space for new relationships; I allow myself to choose everything in my reality, down to the smallest detail. I allow myself to say when something displeases me, and to say, write and celebrate everything that pleases me. Gratitude for setting my limits, for creating a watertight protection between others and me, for deciding whom I communicate with and whom I am close to.

Sovereignty, Alexandre explained, also means defining the limits of communication and expression. How do I want to commune? How do I feel? What does this do to me?

The Sovereignty Elixir

And here is the elixir of the day: a third chakra elixir, an elixir of sovereignty, of territory and of defending one’s territory. Before drinking it, the final mantras charged it: gratitude for building my identity every day, for improving all my systems every day, for being clear in my communication. And this blazing mantra: “Gratitude for creating the warrior within me to protect myself.”

One last deep OM, a warrior’s OM, set the solar plexus vibrating. Then came the most beautiful of distinctions. The inner child tended to say yes to everything. The sacred woman, the sacred man, becomes an adult: they claim, delineate and defend their territory. And they say no.

“I say no. I dare to say no. I love saying no.” Gratitude for having an army to defend me 🌟.

“Feel the no: it is a yes to yourself.”

Alexandre recalled why these commands carry so far. In this altered state of consciousness, the mantra springs from the heart, from the soul, from the being. It is your soul speaking. And the coders of reality listen, then observe: something is changing. And so, every morning, you train yourself to define your reality 💫.

Realizations During the Yoga Anatman

It all begins with a sound. An individual sound, eyes closed, to link the vibration with the altered state of consciousness. An inhale, then everything lets go. And the first mantra settles like an offering: “I surrender to my inner yogi” 🙏.

“I surrender to the inner yogi who will do their yoga every morning.”

It is a gentle command, Alexandre explained, one that entrusts the practice to something greater than yourself. And you discover that you have a whole inner team: the yogi, the master, the artist, the musician. Standing, you feel the arches of your feet, the contact with the floor, your verticality. Then these heart-opening words: “I welcome all my emotions.”

The Face, the First Door to Release

The hands massage the cheeks, stretch the jaw, find those little hidden points of tension under the ears, where the jaws meet (face massage — Anatman movement, jaw release). You press, and the tension melts away. “I surrender to my inner master.”

Rising, Rising, Suspended

Then the arms rise and the body grows tall on tiptoe (mountain pose with raised arms, Tadasana in Urdhva Hastasana — stretching the whole spine and grounding). I rise, I rise, I rise. The lower back lengthens. The calves contract, then the thighs, the glutes, the abdominals. Gazing straight ahead, you are suspended between heaven and earth 🌿.

One sentence from Alexandre lit up this moment: the more you let go of everything else, the easier it gets. Core engagement mobilizes the whole body, and yet surrender remains. Here is the sacred paradox of Yoga Anatman: strength is born of letting go.

The Blindfold and the Bliss of Stretching

Then the blindfold slips over the eyes. Visual reality fades away; there is no more need for it. The clasped hands rise, the head tilts back (standing backbend, Anuvittasana — opening the rib cage and making the spine supple). “I surrender to the stretch, to its bliss.” And everyone repeats: “Gratitude for being joy.” ✨

Next the hands join behind the back, you pull gently, and the shoulders and shoulder blades open. Then the torso slowly bends forward as the arms rise toward the sky (standing forward fold with bound arms, a variation of Uttanasana — stretching the shoulders and the backs of the legs). The hands drop, touch the floor, the knees may bend, and you push, push, push as you straighten the legs (standing forward fold, Uttanasana — stretching the hamstrings and relaxing the back). The hands come to rest on the knees (half forward fold, Ardha Uttanasana — strengthening the back), then the body rolls up from the lower back, vertebra by vertebra.

The Neck, the Circles and the Rising Laughter

The neck bends to the right, then to the left (lateral neck stretch, Greeva Sanchalana — relaxing the trapezius and the cervical spine). Then the chin draws circles, and the whole body follows the movement (chin circles — Anatman movement, mobilizing the entire spine). You feel each area: the lower back, the thighs, the calves, the shoulder blades, the neck. The whole body takes part.

Alexandre shared a precious secret: certain postures can make you laugh, especially bending the spine backward, because they raise your energy. Laughter then becomes a sign of vitality being set free 💫.

The Territorial OM and the Invisible Walls

Then came a deep OM, territorial and resonant, to plant the territory in the third chakra. Already, without knowing it, you were laying the first stone of the day’s teaching.

The arms open wide into a cross and push left and right against invisible walls (arms in a cross — Anatman movement, stretching the shoulder blades and the chest muscles). A vertical line and a horizontal line take shape within you: a living cross, an axis, a space. Then the arms sweep back, the head too, and you speak to life.

To Life, I Love You

“To life, I love you. Thank you for this day. Gratitude for still being alive.” Then the cascade of gratitude: aligning with my best scenario, rising in vibration, creating my most beautiful day, living this day as if it were the last, and all my days as if each were the last. The eyes were weeping, each eye, and every tear was welcome 🤍.

Then the prayer of forgiveness, spoken to life: “I love you, I am sorry, forgive me, I forgive you everything, I forgive myself everything. I am innocent. I start again from zero.” Like a blank page offered to the dawn.

Caring for the Lower Back and the Permission to Be Alive

The hands come to rest on the lower back, warm and attentive, and you arch gently (standing backbend with hands on the lower back, Ardha Chakrasana — strengthening the lumbar area and opening the heart). The calves and thighs contract to support the lumbar muscles. You breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth, and offer care to this precious area. “I feel strong, powerful.”

Then an emotion rises, and Alexandre guides its release: “I release in love all the mechanisms that run away from emotions, that are afraid of their intensity.” Then come the permissions: I allow myself to live all my emotions, all sensations, to feel the heart and love, to be fully alive 💖.

One mantra rang out like a compass: “I place the mind in service of the heart.” And if the body coughs, yawns or burps, all is well: it is the body expressing itself. We release in love everything that kept it from expressing itself.

The Love Group

Then the gratitude turned toward others: gratitude for being an empath, for harmonizing the environment and being harmonized by it, for being part of a love group, for loving one another and giving each other lots of hugs 💞. We release everything that refused balanced relationships of love and friendship. And this mantra, already carrying the theme of the day: “I allow myself to be me with the other.”

The body lowers toward the floor again, pushes once more, feels the thighs, the shoulders, the triceps stretching. Then the pelvis begins to rotate (hip circles, a variation of Kati Chakrasana — hip mobility and strengthening of the core). Alexandre pointed out how much this practice strengthens the lumbar area, the thighs, the obliques and the abdominals, to the point of seeing those muscles take shape. Everyone turns at their own speed, and sensations of bliss may arise. Soon, perhaps, real hoops for hula hooping! 🌱

The Frog and the Breath of Fire

An OM, and then the celebration: the frog, a little longer today, four minutes (dynamic frog, close to Malasana — Anatman movement, leg power and inner fire). The breath of fire settles in, each at their own pace. “I surrender, I disappear.” And the frog happens all by itself, carried by the Non-Self.

Next came the free postures: continuing the frog, choosing a favorite posture, resting or doing push-ups (low plank, Chaturanga Dandasana — strengthening the arms and the core). Then you lie down (corpse pose, Shavasana — deep relaxation) and disappear into release.

Cat, Cow and the Himalayan Purification

On all fours, cat and cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana — spinal flexibility and massage of the organs). The cow, sacred in India: the buttocks move back, the lower back hollows, the head lifts. The cat: the belly draws in, the back rounds.

Then Alexandre passed on a powerful energetic practice. In the cat position, you forcefully expel the air by contracting the belly, to return to the earth everything you want to let go of: cigarette smoke, exhaust fumes, every form of toxicity, and, for empaths, other people’s energies. Coughing is perfect; it cleans the lungs. It is a very shamanic gesture, much like a cat bringing something up after eating grass: the same impulse, the same energy, all done gently. The body warms up, beads of sweat may appear. “These are the secret Himalayan techniques of the great yogis.” 🕊️

Then active rest, legs, thighs, glutes and arches stretched (downward-facing dog, Adho Mukha Svanasana — stretching the entire back of the body). The sphinx, the pelvis melting into the floor, the exhale descending into the first chakra (sphinx, Salamba Bhujangasana — gentle chest opening). Finally the cheek on the mat, the body lying on the belly (crocodile, Makarasana — lumbar relaxation). I let go, I disappear. Purification, the expulsion of everything that is not you, returned to Gaia 🌍.

After the Elixir: You Are the Artist

Seated for the elixir (easy pose, Sukhasana — stability and calm), you received the teaching on territory. Then, once the elixir had been drunk, new realizations burst forth. “I allow myself to define my reality. I allow myself to change reality.”

“You are the one who will paint your picture. Your picture is your life.”

Like a painter, you can erase, cover over with white, write anew on top, and bring forth whatever delights you. You are free. And for all the received ideas that demanded diplomas and outside validation, a joyful mantra: “Into the trash!” A true paradigm shift 🌟.

Pioneers

Gratitude for inventing new professions that do not yet exist, for creating new services. The first physicists invented physics; every science was created by humans just like you. There are so many fields that still have no school, clairvoyance for example. “Gratitude for being a pioneer.”

Then: “I connect with all my parallel lives.” Gratitude for receiving, through channeling, skills that are useful in this life. In this way we move from a system that molds, normalizes and standardizes to a system of artistic creativity nourished by your other lives. Gratitude for inventing new ways of living, of relating, of loving one another. I allow myself to love as I wish. Gratitude for being original 🦋.

Learning to Learn

“I am learning to learn. I am autonomous in my learning, in my way of thinking, in all my intelligences.” This is the first skill, the one that opens all the others: searching the internet, reading, watching videos, taking courses, learning with AI, and above all building independent thinking with your own discernment.

Discernment, precisely: speaking about your inner life with those who understand, who have lived through similar things, and protecting people still on their path from cognitive dissonance. Then a luminous wink: so many authors have slipped their truths into science fiction. Your imaginary world, your channeled world, finds its place in a film or a work of fiction. A release in love of everything that held back your expression on YouTube and social media ✨.

Mindful Walking

At 9:29, time for integration, those ten precious minutes to hold the state all day long. The mat is rolled up with eyes closed, rich with sensations. Then you press yourself against a wall or a cool windowpane: back, shoulder blades, buttocks, back of the head. Standing tall, lifted from the crown of the head (mountain against the wall, Tadasana — postural alignment). “Memorize.”

And you walk in this posture, forward or backward, barefoot to receive all the information from the floor (meditative walking, Chankramana — balance and presence). The blindfold comes off, the eyes stay closed, then open on the count of three. Walking backward, Alexandre emphasized, opens a new mode of observation: it walks all by itself, without the mind. The yoga does itself. Then came the “I love you”s in several languages, love sent to Francis, Karine, Marie-Noël, Myriam, Prema, Raphaël, Béatrice, Valérie, Sandrine… and then it was time for breakfast and hugs 💖.

The Postures of the Session

🧘 Face and Jaw Massage — Anatman movement
The posture: Standing, feet grounded, the fingers massage the cheeks and then stretch the jaw by gently opening the mouth. The thumbs press on the points just below the ears, where the jaws meet, while breathing slowly.
Benefits for the body: Relaxes the chewing muscles, helps release the back of the neck and stimulates circulation in the face.

🧘 Rising on Tiptoe with Raised Arms — Tadasana (Urdhva Hastasana)
The posture: Feet parallel, the arms rise toward the sky and the heels lift. You contract the calves, thighs, glutes and abdominals in turn, gazing straight ahead, inhaling through the nose to “rise, rise.”
Benefits for the body: Strengthens the calves and thighs, stretches the spine and lower back, develops balance and core stability.

🧘 Standing Backbend with Clasped Hands — Anuvittasana
The posture: Blindfolded, the clasped hands rise above the head, then the head and torso gently tilt back. You breathe deeply into the open chest.
Benefits for the body: Opens the rib cage, makes the spine supple and stretches the hip flexors.

🧘 Standing Forward Fold with Bound Arms — Uttanasana (variation)
The posture: Hands clasped behind the back, you draw the arms back to open the shoulders, then slowly bend forward, letting the arms rise toward the sky. The breath stays long.
Benefits for the body: Stretches the shoulders and chest muscles, mobilizes the shoulder blades and lengthens the backs of the legs.

🧘 Standing Forward Fold, Hands on the Floor — Uttanasana
The posture: The hands touch the floor, knees slightly bent if needed, then you push to gradually straighten the legs while inhaling through the nose.
Benefits for the body: Stretches the hamstrings and calves, relaxes the lower back, engages the triceps.

🧘 Half Forward Fold, Hands on the Knees — Ardha Uttanasana
The posture: The back lengthens horizontally, hands resting on the knees. You inhale through the nose, release everything, then roll up from the lower back.
Benefits for the body: Strengthens the back muscles, aligns the spine and stretches the backs of the thighs.

🧘 Lateral Neck Stretch — Greeva Sanchalana
The posture: Arms raised and then released, the ear lowers toward the right shoulder, then toward the left, breathing calmly.
Benefits for the body: Relaxes the trapezius, loosens the cervical spine and releases tension in the shoulders.

🧘 Chin Circles with the Whole Body — Anatman movement
The posture: Feet firmly grounded, the chin draws large circles and the torso follows, leaning back and to the sides, in one direction and then the other, with deep exhales.
Benefits for the body: Mobilizes the entire spine, stretches the neck and lower back, awakens the thighs and calves.

🧘 Arms in a Cross Against Invisible Walls — Anatman movement
The posture: The arms open horizontally and push left and right as if against two walls, then gently sweep back along with the head.
Benefits for the body: Stretches the shoulder blades and chest muscles, tones the arms and opens the breath.

🧘 Backbend with Hands on the Lower Back — Ardha Chakrasana
The posture: Warm hands resting on the lower back, you arch gently while contracting the calves and thighs, inhaling through the nose, exhaling through the mouth.
Benefits for the body: Strengthens the lumbar muscles, opens the chest and stimulates circulation in the lower back.

🧘 Hip Circles — Kati Chakrasana (variation)
The posture: Feet apart, the pelvis traces ever-larger circles, each at their own speed, in one direction and then the other, as if with a hoop.
Benefits for the body: Mobilizes the hips, strengthens the obliques and abdominals, loosens the lumbar area.

🧘 Dynamic Frog — Malasana (Anatman movement)
The posture: For four minutes, you flow through frog movements in a deep leg bend, carried by the breath of fire, each at their own pace, before letting everything go.
Benefits for the body: Strengthens the thighs and glutes, gets the heart pumping and warms the whole body.

🧘 Free Postures and Push-Ups — Chaturanga Dandasana
The posture: Free time: continue the frog, choose your favorite posture, rest or do a series of push-ups, the body engaged from head to heels.
Benefits for the body: Strengthens the arms, shoulders and core.

🧘 Lying Relaxation — Shavasana
The posture: Lying on the back, arms alongside the body, you inhale and then let everything go until you disappear.
Benefits for the body: Relaxes all the muscles, calms the breath and the heart rate.

🧘 Cat and Cow with Expulsion — Marjaryasana-Bitilasana
The posture: On all fours, in cow you hollow the back and lift the head, buttocks moving back; in cat you round the back and draw the belly in. In the cat position, you forcefully expel the air by contracting the abdomen.
Benefits for the body: Makes the spine supple, massages the abdominal organs and helps clear the lungs.

🧘 Downward-Facing Dog — Adho Mukha Svanasana
The posture: Hands and feet on the floor, pelvis toward the sky, you stretch the legs, thighs and glutes all the way down to the arches, taking time to rest.
Benefits for the body: Stretches the entire back of the body, strengthens the shoulders and decompresses the back.

🧘 Sphinx — Salamba Bhujangasana
The posture: Lying on the belly, propped on the forearms, the pelvis melts into the floor and the gaze reaches forward. You exhale into the first chakra.
Benefits for the body: Gently opens the chest, strengthens the lower back and stretches the abdominals.

🧘 Resting on the Belly — Makarasana
The posture: Cheek resting on the mat, the body surrendered on the belly, you inhale through the nose and let everything go.
Benefits for the body: Relaxes the lumbar area and encourages deep abdominal breathing.

🧘 Seated Posture for the Elixir — Sukhasana
The posture: Seated cross-legged, back straight, the warm cup of chai between your hands, eyes closed as much as possible.
Benefits for the body: Stabilizes the pelvis, opens the hips and supports a relaxed, upright posture.

🧘 Mountain Against the Wall — Tadasana
The posture: Back, shoulder blades, buttocks and back of the head pressed against a wall or a cool windowpane, you lift yourself from the crown of the head and memorize the alignment.
Benefits for the body: Corrects posture, aligns the spine and strengthens the deep muscles of the back.

🧘 Mindful Walking Forward and Backward — Chankramana
The posture: Barefoot, you walk while keeping the memorized alignment, forward or backward, feeling the temperature of the floor and every toe, first with eyes closed, then open.
Benefits for the body: Develops balance and proprioception, engages the muscles of the feet and legs, integrates good posture into daily life.

Feel the no: it is a yes to yourself.

My 1st space is my physical body.

You are the one who will paint your picture. Your picture is your life.

Themes: sovereignty · territory · third chakra · saying no · identity · learning to learn · creativity · welcoming emotions

This article was originally written in French: Yoga Anatman : Et si dire non était le plus beau oui à vous-même ?