The exercise you often hear called “The Crocodile” in common language is one of the most essential and soothing spinal twists in yoga. It's known for its powerful relaxing effects on the back and nervous system, making it perfect for unwinding at the end of a long day or practice.

Key Benefits of The Crocodile Pose
The Crocodile is much more than just a simple stretch. It's a therapeutic posture with profound effects on your body and mind:

• Deep Back Relief: This gentle twist specifically mobilizes the lower spine (lumbar region) and is highly effective at dissolving tension and relieving back pain. It’s excellent for counteracting stiffness from long periods of sitting.
• Aids Digestion and Detox: The twisting motion applies a gentle, massaging pressure to your abdominal organs (including the liver, spleen and intestines). This helps stimulate blood flow, improve digestion, and support the body’s natural cleansing process.
• Calms the Nervous System: The pose activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System (your "rest and digest" mode). This promotes deep relaxation, helps reduce stress and fosters feelings of inner peace and serenity.
• Improves Flexibility: It passively stretches the back muscles, chest, shoulders, and glutes.

How to Practice The Basic Crocodile Twist
This posture is always performed while lying on your back.

1. Starting Position: Lie flat on your back. Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height, forming a "T" shape (palms can face up).
2. Set Up the Twist: Bend both knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips slightly and shift your pelvis about an inch to the right (if you plan to twist your knees to the left).
3. The Twist: Take a deep breath in. As you exhale, gently let your knees fall all the way to the left side of your body.
4. The Head: Turn your head slowly to the right (the opposite direction of your knees) to complete the spinal twist.
5. Hold and Breathe: The most important part is to keep both shoulders grounded on the floor. Do not force your knees down; let gravity do the work. Hold the pose for 5 to 10 deep, slow breaths, consciously breathing into the abdomen and the side body.
6. Release: Inhale as you slowly bring your knees and head back to the center. Straighten the legs for a few moments to neutralize your spine before repeating on the opposite side.

Important Note:
If you experience any sharp pain or pinching in your lower back, ease out of the twist immediately. Never force the stretch. You can always place a cushion or block under your knees for support if they don't reach the floor comfortably.

In my yoga coaching sessions, the same theme keeps coming up: we get stuck in the past. We overthink, replay situations in our heads, wondering what we should have done differently and then we fall into a negative spiral. I know this feeling all too well – that “what if…” or “if only I had…” thinking.
But life doesn’t happen in the past. It also doesn’t happen in the future. Life happens now – in this very moment. And that’s the essence of yoga (and also of many other approaches I’ve come across): presence.
Energy is something precious. When we waste it on thoughts about what has already happened – or on things that may never happen – we lose the energy we could use to fully live in the present.
One realization that still fascinates me: our body reacts immediately to what we give it. “Fake it until you make it” – yes, that’s scientifically proven. When I look in the mirror in the morning and choose to smile, something shifts instantly. Not only does my face look more positive – my inner state changes as well. The smile doesn’t just lift the corners of my mouth, it lifts my mood.
The same works when I put myself into a situation. For example, before an important meeting or interview: instead of letting nerves take over, I imagine how someone I admire would handle it. How would my best friend – who I see as calm, professional and confident – approach this conversation? Just that perspective shift gives me a completely different energy.
And there’s another truth that has become very important to me: we cannot control what negative things happen to us. But we can control how we respond. With a stoic, pragmatic attitude: “I can’t change this. But I can choose how I deal with it.”
For me, that’s where real freedom lies. Not in trying to control everything – but in knowing that my reaction makes the difference.
This, for me, is the core of what yoga has taught me and what I keep sharing with my clients: presence in the here and now. The conscious choice for the positive. And the ability to let go of what we cannot change.

We live in extremes today. Either we are completely outward-focused – driven by work, social life, phones and endless information – or we retreat into the opposite: journaling, collecting routines, chasing after “me-time.” Yet what’s often missing is something essential: the connection between the outer and the inner world.
I had lost this connection myself for a long time. Movement was always my outlet – running, climbing, exhausting myself physically. It gave me relief, but in truth it was just a distraction. The moment I truly landed in my body came much later – and in the most unexpected way.
In Vietnam, I encountered yoga for the first time in a serious way. I didn’t even want to go and in the studio, I felt like a complete outsider: tall, stiff and not flexible at all. The Vietnamese women around me were graceful and supple. The Indian teachers led the class with a kind of strictness, almost military in discipline, but also with a calmness that immediately fascinated me. When the teacher entered the room, he simply sat down – and the whole room fell silent. No long explanations, no endless corrections. He demonstrated and everyone just practiced.
I hardly understood anything – not the English, not the Vietnamese translations. But that was exactly what sparked something in me. I began to observe, to feel – and for the first time, I experienced a posture in a way that truly made me arrive in my body.
Back in Switzerland, it was different. Yoga here was more technical, more precise, full of instructions. I couldn’t find my place and eventually enrolled in a teacher training – driven by the need to understand what had touched me so deeply in Vietnam. The training gave me a solid foundation and the discipline to learn the techniques properly. Yet at the same time, I realized: it’s not about being perfect – it’s about sensing what feels right in the moment.
Today, that’s exactly what yoga means to me. Sometimes I need movement, to sweat, to find my flow in physical activity. Other times it’s enough to sit quietly, to do a simple posture, even if it doesn’t look perfect. It doesn’t matter if someone is watching or not. What matters is whether I can connect with myself.
And maybe that’s what is most important in our times: not to keep chasing the outside, and not to hide in routines either, but to find a way to connect both. To pause and ask: What do I really need right now? – and to honestly follow that answer.

Why I Finally Enjoy Pasta Again – and Why Organic Makes Sense
Back in the 60s and 70s, pasta wasn’t exactly a joy for me. At home, we often had spaghetti straight out of a can. It was quick, affordable and at that time even considered something new and exciting. For me, though, it was awful – that canned taste is still vivid in my memory and my stomach never agreed with it.
Maybe that’s why I avoided pasta for so many years. Until I discovered 100% organic wholegrain buckwheat pasta. And it completely changed my view. These noodles are light, easy to digest, satisfying, and give steady energy without weighing me down. From a health perspective, it makes sense: buckwheat is gluten-free, high in fiber, rich in minerals like magnesium and zinc – and far more nourishing than heavily processed pasta.
The way I prepare it is simple: fresh organic vegetables, quickly steamed or sautéed, good olive oil, real salt and freshly ground pepper. Nothing more is needed. And yes, quality matters: unprocessed sea salt or rock salt instead of refined table salt; organic vegetables instead of sprayed ones – the difference in taste is remarkable and it feels better for the body too.
For me, this isn’t about complicated diets or spending more money. It’s about making conscious choices and keeping things simple. Health is something you can’t outsource – you have to take it into your own hands. And when you do, it doesn’t have to feel like sacrifice. It can be a source of joy.

For as long as I can remember, my body has been my most honest messenger.
As a child, it was always my digestion that reacted first. Stomach aches, infections, even a burst appendix – my gut seemed to carry all the weight of what I couldn’t yet process emotionally.
As a teenager, the focus shifted. My skin became the loudspeaker. Breakouts, redness, irritation – everything I could not put into words seemed to appear on the surface of my face. It was as if my body wanted the world to see what I could not express.
And now, in adulthood, the message comes through my breath. Sometimes, after being around people or situations that later turned out not to be right for me, I noticed (or others pointed out) that my breath had turned sour. In the moment, I might feel fine, even comfortable – but my body was already speaking the truth I wasn’t ready to acknowledge.
Over time I have learned:
the body always finds a way to be honest.
Sometimes through the gut, sometimes through the skin, sometimes through the breath. These signals are not weaknesses or flaws – they are a compass.
This is why in my yoga retreats and my personal practice, I see health as more than movement and meditation. It’s also about listening to the subtle language of the body. The body does not lie. When we learn to read its signs, we begin to live more truthfully – and more peacefully.
✨ If you feel curious to explore this connection between body, mind, and breath, I invite you to join me in one of my retreats or simply follow along on my blog. Sometimes, the first step is simply noticing the whispers of the body – and giving them space.
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A simple model for clarity, calm, and inner strength
1. Nutrition – Stable energy for body and mind

• Our brain runs on glucose. When blood sugar drops, we become irritable, unfocused, or even aggressive.
• Stable energy means not relying on sugar highs from soda or sweets but providing a steady flow of fuel.
• Practical approach: whole grains, vegetables, legumes, combined with protein and healthy fats.
• Tip: Before exams, meetings or yoga practice choose a small, balanced snack (like a banana with nuts) rather than going in on an empty stomach or relying on a sugar rush.

2. Movement – Clearing the mind through the body

• Movement reduces stress hormones and grounds us in the body.
• Yoga works on two levels: it strengthens and stretches the body – and it regulates the nervous system.
• Physical activity doesn’t just “burn calories” – it also helps to release stuck emotions.
• Tip: Just 10 minutes of mindful movement or stretching can bring surprising clarity.

3. Meditation – Balance for emotions and thoughts

• Meditation trains the prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain responsible for regulating emotions and controlling impulses.
• Research shows: meditation makes us calmer, less reactive and more focused.
• It’s not about “floating away into esoterics,” but about practical training for self-control and inner balance.
• Tip: Take 5 minutes a day to sit quietly and follow your breath – a small practice with a big impact.

The synergy of the three pillars

• Nutrition provides energy.
• Movement keeps energy flowing.
• Meditation teaches us how to use that energy wisely.

When one pillar is missing, the system becomes unstable. Together, they form the foundation for stability, calm and inner strength – especially in a world that often pulls us in the opposite direction.
✨ Key takeaway:

• Without energy, no clarity.
• Without movement, no lightness.
• Without balance, no inner peace.

Boost your energy with yogic breath & natural skincare
In this short video, I’m sharing a powerful breathwork technique from yoga. It begins with Kapalabhati (the "shining skull" or fire breath), followed by breath retention with the throat gently locked (Jalandhara Bandha), and ends with a slow, conscious exhale.
💨 This practice clears the mind, energizes the body, and invites inner stillness. You can easily add it to your daily routine — or come learn it with me in depth at my next Yoga Retreat, where I’ll guide you through it step by step.
✨ Every retreat guest also receives my carefully curated YveSkin Travel Set — minimalist, organic skincare for sensitive skin. Fragrance-free, plastic-free, and perfect for your journey inward and outward.
👉 Ready to breathe deeper, feel lighter, and glow from within?
Join the next retreat and treat yourself.
[Book your spot now]

Too many impressions. Too many great people. Too many ideas, invites, projects, parties, airports, cocktails, sunrises. Even beauty can be overwhelming.
And still—I love it.
The energy, the movement, the creativity.
But I’ve learned:
Joy needs space. Sensitivity needs boundaries. Presence needs pause.
This is why I created YveSkin.
Not as a brand. Not as a business plan.
But as a quiet answer to all the too-much-ness.
A single bottle.
Organic jojoba oil. A touch of blood orange, bergamot and lavender.
No logo. No campaign. Just a hand-labeled moment.
A way to come back into the body. To soften. To land.
I believe in rituals that don’t feel like one more task.
I believe in beauty that doesn’t demand attention.
I believe in spaces—internal or external—where nothing needs to happen.
So whether I’m on the beach or at the gate, in a yoga class or at a rooftop event--
YveSkin is the little reset I carry with me.
And maybe, you need one too.
✨ Discover more about YveSkin – your pocket-sized pause for body and soul YveSkin All-In-One-Oil

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Always Ready to Travel – Naturally. ✈️🌿
Discover the YveSkin Travel Sets – minimalist essentials for hair, face, and body.
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