30 Days of Yoga: How it worked for me

A few people have asked about the nuts and bolts of how the 30 days of yoga process worked for me.  I share this in the spirit of community and offer my perspective.  I am NOT a yoga instructor and I don't pretend to be.  If yoga is new to you, please check out your local studio or connect with a certified teacher.  Their wisdom, especially in regards to safety and alignment, is invaluable!

"No day like today."--Jonathan Larson

For me, starting was the easy part.  This yoga journey started as problem solving. How do I fit more yoga into one very busy week? I live far away from the studio where I like to practice and I haven't found a class I like near me.  Going to class became super time consuming. And, honestly, too expensive for my budget.

So, I rolled out a mat, set a timer for 30 minutes, sat down and began with "Om".  The first time, I had no real plan.  It flowed better than I thought it would, but I learned a lot as I went on.  Most vinyasa classes that I've been to over the last 6 years have about the same structure, so I mimicked that very familiar pattern.

Reading
Opening Chant
Opening warm-up/stretch
Sun Salutations
Warrior series
Balance/Back-bending/Inversions
Seated postures
Savasana
Closing Chant

The classes I go to at studios are typically 90 minutes.  Throughout this 30 day process, I went to the studio about once a week.   At home, my goal was to find 30 minutes, but I would extend that whenever possible. 

In such a short practice, rather than picking a couple of pieces, I did at least one pose in each category and held them for at least 3 breaths.  This made the practice flow nicely and allowed for much customization.  30 minutes goes by quickly, but it's amazing how much more quickly you can move with intention when you aren't in a class and stopping for instruction. 

A typical practice would look like the following:

Reading- A reading from books with daily offerings. Short and to the point. Setting an intention that had something to do with theme of the reading.  Spend about a minute thinking about body parts or poses that might need attention.
Opening Chant- Om 3 times
Opening warm-up/stretch -  Gentle twists and a few rounds of cat/cow
Sun Salutations - At least 3 surya namaskara A followed by 3 surya namaskara B
Warrior series- Warrior 1, Warrior 2, Radiant Warrior, Extended Triangle, Wide-legged forward fold.
Balance/Back-Bending/Inversions- This one had the most variety and changed based on what I was working on that day.  But, I'd always pick something.  Maybe Bridge and Wheel, or Sleeping Pigeon, or Eagle.
Seated postures- Seated forward fold(s), a spinal twist
Savasana - Always. Always. Always.
Chant - Om once, sometimes followed by 3 Shanti's.

Again, this is what works for me.  I hope you find something that works for you to inspire your own practice!

Namaste.