I tried yoga for the first time about 5 years ago, during my sophomore year of college. I was in school full-time, working a lot, and I needed some stress relief, and fast. I tried yoga in a desperate attempt to relieve some of my ever present stress, hoping I could find a healthy way to cope with stress, instead of reaching for a glass of wine or Netflix every time I felt anxious. I found a yoga class at my local public library and, since it was free, I figured I did not have anything to lose. I arrived a few minutes early, beach towel in lieu of a yoga mat in hand, and staked my claim to a spot in the back. The class was full of people of all sorts: middle aged moms, college students, and seniors. I was a little worried that I might look stupid with my complete lack of skill, but I was desperate enough for some peace that I ignored any fears of inadequacy.
That first class was exactly what I needed. A slow-paced, beginner level class that ended with a 15-minute time for meditation. The teacher wisely left a lot of room for each student’s own interpretation of what connecting with breath, pressing into a stretch, and fixating on the spirit meant. With room for my own interpretation of what it meant to “focus inward”, my meditation focused solely on the person of Jesus, and every experience I have had with yoga since then has been God-focused. Since my first class, I have attended classes at 7 or 8 different yoga studios. I’ve had great experiences, terrible experiences, and some that were just meh. I have practiced yoga at home many times, but never consistently, and I do not feel that I have ever built a solid foundation for a yoga practice.
This month, I completed a Yoga Project: 30 days of consistent yoga practice, for at least 5 minutes a day. I primarily used the book, Get Your Yoga On by Kino McGregor as my guide, using online guided videos as well (My favorite videos are Yoga with Adriene, on Youtube). Using Kino McGregor’s book, I learned many new yoga poses with multiple variations, laying a groundwork for an amazing, lasting yoga practice. This was my experience.
The Book
Kino McGregor believes that a little goes a long way and that you do not have to commit hours to a daily practice in order to reap the benefits of yoga. McGregor explains the incredible health benefits of a consistent yoga practice, particularly its power to reduce stress. Commiting to practicing yoga only 5 minutes a day for 30 days, readers are guided through a new pose each day. Each of these poses are foundational and are the poses you are likely to encounter in most yoga classes. Each daily lesson shows the traditional function of the pose as well as a few variations on the pose so that you can find a position that works for your body and your experience level. This book is the perfect guide for someone who is interested in learning yoga in a class environment, but would like to learn a few basics first. The demonstrative photos in this book show yogis of a wide variety of race, age, and body type.
My Experience
My experience using this book to build a yoga practice was absolutely phenomenal. It was different than I thought it would be, in the best way. Yoga has always had great benefits for my body and for calming my mind, so I expected to experience those benefits in greater measure by practicing yoga consistently. What I did not expect, however, was some of the emotional release I experienced. I laughed and cried and yelled, and the expression of so much emotion felt like a wildly freeing release. (Practicing yoga at home rather than in a class setting has the added benefit of being willing to look a little kooky in your practice since no one else is around). Usually when I am working my way through a Project, I will share some of the process on my social media as I am experiencing it. But this Project felt so deeply personal that it was difficult to find the words to share with others.
I also did not expect to find the pose variations found in this book to be so helpful. I loved how I could adapt any yoga pose in a way that worked especially for my body at this exact moment in time. Teachers in classes and on videos often attempt to offer these kinds of variations, but I found that this book was better at it than any teacher I’ve encountered thus far. There was something about the commitment of practicing every day that made me feel secure and balanced. No matter what happened throughout the day, I knew that I had a date with God every evening to release all of the emotion pint up in my body, and knowing that was very comforting. I learned so much through this Project and I am confident that yoga will continue to play a major role in my daily life.
Is This Book For You?
This book is perfect for anyone interested in building a lasting yoga practice. Whether you are brand new to yoga, have dabbled some, or are an experienced yogi who just needs to go back and lay a better foundation for your practice, this book will be beneficial for you. If you are brand new to yoga, I recommend trying out a few guided videos on Youtube along with the poses you learn in the book. If you do decide to use this book to build your yoga practice, I would love to hear about your experience. Email me at emily@project-emily.com or connect with me on Instagram @projectemilyblog.
To read about four other great books on yoga, check out my post, The 5 Books You Need to Build a Lasting Yoga Practice.
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