Welcome
Welcome to our ongoing beginner yoga program. You will be doing 3 classes per week, the first 2 longer than the last, plus one guided meditation. This program is specifically designed to progress as an intermediate student, but it is not rigid. You will see significant results if you follow it closely, but feel free to make changes, or even miss a class, if you need to.
Week 1
Day 1
The Ultimate Shoulder Sequence
Difficulty: Gentle Beginner
Props: Strap
One of the best classes to begin with if you're looking to start a regular yoga practice, is The Ultimate Shoulder Sequence. It teaches you how to thoroughly stretch all of the muscles around the shoulders, neck, upper back and arms. It's a class that can be uncomfortable at times but will leave you feeling really, really good. Note: David sits on his heels at times in this class. If this is too uncomfortable, sit cross-legged on the floor.
Day 3
Burnout to Bliss
Difficulty: Gentle Beginner
Props: None
To rest your muscles from Day 1's deep stretching, Nicky guides you through a more relaxing class that has you resting more, feeling more nurtured and recovering from any stress life brings you.
Day 5
Yoga for the Hips, Hamstrings and Back
Difficulty: Beginner
Props: Strap
Day 5 brings you another great yoga class that focuses on stretching. This time it's the lower body: the hips, hamstrings, groin and lower back. It's a gentle yoga class and fairly short, so should be accessible to students of any level.
Day 7
Total Body Relaxations
Instructions: Listen to 'Total Body Relaxation I', which is a 56-minute track. The link above takes you to the full album, which has 2hr 14min of audio meditation.
Gradually sink into a deep relaxation by dissolving the tension in your body from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. David guides you gently and skillfully as you scan your body and learn to let go completely.
Week 2
Day 8
Restoring Equilibrium
Difficulty: Beginner
Equipment: Strap, Bolster
We begin Week 2 with a beginner level hatha yoga class that is a slight step up from week 1. This class takes you through a slightly more challenging yoga sequence with more attention placed on right effort, alignment and muscle activation. It challenges your balance, flexibility and strength.
Day 10
Melt Into Gratitude
Difficulty: Gentle Beginner
Props: None
As promised, we follow a yoga class that pushes the boundaries with one that is more about relaxation and rest. Nicky is back with her gentle guidance and her focus on self-care yoga. You will appreciate this class and how it rejuvenates the muscles that were stretched on Day 8.
Day 12
Bedtime Yoga
Difficulty: Gentle Beginner
Props: Bolster
We keep in gentle for the rest of the week. Today Melissa teaches you how to stretch, relax and prepare your body for a good night's sleep - although, you can do this class anytime of the day.
Day 14
Total Body Relaxations
Instructions: Listen to 'Total Body Relaxation II', which is a 45-minute track. The link above takes you to the full album, which has 2hr 14min of audio meditation.
Gradually sink into a deep relaxation by dissolving the tension in your body from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. David guides you gently and skillfully as you scan your body and learn to let go completely.
Week 3
Day 15
Deep Release for the Hips, Hamstrings and Lower Back
Difficulty: Beginner
Props: Strap
Week 3 starts with one of our most popular beginner hatha yoga classes, David's class that focuses on the hips, hamstrings, groin, hip flexors and lower back. This class can relieve lower back pain, psiatica and many other issues around the pelvis. It's also a great yoga class if you are simply looking to improve the flexibility of your lower body.
Day 17
Evening Restorative Flow
Difficulty: Gentle Beginner
Props: Block, Bolster
This gentle, restorative yoga class will help soothe the muscles that you stretched deeply on day 15. Tianne is a great guide and the beach setting will help you relax and calm your mind.
Day 19
Release the Neck
Difficulty: Gentle Beginner
Props: None
David helps you release all of the key muscles of the neck in this gentle hatha yoga class. Stretching the neck can help with neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain and strain in the upper back. It also helps you feel more relaxed, alert and present.
Day 21
Total Body Relaxations
Instructions: Listen to 'Total Body Relaxation III', which is a 31-minute track. The link above takes you to the full album, which has 2hr 14min of audio meditation.
Gradually sink into a deep relaxation by dissolving the tension in your body from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. David guides you gently and skillfully as you scan your body and learn to let go completely.
Week 4
Day 22
Breath, Balance and Twists
Difficulty: Challenging Beginner
Props: Strap, Block
Now that your body is used to a regular yoga practice, week 4 of this Ongoing Beginner Yoga Program is a little tougher. Day 22 is the first of 3 relatively challenging yoga classes. This class is actually the most challenging of the week; Anastasia pushes your boundaries in terms of balance, stretch and strength, so get ready! She's clear with her intruction and provides a flow that makes sense, so you will likely walk away from this class feeling taller, stronger, more flexible and more relaxed.
Day 24
Core Strength and Stretch
Difficulty: Challenging Beginner
Props: None
The second challenging class of week 4 is Rachel's Core Strength and Stretch, a class that helps you understand and establish your core stability and teaches you how to move and stretch in a safe, efficient and effective way.
Day 26
A 30-Minute Class For The Shoulders
Difficulty: Beginner
Props: Strap
The 3rd class of week 4 is a shorter version of the Ultimate Shoulder Sequence, and still a through stretching of the shoulders, neck and upper back. It's a great way to finish the week before you move onto the week's guided meditation and a couple days of rest.
Day 28
Total Body Relaxations
Instructions: Listen to 'Total Body Relaxation IV', which is a 20-minute track. The link above takes you to the full album, which has 2hr 14min of audio meditation.
Gradually sink into a deep relaxation by dissolving the tension in your body from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. David guides you gently and skillfully as you scan your body and learn to let go completely.
Week 5
Day 29
Relax Your Whole Self
Difficulty: Gentle Beginner
Props: None
To begin week 5 we return to Nicky's restful, relaxing teaching style, but this time she teaches you how to relax everything! Who doesn't want that? Throughout the class you will be stretching and releasing tight muscles, breathing and sinking more deeply into a calm state.
Day 31
A Well-Rounded Challenging Beginner Flow
Difficulty: Challenging Beginner
Props: None
Now that you've been through 4 full weeks of yoga practice, you can start learning more of the fundamental and doing slightly more challenging sequences. This hatha yoga class is a perfect step up in the progression of classes thus far. Rachel guides you effortlessly through a beginner yoga flow that pushes your boundaries a little more, while maximizingi the benefits and keeping you safe.
Day 33
Twist and Stretch
Difficulty: Beginner
Props: None
Just in case you need a little rest after Rachel's class, we introduce this slightly more gentle hatha yoga class with Melissa. She also provides amazing guidance in this class and you will still be releasing a lot of the muscles that are tight in your body.
Day 35
Letting Go: Guided Meditations and Relaxations
Instructions: Listen to 'Lightness of Being', which is a 20-minute track. The link above takes you to the full album, which has 1hr 00min of audio meditation.
The guided visualizations in this album use relaxation, hypnotherapy and yoga nidra to lull you into a calm, deeply relaxed state of half sleep. You may also go on a journey into your senses, explore how to exist with chronic pain or how to encourage a deep, restful sleep.
Week 6
Day 36
Hatha Flow to Halfmoon Pose
Difficulty: Challenging Beginner
Props: Strap, Block
Once again, we ramp up the difficulty level to begin a new week, with Anastasia and a flow to halfmoon pose (ardha chandrasana). It's a challenging pose because of its demands on balance, flexibility and strength, but Anastasia works up to it in a smart, gradual way that will feel right in your body.
Day 38
Empower Your Boundaries
Difficulty: Challenging Beginner
Props: Strap, Block
This hatha yoga class is great for working on strength and alignment principles, as well as stretching the legs, hips and lower back. If you don't have a block and a strap you could use items that are similar. If you find they don't work well you can do another one of Rachel's classes on the site.
Day 40
Sun Salutations I
Difficulty: Beginner
Props: None
You have done quite a few sun salutation already. This class is shorter and shows you ways that you can create vareity within the traditional sun salutation flow.
Day 42
Total Body Relaxations
Instructions: Listen to 'Expand Your Mind', which is a 20-minute track. The link above takes you to the full album, which has 2hr 14min of audio meditation.
This guided mediation with David helps you sink into a deep relaxation by dissolving the tension in your body from the tips of your toes to the top of your head, then David takes you into a visualization he calls Expand Your Mind.
Week 7
Day 43
Core Primer
Difficulty: Gentle Intermediate
Props: Strap
Once again, to start the week we push the boundaries, now with your first intermediate level class. You may find that you can do everything in this class, but it's difficult to do them properly. Try your best and your body will get stronger every day. With time, if you come back to this class you may notice significant improvement.
Day 45
Deep Rest Restorative and Yoga Nidra Meditation
Difficulty: Gentle Beginner
Props: None
To balance the extra vigor of Rachel's class on Day 43, we bring you Tianne and a very relaxing yoga class that focuses on rest and the wonderfully calming practice of yoga nidra. You will be grateful for the opportunity to sink into a quiet, restful state of mind.
Day 47
Beginners' Yoga for Shoulder Strength
Difficulty: Beginner
Props: None
For the last yoga class of week 7 we bring you Melissa and a class that mixes strength and relaxation, making a nice way to finish out the week. It pushed you just enough to feel like you had a workout and relaxes you enough to leave you feeling really good inside.
Day 49
Yoga Nidra for Sleep
Jennifer Piercy takes you through a beautifully guided Yoga Nidra for Sleep meditation. Her deeply calming voice penetrates into your very soul, instilling a sense of internal peace and leaving you feeling incredibly relaxed, present and rejuvenated. Try Jennifer's two other albums: Yoga Nidra with Jennifer Piercy and Yoga Nidra: Sleep Sessions.
Week 8
Day 50
Yoga for Lower Back Pain: Strengthen, Stretch and Relax Your Back I
Difficulty: Beginner
Props: Strap, bolster
Although this class was designed to help you prevent or heal lower back pain, this is one of the most effective classes for improving flexibility in the lower body, all of the muscles that - when tight - can lead to lower back pain. David also teaches you a few basic core strength exercises, which protect the back when sitting, running or lifting.
Day 52
Go With The Flow
Difficulty: Challenging Beginner
Props: Block
Melissa helps you deepen your experience with yoga by moving into a sun salutation flow and a sequence that challenges your body, stretches you throughout and pushes your strength and balance. She's a great teacher to follow when you need to up your game, since she's encouraging and clear with her instruction.
Day 54
Hatha Yoga for Self Care I
Difficulty: Gentle Beginner
Prose: None
Melissa is also amazing with classes that are low key, relaxing and nourishing. Join her in the final yoga class of this challenge, congratulate yourself as you stretch in interesting, satisfying ways and make yourself feel good all over.
Day 56
Letting Go: Guided Meditations and Relaxations
Instructions: Listen to 'Heal Chronic Pain', which is a 19-minute track. The link above takes you to the full album, which has 1hr 00min of audio meditation.
This guided relaxation helps you feel and relax the tension around the pain in your body. It will help you understand how much is created by your reaction to the discomfort, allowing you to reduce your role in the amount and prevalence of the pain.
In Conclusion
If you made it to the end, congratulations! If you have anything to share or any questions, post in our forum. We're here for you!