How do they DO that?

I've done yoga off and on for decades and always feel better when I'm doing it on a regular basis. No injuries, minimal soreness. In my view, the only flaw in yoga is that it's gotten too trendy. The pricey gear (eighty dollar yoga mats?), the buzz, the celebrity yogis are off-putting. Oh, well, I guess it's hard to keep a good thing to yourself.

Clip from a yoga demo video at Yoga Journal magazine's website

I want a little more energy, a little straighter posture, more strength in my arms, a little more flexibility...all things I remember liking about yoga. So here I go again, this time at home (although I may end up in the local class now and then, since it's only a quarter-mile stroll from my house).

Today I started working with a free online program called the 21-Day Yoga Challenge, sponsored by Yoga Journal magazine. I had originally signed up for it quite a while ago, but with four dogs in the house it was difficult to do anything that involved getting on the floor. Two of the dogs got adopted but by then I'd lost momentum, and it wasn't until my son's fiancee said she was thinking about it and asked me how I was doing with the Challenge, that I decided to get on with it. After all, I'm only 13 days late.

Clip from a same demo video of an advanced routine at Yoga Journal magazine's website...Owww! This is why I joined the Newbies.


There's a beginner program, and one for intermediates. I started out with the Newbies, thinking I can always switch if it's too basic.

Day One begins with some very gentle and familiar poses like the Downward Facing Dog and an easy version of the Cobra. The Challenge also involves meditation and phasing into vegetarian eating (with recipes), one meal a week to start.

Yoga Journal, by the way, is loaded with instructional videos that can be viewed for free. Some of them are forty-minute routines. Of course there are plenty of opportunities to spend money for their products, but it's also a site where a great deal can be learned about yoga without buying a thing. A parade of pretty people in poses that start out looking sooooo easy, and next thing you're asking yourself "How did they DO that?"