Hi there. I'm Siri Peterson, and to celebrate National Yoga Month I have put together a guide that can help anyone, no matter their skill level, begin a yoga practice. This 10-day program will help you master foundational yoga concepts and poses, giving you the tools you need to build a lifelong practice. If you're a more experienced yogi, this is a great way for you to revisit key components of your practice.

So, when you feel ready, join me on day 1. This program is designed to be completed in 10 days, but if you feel that you need to space out the classes a bit more, then go right ahead. What's most important is that you do them all!

In this video we will warm up for asana. Asana refers to any yoga posture, and today I will teach you the basic movements and stretches of yoga that will allow even the stiffest bodies to start their yoga practice safely. Let’s begin.

Downward dog is a handstand, forward bend, and inversion pose. You will encounter downward dog in many yoga classes, so it’s important to master it early in your practice. In this video I will guide you through different ways of transitioning into and out of downward dog, and cultivate steady presence and attention as we navigate this pose.

Today we will build strength and increase confidence in our practice as we learn some of the basic standing poses in yoga. We will learn how to keep our feet, ankles, knees, and hips aligned and safe as we stretch and strengthen our lower bodies. After this class you should feel more grounded and able to stand more strongly in your center.

Flow with grace. Today I will break down the fundamentals of finding ease within breath-linked movement. We will begin with a slow break down the flow of surya namaskar, or sun salutation, and learn all necessary modifications for students at every level.

Explore a deeper breath. In this short primer on working with the breath, I will show you how this simple, yet vibrant element of guiding the breath is the cornerstone of your yoga practice. In this video, we we will introduce the concept of prana and how a deliberate breath can flow optimally through the body to create more strength, ease, and vitality. We will explore a three-part breath that will allow you to access your fullest lung capacity. And finally, we will move into ujayyi breath, the essential breath that will accompany your hatha yoga practice.

In this lesson we will create length and flexibility in the spine by carefully and progressively opening the back and shoulders. Gentle backbending, when done with good biomechanical alignment will heal lower back pain, open the heart, and uplift the spirit.

Discover the benefits of a quiet mind. Many of us wish to begin a seated meditation practice, but find that the discomfort in our bodies makes seated meditation too difficult. In this class we will warm up our bodies, open the hips, and align our posture so that we can sit with comfort, ease, and freedom from distraction. This class will help you synchronize your mind, body, and breath.

Discover the benefits of breath-linked movement. In this class we will combine elements of the sun salutation with standing poses to create a gentle, but energizing flow. We will move slowly through each pose, pausing to address important biomechanical alignment points along the way.

In this class I am going to challenge you to take your practice to the next level. I will teach you how to optimally align the foundation of your hands and feet in each pose. A strong foundation is the key to success in any endeavor, and this is most certainly true for your yoga practice. Simply follow along with me and you’ll begin to master optimal alignments in your poses.

Congratulations! You have arrived at the final class in my 10-day beginner’s series. I hope that you feel equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue a life-long yoga practice. For our last class we will restore and renew ourselves. I will take you through a deeply relaxing sequence of restful, supported postures that will allow you to experience quiet from the inside out. Let’s begin.