Springtime Challenge: 30 Days of Yoga

Happy Spring! Anytime is a great time for yoga, but this season provides an opportunity to renew our commitments to our practice. To turn over a new leaf. To feel rejuvenated. To sow a seed of something new. And perhaps, to commit to a new daily habit. I love yoga challenges because they encourage discipline and commitment towards an achievable goal. The benefits of practicing yoga daily are many: stress relief; increased mobility; decreased pain; mindfulness; breath awareness; balance; improved sleep — just to name a few.

I am excited to share a new playlist that I created with 30 free yoga classes. It includes a variety of yoga styles from teachers I discovered over the years on YouTube. You can try one class each day, or mix and match to build your own ideal practice based on the amount of time you have. If you are up for the challenge, join me in this daily challenge and see how you feel after one month.

To prepare, give yourself a quiet space with no distractions. Block your calendar and silence your devices. Always listen to your body and trust your edge. This is not a competition! Pause when you need a break, and resume when you’re ready. Breathe through each pose and relax into it. You might want to gather props, such as a block, strap, blanket, bolster, chair, dense pillow, or cushion. After your practice, drink a lot of water to continue the detoxifying effects of yoga.

One more thing. Each teacher featured below might have their own disclaimers at the beginning of their videos or in the descriptions. If so, please read them and acknowledge the following disclaimer prior to doing online yoga classes:

I understand that yoga includes physical movements as well as an opportunity for relaxation, stress re-education and relief of muscular tension. As is the case with any physical activity, the risk of injury, even serious or disabling, is always present and cannot be entirely eliminated. If I experience any pain or discomfort, I will listen to my body, discontinue the activity, and ask for support from the instructor. I assume full responsibility for any and all damages, which may incur through participation.

Since there are varying levels offered by different yoga teachers featured in this playlist, you might enjoy some classes or might choose to switch to a different class or teacher. It’s totally okay, because it is your practice. I just hope that this gives you the nudge to try a variety of yoga styles and perhaps discover some favorite classes on your own.

Any questions? Feel free to email me. For my UC Berkeley yoga class participants, I will offer a tracking sheet upon request, and an optional certificate of completion if you stick with the 30 day yoga challenge. You’ve got this! I’ll see you at my next class on May 14th.

The videos are sorted by the teacher’s first name or their YouTube channel name.

Abiola Akanni

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Adriene: Yoga with Adriene

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Allie: The Journey Junkie

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Audrey Sutton Mills: Blissful Audrey

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Boho Beautiful Yoga

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Byron de Marsé Yoga

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Cat Meffan

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Erin Motz: Bad Yogi Yoga

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Erin Sampson: Five Parks Yoga

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Fightmaster Yoga

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Francine Cipollone: Yoga with Bird

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Kassandra: Yoga with Kassandra

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Sara Beth Yoga

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Travis Eliot

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Walking Nature World

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YogaTX (different teachers)

Let me know what you think of this playlist! If you have other favorite classes on YouTube, send me the links and I’ll give them a try for the next series.

See full YouTube playlist which has some bonus classes. Pro tip: You can subscribe to the playlist so you’ll have a list on your own YouTube account. Then, you can watch these videos on a smart TV connected to YouTube!

Support a good cause!

COVID disrupted my plans to walk the Camino De Santiago, so I have been walking the “Camino de la Cresta” (Bay Area Ridge Trail) instead! If you enjoy hiking and exploring the beautiful Bay Area, help us raise money by donating to our team’s fundraiser. We have been section-hiking the 390 miles of Bay Area trails, one weekend at a time, and intend to finish within a year. Donations will help with “breaking trail” to complete the missing links so that 550 miles of connected trails will circle the Bay Area. This is a worthy cause for the environment and people of the Bay Area. Learn more, join our team, or make a gift at: https://runsignup.com/caminodelacresta

Thanks for your support!

This is what it’s like walking a section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail and camping in Napa. We hiked 9.5 mile loop and also hiked to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. At 1,640 ft elevation, it’s one of Sierra Club’s Nifty 90 peaks.