If you’re looking for an effortless way to start your yoga at home, Yoga With Adriene is all the rage and it’s almost impossible to overlook. With over 10 million subscribers and over a thousand free videos, Adriene Mishler, one of the best yoga teacher on YouTube, has really done a good job creating a global community of yogis from all over the globe including both beginners and the experienced yoga practitioners.
I had the idea of trying her most viral beginner yoga workout — 43 million views is the number this particular one has grabbed — just to realize what the fuss was all about. This article contains a full breakdown of the workout, the anticipated experience if you are a beginner, and the serene feeling that I had afterward.
The Main Factors That Make Yoga With Adriene the Ideal Place for Beginners to Do Yoga
Engaging in an unfamiliar exercise can be intimidating, especially when the gear needed is unknown and the complexity of the moves is uncertain. This is where Adriene is unmatched. She is centered on the “finding what feels good” philosophy, the main idea of which is to locate the sources of your satisfaction and to act accordingly, and not to impose yourself with activities that you don’t feel comfortable doing.
This easy yoga workout for beginners is not about hitting challenging poses. Instead, it holds your hand through the process of breathing, moving gently and self-awareness development — the real yoga. Just a yoga mat and being open for you is all you need.
Step by Step of the Beginner Yoga Routine that Counted 43M Views
The practice begins in a simple seated cross-legged position that is referred to as an easy pose. Even the sitting part in a way to keep the spine erect while not raising the shoulders, can prove to be extremely challenging, however, the instructions from Adriene are very simple, and you can evade this problem by learning to breathe slowly and deeply.
Then she takes you through constructive seated twists and advises you to pay attention to your movements so that you do not become shorter through your torso. These minor corrections made it possible for me to work with muscles that I had not been aware of the need for attention.
The sequence afterward was cat-cow stretches on hands and knees — a basic yoga sequence that improves flexion and extension of the back. That “this is the one” media blast really hit the spot and I felt completely at peace, especially after having to get rid of a long-term work issue.
Surely, yoga practice would not be complete without being in a pose that makes you look like a dog that is pointing downwards. Yeah, as a marathon runner, I must admit this really is a struggle due to the condition of my stiff hamstrings but it is a great reminder that the practice of yoga is always where you are at.
The sequence included poses that support the back and ones that challenge the legs, such as the noose, potentially the most popular standing pose. It was a class that took my energy and left me with a sense of realization, a refreshed mind. I was then ready to head to one of the best days of my life.
What I experienced while I was doing the workout and after it
At the beginning, it was rather difficult for me to concentrate as my to-do list constantly started coming to my mind. I could not, however, have felt my presence more after I took a few deep breaths and thus became an important center for a while. I really enjoyed the moment and felt calm and more connected to myself.
All the while, Adriene was preaching that yoga is the opposite of perfectionism — it is, in fact, about being present. This concept kept me company long after I tucked away my mat.
At first, one of the first things that I felt was the loosening up of my stiff back, caused by the cat-cow stretches I did. Actually, it was my arms and core that got an unexpected workout, particularly during “Adho Mukha Svanasana” and the warrior poses.
The best part is that not only did it stay on the mat, it went everywhere I went. I was able to maintain a good posture while working at my desk, took deeper breaths all day long, and even slept one of the most restful nights after not having slept well for weeks. Checking my heart rate quickly during the practice proved that it remained steady at about 75 bpm, which was a clear sign of the relaxation the session had brought.
Is the Yoga With Adriene Beginner Workout Worth It?
If you are a beginner in the field and you would like to start practicing yoga, this class with Adriene would bring you good first impressions, and thus it certainly has its own merits. The session is designed in a way that uplifts your body, besides being easily obtainable; a perfect match for someone new to exercise.
You can also take up your favorite method, such as running, strength training, or cycling, and include yoga as a supplement. The latter happens to be such a powerful tool in boosting flexibility, lowering stress, and thus aiding in injury prevention.
No, you will not burn as many calories as doing a workout that makes you feel as if you had run a marathon, but the mental and physical benefits are really significant. So I will for sure be going back to Adriene’s library for some more workouts and if you are also ready to embark on your yoga journey, then this 43M-view workout is an ideal point to start from.