30 days of Yoga for Beginners

Maybe you’ve heard all about the benefits of yoga, but you’re afraid to go along to a class because you are really inflexible, or uncoordinated, or just a little more lusciously proportioned than the svelte hipsters who seem to fill the classes in the trendy neighbourhood yoga studio?

Or maybe you just can’t get to a yoga class because you are in Afghanistan or South Sudan (I tried to think of a really remote rural spot in the US to include here but I’m pretty sure even Cicely, Alaska has a yoga studio now). Maybe you have two pre-schoolers at home and getting out of the house to a yoga class is out of the question.

Do you ever think that you could do with a little bit more kindness in your life? Ever feel like the mean girls at high-school have hijacked your brain and are now tormenting you from the inside out? Have you ever berated yourself for not doing enough exercise, or not being a more ‘mindful’ mother, lover or friend?

You are not alone. And this course is for you.

Don’t need to know anything more? Ready to sign up now? Click here to skip to the business end of this page.

“Marianne’s 30 Days of Yoga was one of the best investments I’ve made in my own wellness – and it was a steal! Her warmth, intelligence and commitment to her students radiate across the Internet, and you feel not only that you are receiving top-quality instruction, but that you are working side-by-side. Marianne’s approach is about more than the physical practice yoga; she is interested in your emotional and spiritual well-being and balance. I can’t recommend 30 Days of Yoga highly enough for those looking to establish a home practice.”

- Kristen Stancik creator of Gimme Presence

30 days of yoga for Beginners is an online program designed to support you to begin a regular practice of yoga in the comfort of your own home. I’ve crafted it lovingly to meet the needs of people who have never done yoga before, starting small and simple. It was designed based on feedback from dozens of beginners who have done the standard 30 days of yoga course. And it works. More than 500 people have taken the standard course, and about fifty people took the Beginners option when I first offered it in January 2001. The feedback I get is overwhelming, it works. People who have never been able to get into yoga at all are discovering that they actually love it. Why? Because I’m teaching what I know best. I’m the expert on struggling to get into a steady home practice of yoga because I’ve struggled myself. I’ve tried bribing myself into it, nagging myself into it, forcing myself into it. None of them worked. What works – for me and for hundreds of others – is the simple, compassionate approach I set out in this course.

My approach is grounded in a radical form of self-kindness…

…because I believe that we all respond better to kindness than criticism. And because kindness works. It’s a powerful and transformative force. Never under-estimate kindness!

“Thank you for running this course and changing my life in so many ways. I never really believed I could be one of those people who had a daily practice and yet I have done that over the last month. Because of your way of teaching and your realistic and compassionate approach I got over the critical inner voice which told me that I wasn’t good enough to do yoga properly and so it wasn’t worth getting on the mat. You are a fab, funny, inspirational, compassionate and imperfect teacher. I can relate to what you say, your approach to life and how you approach yoga and integrate that with your understanding of the world. Your teaching has opened up new ways of seeing and being in the world and Im looking forward to continuing that. Above all, you make yoga accessible and fun. And an incredible journey.”

- Kirstie Farmer (human rights advocate, humanitarian and mother)

What is 30 days of yoga?

It’s a unique online yoga course that brings the benefits of a yoga class (access to your teacher and connection to a yoga community) into your own home. The course includes:

• A beginners yoga practice. The practice comes in various formats (including video, audio and a written version). You download the practice to play on your computer or iPod and can keep it once the course is finished;
• For beginners, your yoga practice will be broken down into four short sections so that in week one you’ll only be starting with a ten minute practice. In week two we’ll build on that, adding another ten minutes. By the end of the 30 days you’ll have a full practice that you can continue to do alone.
• Weekly recordings of me talking with past participants, addressing the kinds of issues that tend to come up in each week of the practice.
• Daily emails from me throughout the 30 days addressing the main challenges people face in establishing a regular home yoga practice, with practical tips and gentle encouragement to help you overcome them.
• The option of being allocated an online 30 days of yoga buddy for encouragement and accountability, I’ve seen how this can really help people with their commitment to the practice (because people can start the course whenever they want, you may not get a buddy immediately and they may be on a different ‘day’ to you);
• Use of a special Twitter hashtag for daily encouragement from me and other participants and to share your progress.
• An e-book containing all the written materials from the course.

‘I’m so crazy about the way you teach. It’s absolutely different than every teacher I’ve ever tried. I understand everything you’re talking about and I feel inspired. You’re amazing.’

- Dr. Brené Brown, author of I Thought It Was Just Me and The Gifts of Imperfection

“Wowza. This is all so deeply thought out and thorough and beautiful. Impressive!”

- Danielle La Porte creator of the Fire Starter Sessions

Heard all you need to hear? Dying to get to the bit with the PayPal button? Click here to skip to the business end of this page.

What does it cost?

The price is US$100. If cost is a barrier for you, I offer the option of paying in four weekly installments of $25 over the course of your 30 Days of Yoga. NB: If you choose the installment option, please be sure to read the special instructions.

When does it start?

You can start whenever you want. The last group edition of 30 Days of Yoga began on 14 May 2012 and the next group edition of the course is likely to take place in September or October 2012. But if you don’t feel the need to be part of a big group, you can start now. The course starts with a week of preparatory lessons and your ’30 Days of Yoga’ properly begins one week after you sign up.

Optional Extended Coaching from Marianne

I’m always available to answer quick questions if you’re stuck in your practice. But sometimes you need a bit more help. If you’d like my one-on-one help to choose the right practice for you, you anticipate that you’ll have lots of questions about your practice, you have unusual challenges, or if you simply would like to have a bit of one-on-one time with me by email through your 30 days, I’m available to coach you by email. For a total of $240USD, you’ll get the full 30 Days of Yoga membership plus up to 2 hours of email coaching through your 30 days to maximize the good your practice is doing.

Will it work for you?

If you are ready for it, it will. This is a course about making a small but significant change to your regular daily routines. You don’t have to practice yoga every day, but if you decide to practice three times a week, you are going to need to make changes for that to happen. I’m confident that I have the insights, the tools and the compassion to support you to make those changes – but you need to want to make them. If you are ready, then this course will work for you. I’ve had all sorts of people do the 30 days of yoga: from brand new beginner yogis who have never done a yoga class in their life to yoga veterans who have been practicing for 20 years but struggle to get a regular home practice going. The common factor amongst those who are able to establish their own home practice through this course was that they set a clear intention to do so. Once you are clear on your intention, the rest will flow. We’ll talk more about that in the course. In terms of physical ability, this course is suitable for 95% of people. For more information and to find out who the other 5% are, read these answers to frequently asked questions.

“Like so many others, I struggled to establish a consistent yoga practiced for nearly a decade. Midway through the 30 Day program, I had a breakthrough in my practice — seeing results both physically and emotionally. If you have wanted to establish your own yoga practice but failed to find a teacher who could design a program suited to your present needs and abilities, you can’t go wrong with Marianne. Marianne’s 30 Days of Yoga program is simply the best money I’ve ever spent. And it’s ridiculously affordable for the value it provides.”

– Brigitte Lyons (read Brigitte’s full review of the 30 days of yoga course)

“I love this program in more ways than I could ever count. I stumbled upon it at a time when my body was craving movement, but I just couldn’t seem to do it. The program was a godsend for me. I’m definitely continuing my practice and usually daily, even if it’s just savasana, meditating for 10 minutes. More often than not, I go through my whole program and feel such joy when I finish. For the first time, yoga isn’t just exercise for me – it’s so much more and that’s what will keep me going to the mat now that this is over.”

- Maribeth Doer (read a full review of 30 days by Maribeth here)

How do I know whether to do the Beginner or Standard version?

Many beginners have been through my standard 30 days of yoga course. Although most were thrilled with the results, a few told me that it was a little bit overwhelming at first. Which is totally understandable, and not at all necessary. It’s possible to begin your practice of yoga with the smallest, least intimidating steps imaginable. That’s what this course is all about!

How is it different?

• I’m breaking the practice down into more manageable chunks. Rather than getting one full 45 minute practice in the first week, you’ll get a ten minute video to start with. In the second week I’ll add ten more minutes to the practice and you’ll be able to download the entire twenty minutes as one complete practice. We’ll continue like that until you have a full 45 minute practice at the end of the 30 days.
• While you’ll receive many of the same posts and emails and the other participants there will be some especially written for beginners, addressing the issues that come up when we are just starting out with yoga.

Sold? No questions left? Click here to skip to the business end of this page.

“Here’s how [30 days of yoga] has helped me… I am much more body aware as I work through my day; I utilize breath and breathing as a transition to a different mindset through out the day; I have much much less neck pressure and pain because of my posture improvement and body awareness; in fact, I reorganized my computer work station to incorporate the new way I am sitting and am postured!”

Mary Anne Radmacher, author of Live with Intention

What are the benefits of yoga?

Studies have shown that yoga can help improve physical strength and endurance as well as improved balance and flexibility. Research also shows that a regular yoga practice (including postures, breathing and meditation) can offer relief from asthma, chronic back pain, arthritis, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder amongst other problems. For many of us, the most valuable benefits of yoga are effective stress management and better sleep.

What if I still have questions?

If you have more questions (Do I have to do yoga every day? How do I get the video? How long are the practices?) check out my FAQ page where I answer all those questions and more. If you still have questions, please email me (marianne at marianne-elliott dot com) and I’ll be pleased to help out.

Want to get a peek at my teaching style before you sign up?

You can get a free sample video (Yoga for Bloggers and Writers, which I designed for desk jockeys like us to do throughout the day) by signing up for my mailing list. I don’t send many messages, just the really good stuff: exclusive deals and VIP access to special events.

Read the rave reviews

More testimonials here

BEFORE YOU PURCHASE: If you are pregnant, or if you have been told by a physician or yoga teacher that there is a reason why practicing yoga may be particularly difficult or dangerous, please contact me before you sign up for the course. Your safety is of utmost importance to me.

Meet the team

Marianne

I’m a yoga teacher, writer and human rights advocate based in New Zealand. I teach at Yoga Unlimited here in Wellington, NZ and run donation-based community yoga classes through Yoga Sangha. Most of my teacher training was in Shiva Rea’s intuitive, flowing style of hatha yoga known as Prana Flow although I have also studied with teachers in the Iyengar, Astanga, Anusara, Sivananda, Satyananda and Vinyasa Flow traditions or styles. You can read more about my yoga lineage here. Above all else, I believe in the power of kindness as a central teaching force and that we are ultimately each our own best teacher. So although I will offer clarity and instruction in appropriate alignment, I will always do so with compassion and I will respect your instincts about your body and your practice.

Jess

Jess Larsen is the technical and administrative wonder-woman who helps me make sure that the 30 days of yoga experience goes as smoothly as possibly for you, and who helps me find time for my own yoga practice and self-care. Jess is your first and best bet on any technical issues related to registering for this course, or any problems or questions you might have about the logistics of the course itself either before you register or once you are under way. I may be the world’s expert on struggling to establish a home yoga practice and a boundless source of compassion when it comes to your efforts to get on the mat, but I am quite possibly the worst person to ask if you are having trouble downloading the videos, or accessing the members page. That’s what Jess is here for. And for that I am eternally grateful.

Jess is also a yogini, so she’s the perfect person to work with me on this course and she won’t mind at all if you slip a little bit of yoga chat into your conversations about PayPal or passwords. For any technical or administrative questions about this course, please don’t hesitate to email Jess: jess at marianne-elliott dot com

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