30 days of yoga for busy people

Are you too busy to do yoga?

Have you ever looked at a yoga class or course and thought to yourself: “That’s probably exactly what I need to do to lose this constant tension in my shoulders, that pain in my lower back or this constant feeling of anxiety. But how would I find time for that? I’m overwhelmed as it is!”

Trust me, you are not alone.

I love yoga. Seriously. I love the difference it makes to my body, mind and spirit when I set aside 90 minutes for a full, deep practice. I also love the difference even five minutes of conscious breathing can make when I’m getting caught up in the chaos.

I think yoga may actually have saved my life. I’m certain it saved my sanity. I’d been dabbling in yoga for years but I finally took the plunge and committed to my own home practice of yoga when I was working as a human rights officer with the United Nations in Afghanistan. My life was chaotic and my body, mind and spirit where in crisis. Yoga was my lifeline.

So now I’m seriously, perhaps even annoyingly, enthusiastic about yoga. And I consider it my privilege and my responsibility to help others find a way to incorporate yoga into their lives, no matter how chaotic or busy they may be. Which is why I created this course.

If you are too busy to do yoga, you are not alone. And this course is for you.

“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)

This course challenges the idea that ‘yoga’ can only happen in a yoga studio, or on a sticky mat, or in chunks of 45 minutes. It breaks yoga down into super short, simple and yet still very powerful practices ranging in length from one to twenty minutes.

My mission is to prove to you that you are never too busy for yoga, that yoga will come and meet you exactly where you are: even if that’s in Overwhelm, OH.

To do that I’ve created yoga practices you can do anywhere at all (including invisible, stealthy yoga practices you can do without your cubicle mates even knowing), practices you can do at your computer (although we do encourage leaving the computer if possible) and short, simple sequences of poses you can do in the morning and evening.

Making the yoga kinder, not just shorter

The practices are short. That’s part of the secret. But my theory is that it’s not only a lack of time that keeps busy people from doing something like yoga. I’ve taught more than 600 people yoga through my online courses and what I’ve learned is that we ALL give ourselves a hard time about the things we think we should be doing.

You know what I mean? Ever feel like the mean girls from high-school have hijacked your brain? Have you ever berated yourself for not doing enough exercise, or not being a more ‘mindful’ mother, lover or friend? Ever looked at those ‘other’ people who seem to be able to run a home, manage a small business, raise a family and still turn up to yoga class every morning looking ‘slim, calm and sexy’ and wondered why you couldn’t keep up?

Believe me, you are not alone. And this course is for you.

When we judge ourselves harshly for our perceived failure to do something like practice yoga, the cruel fact is that we are just making it harder to  keep ourselves motivated. Kindness, on the other hand is very motivating. So my courses are kind and they encourage you to be kind to yourself too.

• Yoga that is simple, short and kind…
• Yoga designed to fit into even the busiest life…
• Daily reminders, tips and encouragement delivered to your inbox…

That’s 30 Days of Yoga for People Too Busy To Do Yoga in a nutshell.

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“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 Tiny Truths

30 Days of Yoga for People Too Busy To Do Yoga works 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, transformative, compassionate approach that 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!

If you are a brand-new beginner at yoga, you may prefer to do the 30 days of yoga beginners version. It was designed based on feedback from dozens of beginners who have done the standard 30 days of yoga course. If you are SUPER busy and worried that you won’t have time for the Beginners course, know that the first week’s practice is only 10 minutes long and you can stick with just that practice for the entire 30 days.

If you already have even the most basic familiarity with yoga, please feel free to start with this version. For more help choosing which version is right for you, you can read my answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

Dear Marianne, Last year I did your 30 days busy yoga course, which was amazing. I still use the videos and my daughter, who is 3 1/2 years old and going through a rough time at the nursery, started joining me when I practice. Here’s a picture of her, happy, following your instructions. Thank you, Marianne, your yoga courses are truly wonderful

- Marcela

What is 30 days of yoga for busy people?

It’s a streamlined version of my standard online yoga course designed specifically to help people with full, busy lives fit yoga into their days. It’s informed by research evidence that just ten minutes of yoga a day has more beneficial effects than doing nothing at all, and even more benefit than one long class per week. The course includes:

30 Days of Yoga for People Too Busy To Do Yoga includes:

• A selection of short yoga practices ranging in duration from one to twenty minutes, including grounding, breathing and short simple sequences of poses specifically designed for: energising; relaxing; and undoing the damage from spending too much time at a computer.
• Daily emails from me with encouragement and tips for fitting these short yoga practices into your busy day.
• Weekly recordings of me talking with past participants about the issues that tend to come up in each week of the practice.
• 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.

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

- Danielle La Porte, creator of the Fire Starter Sessions

‘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

Heard all you need to hear? Dying to get to the bit with the PayPal button? Click here to skip to the sign-up page.

What does it cost?

US$100 is the normal price. I know this is great value, but I also understand that we all go through times when $100 is hard to access all at once. So please email me if this price is inaccessible for you and we’ll work out a payment plan that works for both of us.

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, 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. The changes are small, but you are the only one who can make them 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 standard 30 days of yoga course: 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 30 days of yoga)

“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. 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)

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“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.

The good news for busy people is that the research suggests that even very short yoga practices (including the specific practices I will teach you in this course) done regularly can help bring about these benefits. A little bit of yoga, done often, will bring you more benefit than a long class once a week.

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.

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.

Want to get a peak 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.

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 (although I’m getting better!) 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 download speeds.

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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