Yoga with Adriene - can't do step 1

[Scarby9]

Following advice on various threads here, I decided to try 30 days of yoga with Adriene to kickstart the new year.

I have never previously done any yoga.

At the start of the Day 1 video, she pulls her left heel in and tucks the right heel in front, putting her knees almost to the floor.

I cannot begin to do that.
Not anywhere near.
Even sitting on several books.
My knees remain stubbornly around or above my elbows.

Does that mean I am not ready for yoga, or can anyone suggested a modified starting position?
Does it matter?

@Magnificentbeast I think you might find it here but when I tried cutting and pasting the url it had gazillions of letters! This is my first experience of Adriene. I am a day behind too, but I was surprised at how challenging the programme is. I wouldn't recommend for beginners - you'd be best going to a studio with a qualified teacher who could recommend adjustments and have lots of blocks in different sizes to help. On the plus side if you have experience of yoga, then the 30 min sessions are perfect (and I've been doing various paid for classes on zoom throughout covid).

Are the daily sessions in the January programme all around 30 mins?

Usually (I have done all her other 30 day series.) Sometimes, there will be a shorter one of 15 - 20 minutes as a bit of a rest day, and the last day is usually about 45 - 50 minutes, I think. They're all online, so you could check.

Thank you!

At the start of the Day 1 video, she pulls her left heel in and tucks the right heel in front, putting her knees almost to the floor.

If this is the 2022 sequence ("Move") she starts in a cross-legged pose. I'm pretty flexible (can do the splits, touch my toes really easily etc) but I find sitting cross-legged really uncomfortable. I have to wriggle around, and adjust the distance of my heels from my groin and so on.

The main thing about this pose is precisely when it's difficult - I think because many of us sit at desks etc our hip flexors get really messed up. So just have your knees up as long as you are thinking about straightening your spine & grounding your sits bones (the bony bit of the back of the pelvis that we sit on!) into the floor.

And breathe!

I know for me, my anticipation of the discomfort of sitting cross-legged adds to the difficulty, so really do use your breath to help you - think consciously of relaxing right inside your hip joint as your breathe out.

I find it helps me to close my eyes as I sort of go inside my body.

I think we spend too much time thinking of our bodies & our minds as separate - they're not. We are our bodies. Yoga (or any sort of movement) helps us realise this.

I ended up with lower back pain after day 1. I think it was the downward dog pose. I am not flexible at all
I've moved onto a beginner yoga app. The downward dog starts with bent knees in the app