Follow our daily practice plan and you’ll get a better

body, a calmer mind, and a stronger spirit.

YOGA JOURNAL’S

Sure, we all wish change would happen

overnight, but the truth is it takes awhile

to form a new habit—and to get results.

But stick with it, and results you shall have.

The Yoga Sutra, an ancient Indian text,

is clear about this: Practice regularly over

time with sincerity and intention, and you

will see the fruits of your labor. We agree—

we’ve seen it work.

Yoga yields a specific kind of fitness,

tending toward leaner and more flexible

limbs. It boosts cardiovascular health and

leads to improvement on many physical-

health measures, from brain function to

blood sugar. (See “Feel Your Best,” page 12.)

We think six weeks is a sweet spot for

digging yourself a new groove—not for just

making yoga an ingrained way of life, but

for putting in the time and effort to see

these changes manifest. You’ll be a little

more centered, a little stronger. You might

see muscle where there was none; more

tone where there was flab. Yet let go of that

photography by David Martinez

controlling Western mindset that says, “I

will beat back fat! I will bulk up muscles!”

Simply allow space for yoga to work its

kinder, gentler body changes.

If you’re not sure how to do that, let this

issue show you. Just follow our recommen-

dations through six weeks to a fitter, happi-

er new you. (To see our plan, turn the page.)

We’ve arranged things so that you can start

off slowly, build strength as you go, and to-

ward the end of the plan, find yourself play-

ing with poses you might have once

thought out of reach. Arm balances? You

can do it! Deep backbends? Done! Even

Lotus Pose may be accessible to you. You’ll

be surprised at what you can achieve after

only six weeks of consistent, focused, daily

practice. Take time for meditation every

day, and your mood may shape up, too.

In other words, you’ll be fit in body,

mind, and spirit. Yoga delivers benefits that

no other form of exercise can touch. Enjoy!

Ĩ7KH(GLWRUV

6

WEEK

YOGA

GUIDE

8 YOGAJOURNAL.COM YOUR 6-WEEK YOGA GUIDE TO BUILD STRENGTH