Five Points Yoga

The Yoga Odyssey is a 28-day online yoga program designed to help you create a daily yoga practice. The Yoga Odyssey encourages you to explore home practice and commit to creating a positive yoga habit in your life! The Yoga Odyssey regularly costs $40, and the next Yoga Odyssey begins January 10, 2010 (future Yoga Odyssey scheduled for July 2010). Click the “Buy Now” button to the right to sign up.

One daily inspirational email, 1 weekly sequence and podcast (MP3), an online bulletin board to chat with the other participants, and further yoga resource recommendations (books, internet sites, dvds, etc).

Every day, you will receive a daily email. They are the heart of the Yoga Odyssey. The emails range in content: some are instructional (here’s how to do this posture); philosophical (reviewing basic tenets of the yoga system); anecdotal (stories from my yoga experiences and teachings); poetic (inspiring quotes and passages); and some motivational (you can do it! Try this today!).

Here’s an example of a daily email.

The weekly sequences are 30-40 minute practices. You will receive 2 gentle and 2 active sequences over the course of the Yoga Odyssey,which you can combine together to create longer practices if desired. They are entirely optional to use. MP3 podcasts and PDF pictures are available online and you will be directed to download them at the beginning of each week of the Yoga Odyssey.

Here’s a short sample of a weekly sequence.

The bulletin board is designed to help us plug in to collective wisdom. Some people find the bboard invaluable for staying motivated, but as with everythingthing in the program, it is optional. Participants write varied postings on the bboard, ranging from information about why they’re doing the Yoga Odyssey, to questions they have about yoga, to observations they have about their practice.

Simple instructions for creating an account will be sent to you when you register for the Yoga Odyssey.

Most people don’t use all parts of the Yoga Odyssey. This program contains *a lot* of material to digest in 28 days!

Some participants have been overwhelmed by the volume of resources that are offered. Take what works for you and use it. Don’t lose sight of the simple goal of the program: to get some yoga into your life every day.

Everything is yours to keep! Content will be removed from the website after the Yoga Odyssey ends, but you can keep all daily emails, all the PDFs with the picture sequences, and all the podcasts downloaded from the web to your computer. Many participants have created a binder of the content and continue to use it as inspiration after the Yoga Odyssey ends.

That’s the idea! No one can look over your shoulder and make sure you’re practicing every day, but that is the commitment. On some days, your practice might just be a few quiet moments in child’s pose, or sitting in meditation, sometimes even at your office desk.

It doesn’t matter what it is, but try for this month to create some yoga time every day. You’re creating a yoga habit that will stick with you long after the program ends.

No! Quality and intention is so much more important than what you actually do or for how long. A few minutes in Child’s pose can be very powerful!

That being said, try to use this month to expand your horizons into longer practices. As potent as a short practice can be, a long practice really builds our stamina and resolve, and can make you feel amazing for days!

Absolutely! Other people giving you guidance and ideas is invaluable! Because you’re practicing every day for a month, it’s really nice to go to classes, and get the energy of practicing with someone else.

Recorded classes are a great way to get some ideas as well. Use the podcasts that I offer, or get some others. I have a list of resources that you receive with the Yoga Odyssey.

Nope. It’s just recommended, as are all the other internet resources that are included in the extra materials. Most days, at the bottom of the daily email, I’ll give you some suggested reading from the book.

Yes. Get clearance from your doctor, but anyone can participate in the Yoga Odyssey! However, it’s important to know that the Yoga Odyssey doesn’t teach you how to do yoga so much as it encourages you to show up and do it!

Therefore, it may be best to get a yoga DVD that is suitable for you (a beginner’s DVD if you’re new to yoga, or a prenatal yoga DVD if you are pregnant for example), and perhaps the recommended book. It’s also recommended that you try out a few classes during the Yoga Odyssey if feasible for you.

The podcasts I provide are also great to explore yoga with, but the active sequences may be too challenging for some people. The gentle sequences are gentle, but still may have postures that don’t feel appropriate for you at present.

Yes. Get clearance from your doctor, but anyone can participate in the Yoga Odyssey! However, it’s important to know that the Yoga Odyssey doesn’t teach you *how* to do yoga so much as it encourages you to show up and do it!

Therefore, it may be best to get a yoga DVD that is suitable for you (a beginner’s DVD if you’re new to yoga, or a prenatal yoga DVD if you are pregnant for example), and perhaps the recommended book. It’s also recommended that you try out a few classes during the Yoga Odyssey if feasible for you.

The podcasts I provide are also great to explore yoga with, but the active sequences may be too challenging for some people. The gentle sequences are gentle, but still may have postures that don’t feel appropriate for you at present.

Yes. Get clearance from your doctor, but anyone can participate in the Yoga Odyssey! However, it’s important to know that the Yoga Odyssey doesn’t teach you *how* to do yoga so much as it encourages you to show up and do it!

Therefore, it may be best to get a yoga DVD that is suitable for you (a beginner’s DVD if you’re new to yoga, or a prenatal yoga DVD if you are pregnant for example), and perhaps the recommended book. It’s also recommended that you try out a few classes during the Yoga Odyssey if feasible for you.

The podcasts I provide are also great to explore yoga with, but the active sequences may be too challenging for some people. The gentle sequences are gentle, but still may have postures that don’t feel appropriate for you at present.