Too often in yoga practice flexibility is being advanced at the expense of stability. Excessive stretching is rarely useful because it leads to overall structural instability, overworked muscles that have to both move the body and hold it together, sacroiliac joint pain, dislocations and so on. Instead, we want to focus on strengthening the muscles that help the body maintain its structural integrity, so that it stays properly balanced both at rest and in motion.

By moving in and out of the pose we increase circulation to larger skeletal muscles and surrounding tissues. Muscles are designed to contract and relax in succession; doing repetitive movements in a yoga practice helps us to dynamically warm up the body, lubricate our connective tissues (fascia, joints, ligament, etc.), minimize the risk of injury, develop healthy muscle tone, release chronic muscle contraction and improve range of motion.

Every pose has a classical form; those are the images that we are used to seeing in yoga publications and doing in yoga classes. But in many poses we can change the form slightly by repositioning the arms or legs, for example, creating a Pose Adaptation. By altering the form of the pose we can achieve a drastically different structural effect and target specific body area with more precision.

By paying attention to how our body feels at every point of the practice, we learn to differentiate between different types of sensations. This helps us better understand our physical, physiological and mental-emotional responses, and, eventually, regulate them.

This series consists of 15 chapters. Each chapter introduces a specific body area (like neck or back, hips or knees) and includes an introductory video about it and a 20 to 40-minute yoga practice specifically for that area. Each chapter also features an in-depth article (or two!) with reasoning for why we do what we do in our yoga practice, and how to make it more effective. We put all those articles together into a handy 67-page pdf file to give you a fuller picture of how your body works, and how you can take care of it with your yoga practice.

You can do the practices included in this series in order, or pick and choose the ones you need most. In each practice we will use movement, breath and awareness to attend to every part of your body, so that your entire structure becomes more stable and your movement more fluid, so that you get rid of physical discomfort, and continue to cultivate physical agility and resilience.

When you follow the videos, please be sure to pay attention to small details and specific instructions—in yoga how you do movements is just as important as what you do. You will also need to move with your breath and keep your attention focused on the target area to avoid injury and get the most out of each pose. Try to stay present with your experience and notice how each movement impacts the body. And if you experience pain while attempting any movement—stop, evaluate, skip it for the time being, and rest in a comfortable position for few breaths before you continue. You can try it again next time and see if your sensations change.

Hi there! My name is Olga Kabel. I’ve been practicing and teaching yoga for almost two decades. Over this period of time, as yoga had carried me over life’s peaks and valleys, I came to realize that yoga to me is not about achieving a particular physique, but more about how I handle life’s challenges, big and small, that get thrown my way. It is also about finding joy and contentment in everyday moments. To me, yoga is not just a thing to do, but a place to be—it’s a state of feeling more centered, more awake, and more aware of my experiences. This is why I practice yoga, and this is how I teach it. This is why I’ve made yoga both my profession and a way of life.

I don’t want you to miss out on the full potential of what yoga has to offer. Regular yoga practice has the power to transform any area of your life for the better. One thing that’s always fascinated me about yoga is its ability to affect change. We all know change is inevitable—our bodies and our lives go through it every single day. We cannot stop change (no matter how hard we try), but through our yoga practice, we can affect the direction of change. This redirection doesn’t need to be dramatic—even the slightest one will set you on an entirely new course. And this can show up in any area of your life, whether it’s your health, your work, your relationships, or your experiences of joy and contentment.