Getting Started

Finding your way around the lab is simple.

For a complete workout, choose one "grounding and centering" practice, one "pranayama" practice, one or two "warmups", one or two "main sequences", an optional standing sequence or fun extra, one healing meditation, and then close your practice. Of course, you're free to mix and match, just work with one section, or focus on your favorites. Design the perfect workout for you!

Whatever you choose, remember to remember The Four Essentials:

  1. Work at your own pace but work slowly. There's no need to keep in time with me for every practice. You will likely need more time with each particular practice than the video provides; give it to yourself before starting the next selection. By taking your time, you'll have a chance to feel everything. This is crucial.
  2. If you hit resistance, good! That's where to "stop, breathe, and be". Never push beyond your comfort or strain to achieve "a look" or shape. You can always discover or create a way to modify something so it works for you, or at the very least, do something else that does. If you need help with learning how to vary poses, the Absolute Beginners Yoga Lab is a good place to start.
  3. Keep your broad awareness on your whole body, not just the part that's primarily INvolved. Sense the connections and unity of your miraculous organism. It can help to close your eyes, once you are familiar with a practice. If this makes you uncomfortable, however, the choice is always yours.
  4. Question everything. INquiry is a major part of the INtuitive Yoga Lab practice. Here are some ideas from the Absolute Beginners Yoga Lab to get you started:

During Your Practice

Has the body given permission?

Is it enjoying and gaining from the position?

Is this helping to liberate movement through my spine?

If there's resistance, where is it?

After Each Section

Am I confused about anything?

What do I feel in my body now?

What felt great and what didn’t?

Did I push or try too hard?

At the End of Your Workout

What messages did I receive from my body?

What do I need to keep doing or do more of?

What do I need to try or change next time?

What do I understand today that I didn't understand before?

You are now ready to enter the lab and begin desiging your very own yoga movement experiment. Have fun!


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