---

Chapter 4: Yoga

Summary: How I Learned Yoga

• I acquired the necessary equipment: a mat, strap, and block.
• I spent a few hours with an experienced instructor to learn the basics and correct major misconceptions.
• I learned that yoga practice is focused on moving through poses while focusing on the breath.
• I learned a basic vinyasa sequence of poses (the “Sun Salutation”), 10 common standing poses, and 10 common seated poses.
• I learned basic breathing techniques (pranayama) that make it easier to stay focused on the breath while practicing.
• I learned to prevent injury by paying attention to my body, modifying poses as necessary, avoiding over-extension, and avoiding unnecessary weight on the cervical spine.
• I practiced until I was able to complete the sequence from memory, which takes around 25 minutes.

Yoga Diagrams

If you're listening to the audiobook edition of The First 20 Hours, you can't see the pose diagrams. Click the button below to check them out.

View the yoga pose diagrams

The Sun Salutation Sequence

Here's a nice overview of the "Sun Salutation" (surya namaskara) sequence of poses that make up the core of vinyasa-style yoga practice. This video was created by Lily Cushman, founder of the Brooklyn Yoga School.

The "Fuzz Speech" by Dr. Gil Hedley

This is the anatomy video that I mentioned in the Yoga chapter of The First 20 Hours that caught my attention. (NOTE: contains images of a human cadaver, so skip this if you're squeamish.)

---

---

---