Despite all the mind-body benefits of daily yoga practice, between work obligations, your regular fitness routine, and ahem your prestige television habit, you’re lucky if you squeeze in one session on your mat per week—let alone 14 days in a row.
But what if we told you 14 is actually the magic number for converting your yoga practice into something you’ll crave on the reg (rather than a fallback for when you’re too sore for spin class or have leftover ClassPass credits)?
That’s the logic behind the Commune’s “Yoga for All” course, which invites users to soak up all the Zen vibes during two weeks of (free!) online yoga sessions led by YouTube superstar Adriene Mishler.
“Sweating next to someone (even digitally) creates a special kind of bond.”
According to Jeff Krasno, co-founder and CEO of Commune (which is basically your all-access pass to wellness experts on the internet) the course is designed to jumpstart your practice—whether you’ve been at it for years or have never set foot on a mat.
“I love the idea of hundreds of thousands of people from around the world engaging in a transformational journey at the same time,” Krasno says. “Being a part of any community is more important than ever. As a society, we long for connection and belonging, to find a place where there is trust and where we can be vulnerable. Sweating next to someone (even digitally) creates a special kind of bond.”
Scroll down for the lowdown on the yoga course that promises to be a game-changer for your practice.
How it works
To kick off National Yoga Month, starting on September 10 participants in the course will receive a daily email directing them to the video for that day’s yoga practice. You can access the video at any time or anywhere during the day (lunch-break yoga sesh, anyone?) and Mishler will guide you through a 20-minute, open-level session designed to be accessible for everyone from yoga newbies to inversion masters.
On top of the videos, you also get access to the community section of Commune’s website, where you can connect with other yogis—because you can never have too many workout besties.
What’s in it for you
“First off, it’s Adriene,” Krasno says (point taken). “She just opens the door to everyone in such a special, inviting and warm way. She makes yoga not feel scary or inaccessible.” Basically, if you’re looking for a jumping off point for your yoga journey, this course was made for you.
“If we can get more people into [yoga] then I think we’ll have a healthier society.”
Second, it’s a legit way to expand your network of fitness-obsessed friends. “Commune has built a platform that lets people identify and connect with folks who live near them who are also enrolled in the Yoga for All course,” Krasno says. “Our goal is to empower passionate people to create local meet-ups in their own towns around these shared practices.”
Third, you get all the feel-good benefits of two straight weeks of an active routine. “Yoga brings so much—strength, flexibility, and focus. It alleviates stress and helps people to sleep,” Krasno says. “If we can get more people into the practice then I think we’ll have a healthier society.” What’s not to love about that?
Why Commune?
Before Commune was founded, Krasno was searching for a way to help people connect their personal wellness with the overall well-being of society. He saw how his wife used her yoga studio near Ground Zero to help support people after September 11, and he wanted to give people access to that healing globally.
“It’s not enough to focus only on our own personal wellness when society is unhealthy,” he says. “We need to bring our healthiest, best selves into our communities and engage and uplift.”
From there, he and his co-founders were inspired to create a platform where people could connect over their shared passions in the interest of both supporting each other and developing a healthier world. But to make sure that everyone could tap into the healing benefits, Commune was designed around a democratized method of yoga (hence the Yoga for All course name).
“I hope that people discover gems of wisdom, new inspiring ideas, and great practices that they can apply to their own lives,” he says. “I hope folks bring yoga to senior centers, plant a community garden, introduce vets to meditation. I hope we can be part of a global wellness movement that can help heal society from the ground up.”
In partnership with Commune
Photos: Adriene Mishler/Commune
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