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Get Your Yoga On: 30 Days to Build a Practice That Fits Your Body and Your Life
Challenge yourself to practice yoga five minutes a day with this inclusive beginner’s guide to 30 foundational yoga poses and sequences — for everyone and every body
Yoga is a healthful, stress-busting, powerfully life-changing practice that is truly for everyone! You don’t need to be young, flexible, or athletic to do yoga—and you don’t need to spend hours on the mat. You just need to be yourself and commit to practicing at least five minutes a day.
Here, renowned yogi Kino MacGregor presents a basic, self-paced plan to encourage you to try each of the thirty foundational poses included and slowly build a regular yoga practice. Through step-by-step instructions, over two hundred color photographs, and modifications for different body types and abilities, Kino makes yoga possible at whatever level you may be. By challenging yourself for just five minutes a day, you will end up learning a strong, basic yoga sequence that you can grow and adapt for a lifetime of yoga.
Yoga is a healthful, stress-busting, powerfully life-changing practice that is truly for everyone! You don’t need to be young, flexible, or athletic to do yoga—and you don’t need to spend hours on the mat. You just need to be yourself and commit to practicing at least five minutes a day.
Here, renowned yogi Kino MacGregor presents a basic, self-paced plan to encourage you to try each of the thirty foundational poses included and slowly build a regular yoga practice. Through step-by-step instructions, over two hundred color photographs, and modifications for different body types and abilities, Kino makes yoga possible at whatever level you may be. By challenging yourself for just five minutes a day, you will end up learning a strong, basic yoga sequence that you can grow and adapt for a lifetime of yoga.
- GenresFitnessNonfiction
176 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2020
12 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 15, 2020
This book is exactly the kind of book I wish I’d had at hand when I started doing yoga again two summers ago: a book that is clear, approchable, inclusive but also challenging and honest.
This book explores the 30 foundational poses (after a while, you realize a lot of asanas are variations or evolution of other poses – so if you know that set, working towards the more advanced or funky versions is a lot more intuitive), and how to go from the beginner’s to the more advanced way of doing it. And to be fair, sometimes, no matter how long you’ve been doing yoga, you get a tired or off-balanced day and your body just won’t do that pose it’s been doing for years.
MacGregor reminds readers that the asanas themselves are tools, and not goals. At the risk of sounding exactly like my dad, the super-hippie-yoga-teacher, working towards the full asana is a journey you take with your body as you explore and push back the limits of your strength, balance and flexibility, but it can’t really be rushed – something many yoga books (or classes) do not emphasize enough. In that spirit, she sets realistic expectations: it may take months (and yes, sometimes years) to completely master some poses, and trying too hard and too fast does nothing but lead over-eager students to frustrations and injuries.
I loved seeing the poses demonstrated by diverse models – not just skin tones, but shapes and ages, as well. It’s easy to be intimidated by advanced asanas in yoga books, but it’s just as discouraging never to see people that look like you in those books, and I am very happy that the trend of tiny blond contortionist yoga models is finally making way for a more realistic representation.
It’s not a perfect book: since it’s clearly aimed at beginners, I wish it had also included a little section about warm-up exercises (which are just as important as a gentle approach and modifications to prevent injuries) and a recommended reading list to direct students towards works that explore the other limbs of Yoga a bit more deeply, but regardless, this book will be very useful and very motivational people who are new to asana practice, or who want a fresh perspective on the foundational poses.
This book explores the 30 foundational poses (after a while, you realize a lot of asanas are variations or evolution of other poses – so if you know that set, working towards the more advanced or funky versions is a lot more intuitive), and how to go from the beginner’s to the more advanced way of doing it. And to be fair, sometimes, no matter how long you’ve been doing yoga, you get a tired or off-balanced day and your body just won’t do that pose it’s been doing for years.
MacGregor reminds readers that the asanas themselves are tools, and not goals. At the risk of sounding exactly like my dad, the super-hippie-yoga-teacher, working towards the full asana is a journey you take with your body as you explore and push back the limits of your strength, balance and flexibility, but it can’t really be rushed – something many yoga books (or classes) do not emphasize enough. In that spirit, she sets realistic expectations: it may take months (and yes, sometimes years) to completely master some poses, and trying too hard and too fast does nothing but lead over-eager students to frustrations and injuries.
I loved seeing the poses demonstrated by diverse models – not just skin tones, but shapes and ages, as well. It’s easy to be intimidated by advanced asanas in yoga books, but it’s just as discouraging never to see people that look like you in those books, and I am very happy that the trend of tiny blond contortionist yoga models is finally making way for a more realistic representation.
It’s not a perfect book: since it’s clearly aimed at beginners, I wish it had also included a little section about warm-up exercises (which are just as important as a gentle approach and modifications to prevent injuries) and a recommended reading list to direct students towards works that explore the other limbs of Yoga a bit more deeply, but regardless, this book will be very useful and very motivational people who are new to asana practice, or who want a fresh perspective on the foundational poses.
June 24, 2020
I’ve wanted to start a yoga practice for some time, so I eagerly grabbed this new guide by master yoga teacher Kino MacGregor. What a joy to read!
It’s perfect for beginners of all ages and especially for this aging newbie who loves the idea of slowly building a practice over 30 days. You’ll learn 30 foundational poses through easy-to-understand instructions and 200+ color photos. (Always easier to learn by seeing!) Different ability levels and body types are addressed, so anyone can learn this powerful practice. I found this especially helpful for my aching back.
You also get free access to an online companion course — a treat!
I’ve happily “got my yoga on” now and encourage anyone who wants to start or enhance a yoga practice to read this wonderful guide. 5 Enthusiastic Stars!
Pub Date 01 Sep 2020
Thanks to Shambhala Publications, Inc. and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#GetYourYogaOn #NetGalley
It’s perfect for beginners of all ages and especially for this aging newbie who loves the idea of slowly building a practice over 30 days. You’ll learn 30 foundational poses through easy-to-understand instructions and 200+ color photos. (Always easier to learn by seeing!) Different ability levels and body types are addressed, so anyone can learn this powerful practice. I found this especially helpful for my aching back.
You also get free access to an online companion course — a treat!
I’ve happily “got my yoga on” now and encourage anyone who wants to start or enhance a yoga practice to read this wonderful guide. 5 Enthusiastic Stars!
Pub Date 01 Sep 2020
Thanks to Shambhala Publications, Inc. and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#GetYourYogaOn #NetGalley
June 29, 2020
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of the book via netgalley!
As someone who practices yoga, I have seen lots of books on yoga and its poses. I have to say this book is refreshing on so many levels! First, finally the poses are demonstrated by individuals with DIVERSE body weights and types! So so happy to see that! Also happy to see that this book explains each pose in different strengths levels (from if you are able to undertake the pose to if you need assistance from a block to a chair). Yoga is so inclusive and yet has such a bad stereotype associated to it that only skinny athletic beyond belief people can practice it...everyone can practice it and this book clearly encourages it! Highly recommended for anyone even just curious about yoga!
As someone who practices yoga, I have seen lots of books on yoga and its poses. I have to say this book is refreshing on so many levels! First, finally the poses are demonstrated by individuals with DIVERSE body weights and types! So so happy to see that! Also happy to see that this book explains each pose in different strengths levels (from if you are able to undertake the pose to if you need assistance from a block to a chair). Yoga is so inclusive and yet has such a bad stereotype associated to it that only skinny athletic beyond belief people can practice it...everyone can practice it and this book clearly encourages it! Highly recommended for anyone even just curious about yoga!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2020
Very nice yoga book to try at home. During this quarantine I've been wanting to try yoga at home and I found this book very useful. It teaches you 30 yoga positions with photos so you can make sure you're doing the right thing. It also tells you what each positions is and shows you some variations. This book is pretty easy to follow. Very nice,
I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
August 15, 2020
I have been practicing yoga for the past 25 on and off - more off than on sometimes and always at the beginner to intermediate level. The trouble is that the books always show the poses as done by the advanced or expert yogi which does not do much good for the beginner, who really needs to see what is incrementally attainable as s/he develops a yoga practice. I can think back to many classes that did not help as the instructor would try to have us reach for the perfect asana.
Kino MacGregor understands very well that the beginning yoga student does not attain the perfect pose, nor should s/he work towards it right away. MacGregor has a refreshing outlook and approach to yoga that starts the beginner or the new student to “come to yoga from wherever you are.” Gone are the days of pictures of yogi with the perfect bodies and BMI, here we have a book where the pictures illustrating the asanas are students who are the real people in your class. One of the best lines of Get Your Yoga On that expresses MacGregors approach is “The perfect body for yoga practice is the one you have.”
“Perfect is the enemy of the good” wrote Voltaire, meaning for me that illustrating only the perfect yoga asanas does not necessarily help the new student. MacGregor understands this: For each of the asanas, she has a number of alternatives to the pose for which one or more may be achievable by the student. In each case, you will find a description accompanied by pictures illustrating students - not yogi - in the alternative poses. It is far more instructive to see someone you can identify with than just the yoga instructor. That is not to say the ideal pose is not valuable to see - each asana has an illustration of the ideal pose and the variations have illustrations of students and their ability to attain the pose. I think in this way, the reader can see the perfect pose, see variations that students can achieve and so the reader has a realistic plan for developing a practice of individual poses and a complete practice.
A strong feature of the book is that for each of the 30 poses, MacGregor starts with a photograph of the ideal pose and a description of how to get into the pose. This is followed by a number of alternate variations, with pictures of students in the pose. The photography is excellent, the choice of students is good as it demonstrates a variety of body types to the reader. The one detractor for me are references to muscles and muscle groups as this is probably lost to the lay reader. I think most people may know what a hamstring is, but not a deltoid. A short introduction to anatomy might help.
In summary though, don’t let this bother you. Buy the book and use it to it’s fullest. I can replace most of my yoga references with Get Your Yoga On. The yoga challenge as outlined in the book is a great way for the beginner or novice to get started and is an excellent modern-day reference for the more advanced practitioner.
I would like to thank the author, Shambala press and Edelweiss+ for the advanced reader copy of Get Your Yoga On. I have voluntarily left this review.
Kino MacGregor understands very well that the beginning yoga student does not attain the perfect pose, nor should s/he work towards it right away. MacGregor has a refreshing outlook and approach to yoga that starts the beginner or the new student to “come to yoga from wherever you are.” Gone are the days of pictures of yogi with the perfect bodies and BMI, here we have a book where the pictures illustrating the asanas are students who are the real people in your class. One of the best lines of Get Your Yoga On that expresses MacGregors approach is “The perfect body for yoga practice is the one you have.”
“Perfect is the enemy of the good” wrote Voltaire, meaning for me that illustrating only the perfect yoga asanas does not necessarily help the new student. MacGregor understands this: For each of the asanas, she has a number of alternatives to the pose for which one or more may be achievable by the student. In each case, you will find a description accompanied by pictures illustrating students - not yogi - in the alternative poses. It is far more instructive to see someone you can identify with than just the yoga instructor. That is not to say the ideal pose is not valuable to see - each asana has an illustration of the ideal pose and the variations have illustrations of students and their ability to attain the pose. I think in this way, the reader can see the perfect pose, see variations that students can achieve and so the reader has a realistic plan for developing a practice of individual poses and a complete practice.
A strong feature of the book is that for each of the 30 poses, MacGregor starts with a photograph of the ideal pose and a description of how to get into the pose. This is followed by a number of alternate variations, with pictures of students in the pose. The photography is excellent, the choice of students is good as it demonstrates a variety of body types to the reader. The one detractor for me are references to muscles and muscle groups as this is probably lost to the lay reader. I think most people may know what a hamstring is, but not a deltoid. A short introduction to anatomy might help.
In summary though, don’t let this bother you. Buy the book and use it to it’s fullest. I can replace most of my yoga references with Get Your Yoga On. The yoga challenge as outlined in the book is a great way for the beginner or novice to get started and is an excellent modern-day reference for the more advanced practitioner.
I would like to thank the author, Shambala press and Edelweiss+ for the advanced reader copy of Get Your Yoga On. I have voluntarily left this review.
July 30, 2020
I got to read/use this book early through NetGalley. This is a great reference guide, both for yogis at the beginning of their yoga journeys (but not brand new yogis, explained in more detail later) as well as seasoned practitioners of all types of yoga. The book starts with around 2o pages of introduction and a brief history of yoga as well as Kino's interpretation of the purpose and intention of yoga and meditation (which I agree with - that it's for literally for everyone and that it's an inward practice/journey, not a competition). The rest of the book is the practice, which includes 30 poses (plus a bonus pose of savasana), with excellent photos of various body types in the final pose and preparatory positions (as well as both photos of what upleveling or downleveling the pose look like, including with use of props). Kino recommends that everyone spends at least 5 minutes every day working on one or more of these poses.
The descriptions that accompany each pose and the photos (of how to get into poses and related information) are very clear, but it does require some minimal familiarity with basic yoga terminology, so I wouldn't recommend this book to absolute beginners. It doesn't replace going to a studio class and having a real teacher guide you in person. In the same vein, the book could also be a bit more user friendly as a reference guide by breaking up the long descriptive paragraphs of how to get into a pose (either accompany each step with a separate photo or use a numbered list or bullet points). It would also be helpful to categorize the poses so that readers know what they should look for if they want to work on a particular skill or open a certain area of the body. Other than Sun Salutations A and B, the poses don't appear to be in any particular order (although Kino recommends going through the book in sequence), so elaboration on why the poses were set up in this sequence and how it helps one's yoga practice would have been helpful. Overall though, the book is still a very good reference for beginners who've had a few a few in person yoga classes under their belt through long time practitioners. (Bonus: Kino's mom is a model in this book, she just started yoga at age 75, so pretty amazing!)
The descriptions that accompany each pose and the photos (of how to get into poses and related information) are very clear, but it does require some minimal familiarity with basic yoga terminology, so I wouldn't recommend this book to absolute beginners. It doesn't replace going to a studio class and having a real teacher guide you in person. In the same vein, the book could also be a bit more user friendly as a reference guide by breaking up the long descriptive paragraphs of how to get into a pose (either accompany each step with a separate photo or use a numbered list or bullet points). It would also be helpful to categorize the poses so that readers know what they should look for if they want to work on a particular skill or open a certain area of the body. Other than Sun Salutations A and B, the poses don't appear to be in any particular order (although Kino recommends going through the book in sequence), so elaboration on why the poses were set up in this sequence and how it helps one's yoga practice would have been helpful. Overall though, the book is still a very good reference for beginners who've had a few a few in person yoga classes under their belt through long time practitioners. (Bonus: Kino's mom is a model in this book, she just started yoga at age 75, so pretty amazing!)
July 7, 2020
I think this is a good yoga reference book. I appreciated the photos of each yoga pose with its common name as well as ideas for variations should you be unable or not wanting to do the regular pose. I did find it a bit wordy with each section under the pose and what it is as well as the Origin of Yoga and the Let's Get Started section. I enjoyed the variety of poses shown and the photos that show the actual pose as well as photos showing the variations you can do as well. I like at the end of the book how it has the list of poses and photos all in a row so if you wanted to create your own sequence or even just do some of the poses individually for stretching, its easy to do right from the photo rather than reading through each page again. I recommend this book for yoga newbies or those who enjoy very detailed descriptions of different yoga poses. It is also helpful for those wanting to do just one pose a day as the book indicates with 30 days of Yoga.
July 13, 2020
As someone who has practiced yoga since 2002, I really enjoyed this book for a multitude of reasons. The first was that it busts the common myth that yoga is easy and people should be naturals at it. Anyone who practices yoga knows that's the furthest thing from the truth. MacGregor was real and raw when explaining how some poses may be difficult and how it was okay if you struggled. I think it's really important for any level of yogi to recognize that. Another reason that I really enjoyed this book was how it showed poses for different shapes of bodies. Again, yoga is not one-size-fits-all and this book really illustrates that. I also really enjoyed the variety of poses. I think this is a fantastic book for ANY yogi whether they are just starting out or are seasoned veterans.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for my honest review.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for my honest review.
July 25, 2020
This book looks like a great reference for those who would like to begin a yoga practice. The author suggests starting with just five minutes a day as one learns thirty basic yoga poses. Just a few of those included are the Downward Facing Dog, the Locust Pose, the Pigeon Pose and the Pendant Rose.
The author presents yoga as something that everyone can do, not just the most svelte and fit among us. She provides a history of yoga at the beginning of the book. Next come suggestions of ways to best practice yoga and then, of course, the poses.
With many photos, following the directions is pretty easy. That is not the same as saying that the poses are easy but, of course, practice is at the heart of yoga.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
The author presents yoga as something that everyone can do, not just the most svelte and fit among us. She provides a history of yoga at the beginning of the book. Next come suggestions of ways to best practice yoga and then, of course, the poses.
With many photos, following the directions is pretty easy. That is not the same as saying that the poses are easy but, of course, practice is at the heart of yoga.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and Shambhala Publications for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
I recently returned to practicing yoga and was excited to get this ARC. The book does a good job of explaining 30 different yoga poses with 200 pictures. They show multiple variations and alternatives depending on your flexibility and practice level. I appreciate that there is a mix of models by body type and age.
Kino says “the quality of your effort is most important” and “the perfect body for yoga practice is the one you have.” This was an inclusive, positive book with clear instructions. I will keep referencing this book going forward to help improve my practice.
I recently returned to practicing yoga and was excited to get this ARC. The book does a good job of explaining 30 different yoga poses with 200 pictures. They show multiple variations and alternatives depending on your flexibility and practice level. I appreciate that there is a mix of models by body type and age.
Kino says “the quality of your effort is most important” and “the perfect body for yoga practice is the one you have.” This was an inclusive, positive book with clear instructions. I will keep referencing this book going forward to help improve my practice.
August 17, 2020
An excellent book for people beginning their yoga journey. Each yoga pose is accompanied by a picture and great description of proper form. Followed by a series of adjustments that may be made to the poses to make them doable for people of all ages and physical abilities.
Full color and showing a variety of body types this inclusive book would be great for anyone interested in beginning yoga but is unsure if they can do yoga. Encouragement in given to beginners and every one is made welcome on the mat or in a chair.
Full color and showing a variety of body types this inclusive book would be great for anyone interested in beginning yoga but is unsure if they can do yoga. Encouragement in given to beginners and every one is made welcome on the mat or in a chair.
October 29, 2021
“Get Your Yoga On” is a great explanation of the foundational poses of yoga. The pictures are helpful, and the variety of modifications make the poses accessible to most anyone at multiple skill levels.
I will say that I have done many yoga videos on YouTube, so I came to the book with an understanding of most of the book’s poses. However, I had not seen some of the variations before, and they were helpful.
After wanting to get back into yoga and dragging my heels about it, “Get Your Yoga On” has been a nice kickstart to get back into consistent exercise and practice.
I will say that I have done many yoga videos on YouTube, so I came to the book with an understanding of most of the book’s poses. However, I had not seen some of the variations before, and they were helpful.
After wanting to get back into yoga and dragging my heels about it, “Get Your Yoga On” has been a nice kickstart to get back into consistent exercise and practice.
August 24, 2020
A great reference book for those starting a yoga practice. The book provides information on each pose, with photos, including the many variations for those more advanced or require more support during their yoga practice,
September 7, 2020
A wonderful first reference book for those looking to get started in yoga. The descriptions and pictures are very helpful!
Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
February 24, 2025
I checked out 7 different yoga books from the library and this one was the one I hung on to. All the rest went back immediately. Lots of photos, and well-designed photo format for easy understanding. Over-all great book.
July 7, 2021
Easy to follow guide. Demonstrations and [pictures were clear and good for beginners and intermediate yogis.
June 27, 2020
This is a nice guideline to yoga poses it accurately helps to get your body in as close to the pose as possible and it’s open format let’s you pick your own workout.
June 9, 2025
I pretty straightforward guide with lovely photos and possible accommodations. There are some arm balances and inversions which I wouldn't, personally, recommend for a new practitioner. Maybe if you're young and strong though. A book for someone in their 20s, not an aging lady like myself.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews