Begin
Seven days to a practice you can repeat.
You do not need a mat on day one, though a folded blanket helps the knees. Do one day, then the next. If you miss a day, continue. There is nothing to catch up.
The 7-day path is seven short routines in order. Day one is the smallest. Later days add a shape you have already seen, instead of starting over with a new vocabulary each morning. Each day has its own page with a timer and written cues. You can open day four without finishing day three. The path is a suggestion for a first week, not a course you fail.
You do not need a mat on the first day. A folded blanket under the knees is enough for the floor poses. If you want a tool later, the gear guide says what a block or a strap is for and when you can skip it. The top pick on this page is a card deck for self-guided practice. It is a product link, with the affiliate disclosure above it, and it is not required to do the seven days.
A day that includes a back-friendly shape is still not medical care. If your back hurts, if you are pregnant, or if you are returning after an injury, consult a doctor before you start the week. Skip any pose the safety note tells you to skip. The timer pauses. Leaving a day unfinished is a valid way to use the path.
When the week ends, the other routines are the same kind of practice at five, ten, or twenty minutes: sleep, stress, a kinder back and posture, mornings, and desk breaks. The beginner pose sheet is a one-page PDF of the first shapes if you want paper. The journal explains how to keep a week going without turning it into a streak you have to protect.
Day 1 · 12 min
Day 1 · Arrive
A first practice on the floor and on your feet. You learn Mountain, a soft fold, Cat and Cow, and a real rest.
Day 2 · 12 min
Day 2 · On the floor
A floor practice: Child’s Pose, Cat and Cow, a gentle backbend, and a twist. No standing balance today.
Day 3 · 12 min
Day 3 · Standing up
Mountain, Chair, a short Downward Dog, and both Warrior poses. Bend the knees whenever the hamstrings pull you around.
Day 4 · 12 min
Day 4 · Hips and legs
Bound Angle, a low lunge, a wide fold, and a strap stretch on your back. None of these need to look deep.
Day 5 · 12 min
Day 5 · A kinder back
Cat, Cow, Sphinx, a small Cobra, and Bridge. Stop if pain is sharp, and read the back-pain note on the blog before you treat this as care.
Day 6 · 12 min
Day 6 · Steady feet
Tree beside a wall, Warrior II, and Triangle with a block. Wobbling is the practice.
Day 7 · 15 min
Day 7 · Put it together
A slow sun-salutation shape, both sides, then Tree and a twist. This is the week’s practice in one place.
Want a printable reminder of the first shapes? Download the beginner pose sheet.