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Deep down, we all have a “should” list. It’s the 392-plus things we tell ourselves we should start doing, often once a day: floss more, read more, keep a journal, get eight hours’ sleep, start an Instagram photo-a-day challenge. The list seems to continually keep growing, and bit by bit, your day is gobbled up, until you feel so overscheduled with “shoulds” you wonder how you’re supposed to do your job or make dinner that doesn’t involve shouting into a drive-thru speaker.
Yoga and meditation have been touted as a way to re-center your day — to put those shoulds in perspective and help you focus on what you really want — but at the end of the day, even that can feel like another time commitment you don’t have the bandwidth for.
That’s why we love Erin Motz’s YouTube yoga series. Most of her videos can be completed in 15 minutes or less, and many are targeted to help you with specific problem areas, from strengthening your shoulders to quelling a migraine. She proves that you don’t have to be an understudy at Cirque du Soleil to get started, and you don’t need to devote an entire hour a day to stretch your body and clear your mind.
So, if yoga’s something you’ve been dying to upgrade from “should” to “yeah, I do that,” start with one short video a couple times a week (or whenever you feel like it). If you spend all day at your desk, may we suggest trying this one first?
(I use a rolled-up beach towel, since I don’t have a band, and it works just as well.)
If there are any other YouTube workouts/yogis you love, please send them our way! Tweet @betweenweekends or tell us in the comments below.