365 days together

// celebrating a year of creation

Dearest Yoga Humans,

365 days ago (give or take), I sat on my bed in the early morning hours, opened up my laptop and wrote these words:

“Well, as we do in life, today I am beginning again.”

It was the first edition of What I Taught in Yoga This Week, and I was hopeful that it was something that would stick, but I wasn’t sure what would really happen. Would I lose steam? Would it seem pointless? Would anyone even benefit from it?

52 weeks, and 65 letters later, I can say that that new beginning was the start of something beautiful.

I’ve been thinking about why we create. Why do we spend our precious time and energy thinking up new things, or trying to elaborate on something, or crafting something? There is so much available to us already. We don’t need to bake a homemade loaf of bread, we can buy one. We don’t need to come up with new yoga sequences, there are plenty of them out there. We don’t need to paint, the view is right there in front of us. But creation and creativity aren’t tied up in the end result. It’s the process of creating–of learning and doing–that helps us grow; that helps us feel connected.

That’s what this newsletter has been to me, my friends. A reminder that I am doing it because I love it. I am in this practice because it helps me become a better me.

I imagine that you’re here, dearest humans, because you are a learner. A creator. You enjoy reading about the craft of teaching yoga and exploring sequences. When it stops being fun, we can take a break. We can use what is already there for us. And then, when we feel ready, we can begin again.

Joy. Growth. Community. That’s what we’re really here for. No end goal. Just a life of creating.

Thank you for being here. This newsletter wouldn’t be what it is, probably wouldn’t be anything, without you.

As a celebration of this one year anniversary, I am offering a discount on my annual paid plan. For one year you can access all 65 posts, including special posts like full class plans, monthly readings and intentions, and more. (I’m hoping to film a class for you to take soon, too). You must redeem by next Tuesday!

And today, I’m sharing a flow that I used last night as my first mini-flow of the class. It involves a little bit of aerobic exercise; which I think can be a fun thing to include in a yoga practice in order to get the blood pumping and remind certain muscle groups to activate (like those lazy glutes!).

For my paid subscribers, I am also sharing the second flow and the main flow I taught this week. These flows are active, circular, juicy, and lead towards binds and backbends.

Humans, thank you, thank you, thank you. I know we don’t interact in the typical way. But I can feel that there’s community here. Whether you’ve been on this ride for the full 365 days, or you’re brand new, I hope that this newsletter gives you some spark of something. Maybe it’s knowledge, maybe it’s joy, maybe it’s simply a familiar name in your inbox.

Sending love,

Izzy

Izzy Martens

author, yoga teacher, sequence enthusiast

www.yogahumans.com

What I Taught in Yoga This Week | August 28, 2024

the sequence:

• extended mountain

• chair plane

• one leg mountain

• step back into a mini crescent plane

• 90-90 lunge

• push forward into your mini crescent plane

• repeat x5

• 90-90 lunge

• full airplane

• step back into high crescent lunge

• open arm twist

• cartwheel to low lunge

• exalted low crescent

• half splits reach (switch arms during transition)

• low lunge

• extended side angle

• warrior II

• dancing warriors x3

• reverse warrior

• cartwheel to low lunge

• easy twist

• side plank

• vinyasa!

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If you’re new here – hello!

Let me introduce myself! My name is Izzy Martens and I’m just a human who teaches yoga, writes, hangs out with her two cats, hikes around Colorado, and enjoys creating yoga sequences.

Read more about the history of this newsletter, Yoga Humans, and my ethos below.

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If we take a look at our mini-flow above, you can see that we start to get into the side-body and spine–we are trying to create length but also strength, to work towards backbends to come in these next two flows. I hope you enjoy!