Yoga with Adriene Return Series (Review)

As with all things, there are times and seasons. Adriene Mischler used to release a 30 day yoga challenge every January. She did that for eight years! Then in 2025, she released just a seven day program, and now in 2026, she's moved to a once a week, four week (with a final live stream practice). I admire her commitment to continuing to release new content, but at a pace that seems more sustainable.

Mischler has been somewhat open about her struggles with burnout, first in 2021 (Barrie), and then again in 2025 (Lucci). Perhaps these new, shorter practice styles reveal her commitment to "less is more," and/or reflect some of her own practices. Regardless, in this season of my life, I enjoy being able to keep up with something that I enjoy, but at a slower, and more accessible pace.

Like with most of Mischler's videos, the new "Return" practice videos (2026) are about 30 minutes each. The third video is closer to twenty minutes, and focused on core, as was her usual practice in day 6 of her 30 day programs. (This was actually the only practice of which I tuned into the whole thing.) The live practice (which I participated in later) was much longer, at over an hour. While I think I would have liked less, I think it was also good for me to slow down and try to practice for longer just once.

Overall, the practices follow Mischler's usual structure, though maybe with a little more slowness and stillness, and a little less humor. One thing I have always appreciated about Yoga with Adriene videos is that they are light on actual yogic philosophy, and that holds true here. These practices are more about movement and breath and less about philosophy. That works for me.

While I have done the 30 day yoga practices in the past, I now try to fit in yoga just once a week. Even if only for 5-10 minutes, it counts! Yoga is a good reminder to stretch, slow down, and tune in. These practices, albeit a bit longer than I have been doing, provided me an opportunity to return to these benefits of yoga, and for that, I am grateful. For anyone who wants to return to a practice of yoga, this new series of videos provides an accessible door, and I recommend them!

References:

Barrie, T. (2021, November 22). Adriene Mishler: ‘In 2021 I was like, “I have to pause. I have to practise what I preach."' GQ. https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/fitness/article/adriene-mishler-interview

Lucci, A. (2025, January 1). Burnout nearly broke Adriene Mishler. Here's how she came back stronger than ever. Women's Health Mag. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a63207450/adriene-mishler-essay/

Mischler, A. (2026). Return - A 4 Part Journey - 2026! [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyWhA68BUms&list=PLui6Eyny-Uzynj9tgds7Qb4EjYYmIx0Ci

Yoga with Adriene Prana Review

There was no 30 day Yoga with Adriene challenge this year. (I guess I missed that last year's was the last.) Instead, she offered a short, seven day journey called Prana. In my opinion, that was just about right. 

The practices this year were all under 30 minutes in link, a little more approachable, if you ask me. The level was more intermediate than beginner, but still very accessible. All in all, I felt like this series was less about flow and more about just tuning into the body and moving.

Full disclosure, I did these yoga practices distracted. That's just me right now, with too many tabs open on my computer, on my phone, and in my brain. Still, this series gave me an excuse to quiet down just a little more, to make time for myself, or as Adriene says in Day 5, take "a quiet moment of being."

Was this practice. worth it? One-hundred percent! I may have had complaints about yoga journeys in the past, but this one was just right for me: a chance to catch a breath, which perhaps is just what Adriene intended given that the series name "Prana" means breath.

I'm Tired of the Have-To's.

Consumerism thrives off telling people they need things, or have to do things. I try not to give in to believing I have to buy things. I try to buy only things I need or want. Lately, though I find myself falling prey to a different form of consumerism: the have-to's.

I have somewhat of an obsessive tendency to my personality (not surprising, given my bent towards perfectionism). Lately, I've been noticing how much that manifests in the have-to's. I feel like I "have-to" scroll my Instagram feed until I see the check mark showing that I have read all the posts. I feel like I have to complete the DuoLingo challenges each month. I feel like I should keep up with cooking challenges. I once started. Why? Continuing these things is not filling my life with purpose or joy. It is just keeping me busy, tired, stretched, and stressed. 

I know the New Year is coming, and with it plenty of "challenges." I have already gotten e-mails about the Yoga with Adriene challenge. I know Nourish Move Love will offer a new year challenge. I have enjoyed both of these in the past, but do I really want to do them this year? Will they add to my life, or subtract? Will they help me live in the present, or just rush and stress me? Honestly, I am not sure, but I want to consider before committing. I'm tired of the have-tos.

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What about you, friends? Any have-to's you've succumbed to? What are your priorities for the new year? What have-to's might you set aside to truly be present? Please share in the comments section.

Center: 30 Day Yoga with Adriene Challenge Review

I am not sure I actually enjoyed this challenge. It wasn't the challenge, necessarily. It was me. I had a lot on my plate this spring with training for races. I already knew I had limited time during the week due to my work schedule. And I chose to do the challenge anyway.

What Is This Challenge Anyway?

The Yoga with Adriene Challenge is a yearly challenge to do yoga everyday in January. Adriene Mischler, a yoga personality, actress, and entrepreneur, curates and films a collection of practices and then posts them free on YouTube. People who subscribe to her newsletter can get a daily note about the practice, and then do it. The idea is to make yoga more accessible, and incorporate yoga more into daily life. Each year's collection has a theme to unify it. The theme this year was, "Center."

What I Liked About the Challenge

The practices in this journey were a little shorter than in some of her journeys. (Most were 30 minutes or less). Adriene wrote about her intentionality with this in one of her newsletters. She wanted to make the practices easier to integrate into everyday life. I liked that Mischler also included some fitness elements in these practices, like building of core strength, some Pilates-like moves, and even a few push-ups. Some of the quotes in her newsletters were quite moving. I think that is part of what keeps people coming back to Yoga with Adriene. She has a sassy, sweet personality that makes it fun and inspiring to practice with her.

What I Didn't Like About This Challenge

The daily practices were just too long for me. I prefer around 10 minutes maximum. Many days, I did about ten minutes of the practice in the morning, and then I did the other minutes of the video in the evening. I sometimes benefitted from the evening practice, and sometimes really disliked the fact that it extended my to-do list for the evening (but I was bound and determined to finish once I started). Mischler did make a few inappropriate, or borderline-inappropriate jokes (though less than in other journeys) which I could have done without. Nothing striking made me dislike the challenge.

What I Learned

I think I learned through this that I like yoga, but that every day is too much, at least with my life as it is now. Maybe one or two practices a week benefit me, but other than that, running and my other exercise is enough. On the flip side, this journey showed me that I struggle with stillness (I often looked at my phone to read or did my own stretches and foam rolling during slow times), so maybe I actually need more yoga. I guess my takeaway is that I need to center my practices around what matters to me. Right now, that is not yoga every day. Will it be some day in the future? I don't know. Will I do another yoga journey? I don't know. I think I need to consider my priorities and what really matters to me if and when that time comes. (Next year, Mischler?)

Crazy, or Taper Crazy?

I think I first read about "taper crazies" in the Run Fast. Eat Slow. cookbook (Flanagan and Kopecky, 2016). I was training for my first half-marathon at the time and wanted to learn more about nutrition. Somehow, though, I picked up that phrase. I do think I experienced them, at least a little

Fast forward a few years and I think I have the taper crazies again. I am only running a 10K, but I dropped from big miles and big workouts to a mere 30 minute easy run. I am thankful for that run, don't get me wrong, but man, I am antsy! I have twice gone through the freezer to inventory stuff. I find myself frittering away time flitting back and forth between house chores. I act a little scatter-brained. I want to solve a lot of life's problems, even though now is not the time.

Granted, probably more than a reduction in running miles is contributing to my condition. I finished 30 days of yoga right as my running volume dropped. The pros say people shouldn't strength train the week of a race, so I dropped that. I got botox in my arm, which mean I could not do any physical therapy exercises or crochet for a few days. I had purposely prepped food so I could cook less the Friday before the race. But now I am stir-crazy!

I heard Steph Bruce talk about wanting to rearrange her house either during the taper, or right after a marathon (both times she needed to rest). I have not quite had that inclination, but I can understand it. I just have restless energy and want to do something with it!

On the flip side, though, I also feel unrested. I cannot seem to get enough sleep. Despite lowering my mileage, I am still pretty hungry. I feel little aches and pains and worry about getting sick. It's crazy, really!

Thankfully, I am not the only one. Other runners experience this, too (eg Wuestenfeld, 2018). So here's to one more day of the crazies, and then, Lord willing, race day!

References:

Flanagan, S., & Kopecky, E. (2016). Run fast. Eat slow. Rodale books.

Wuestenfeld, K. (2018). The taper crazies. Chasing unicorns LLC. https://chasingunicorns262.com/2018/09/05/the-taper-crazies/.

All the New Year's Challenges

New year, and all the new year's challenges. Some are designed to get people "in shape." Others are designed to help people make and keep resolutions. Challenges aren't for everyone, and it kind of annoys me that so many fall at the beginning of the year. Still, I am a sucker for them, all of them. I like challenges, because they are well, a challenge. They also add adventure and variety to my life. I might have taken on a few too many this January, though.

It started with the Yoga with Adriene challenge, a 30 day challenge I knew was coming, because I have done it every year since 2017. (Well, I guess I skipped 2019.) I thought about not doing it, but then I decided to go for it, along with the race training I was already doing. Then I added Strong in 20 from Nourish Move Love for my strength training challenge. And then I saw the Good Mood Challenge from Blogilates and thought, why not? Yeah, it was a lot. Twenty minutes of yoga daily, plus 20-30 minutes of strength training (just for two weeks, though), plus whatever was on the day from the Good Mood Challenge. I quickly realized that all of it was not going to happen, at least as written. I considered giving up, but that didn't settle, so I modified.

I did the Yoga with Adriene challenge, but sometimes I stretched during the breathing portions (not the best, but I needed the stretching if I ran). I split up the practices as I needed to. And sometimes I did other things like reading or DuoLingo while holding long poses (not ideal or recommended, but it's what I did). I did manage to make it through Strong in 20, but again, sometimes I subbed other stretches while they stretched, and/or stretched during rest periods. Sometimes I went easier on the weights since I was also doing other training. In turn, I also cut out some of my running workout (eg speed) days because I was tired. And the Good Mood Challenge? I realized it would be really stressful to do every challenge on the day (like trying to make a smoothie while traveling), so I switched it up. The goal was to promote better holistic health, right? Stressing about how to make a smoothie on the go seemed to negate the goal of a good mood?

Am I glad I did all the New Year's Challenges? In the end, yes. They forced me to be flexible. They forced me to decide what I really wanted. Should I do so many challenges again in the future? Probably not. For this year, though, all these challenges stretched me. I learned. I grew. Wasn't that the point? 

Move: 30 Day Yoga with Adriene Challenge Review

Yep! Finished another 30 day January yoga challenge from Yoga with Adriene. Quite frankly, I had forgotten about the yearly challenge and did not plan to do it. I subscribe to the weekly Yoga with Adriene e-mails, though, and learned about Move that way. I am currently training for a 10K and did not think I would have time to do both that and this, but then I started. Once I started, I wanted to finish. So I made it work. How? Read on for more.

Scheduling

The first work day, I woke up early and squeezed in the challenge before work. Most of the rest of the weekdays, I did it after dinner and before bed. Yes, I know yoga after eating, particularly inversions, is best at least two hours after eating, but this small chunk of time was what I had. On weekends, I preferred to do the yoga mid-afternoon, as it was a good way to invite both energy and calm into the later part of the day. Enough about timing, other than to say that my husband supported my yoga journey which was important, because completing it took a chunk out of my day.

Pacing

This challenge seemed a little more intermediate than I remember some of the years. There was quite a lot of chatarangas, moderate core work, and the opportunity for advanced poses like crow. Let's just say there was some actual exercise involved, but that's okay. In past years, and other challenges, there have sometimes been entire sessions dedicated to meditation, and that really is not for me, at least not for me in a yoga challenge.

How It Worked

Yoga is meant to be a mindful practice. I will be very honest and say that I did most of my practices distracted. Sometimes I read on my phone. Sometimes I started and stopped. Only a few times did I really sink in and engage. I found the latter easier as the challenge went on, though. I wanted the time to be mindful, and that says a lot about movement through this program.

How it Ended

The last session of the Yoga with Adriene challenges is always a free practice. In the past, I have either 

1) Turned it off and chosen to do another guided practice

2) Obsessively followed Adriene and hurt my neck from staring at the computer screen

This time, I found myself actually practicing. It was effortless and I was in the flow, until I caught myself, and then I felt self conscious and struggled. I finished practicing, though, and I only watched Adriene for a little bit. Maybe after all these years, the Lord is helping me be myself and actually live intuitively, rather than comparing or externalizing. I am at least moving in that direction.

Take-Aways

Adriene always sends daily e-mails during her 30 day challenges. Some provide session notes. Some provide guidance about how to think. Some provide insights that wow. Some of these included for me:

Day 13: If you want to fly, you can’t be afraid to fall.

Day 15: "What do you want to move closer to?"

Day 19; “The process is the candy.”

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I thought at one point during this challenge: I don't love this. I want to give it up. Then I was glad I finished. I don't have time, or maybe rather, I don't want to make time, to do 30 minutes of yoga a day every day. I honestly experienced quite a wave of relief the day after the challenge when I realized I did not need to find (aka clear) 20-30 minutes of time. Yoga, for me, isn't all the time.

I always question if I will do another yoga challenge. I don't know. January 2023 is still almost a year away. I will see how I move through this year and go from there, because Lord willing, I will keep moving and learning and growing, as the challenge showed me I have over the past few years.

So You Want to Do a Yoga Challenge...

Maybe you're into yoga. Maybe you're not. Maybe you've wanted to do a yoga challenge like I referenced towards the beginning of this month. Maybe you don't. If you're in the maybe not category, feel free to skip over this post. If you're in the "maybe" category and want advice about how to successfully complete your first (or next) yoga challenge, here are some tips:

1) Download the calendar and print it out. Seriously, do it. I'm not for making more paper waste, but in this case, having the calendar really helps, for several reasons. First, it gives you the run times so you know how to plan for the day ahead. In the last Yoga with Adriene challenge, practices ranged from 15 to 60 minutes. That was a big difference in time! Additionally, a printed calendar lets you check off each day, giving you a tangible sense of accomplishment when you do it.

2) Clear a space. In addition to clearing time, you will want to clear physical space. You don't need a large space, but need space equivalent to the area of a yoga mat. Beware of nearby furniture, and push it to the side if you can. Kicking a piece of hard furniture really hurts.

3) Get padding. Buy a yoga mat or use a thickly carpeted room. I personally don't use a mat, but we have good carpet padding. I would need a mat elsewhere.

4) Find something comfy. Wear a fitted shirt, or tuck in your shirt (so that it doesn't fall in your face; tie back your hair for the same reason, if needed.) Wear pants that allow for movement. (No, jeans generally won't work.)

5) Get grippy. Either wear socks with grip or go barefoot. Sliding around is no fun.

Will following all of these tips make you successful at 30 days of yoga? No, you make yourself successful. I hope these hints just might be helpful along the way. 

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Let me know what hints were most helpful by commenting below.

Breath: Another 30 Day Journey with Yoga with Adriene

Let's cut to the quick. I did not do this challenge as I should have. Yoga is best done in a studio, with the co-regulation and instruction of a teacher. At home, it is best done with quiet, focus, and solitude. I did none of this. I did the challenge online via video. I often did other things during the video (e.g. reading on my phone). I sometimes got interrupted and had to half and half a practice. But it was still good for me.

Adriene Mischler of Yoga with Adriene posts a 30 day challenge almost every year. I have done them for several years now. Each year, it's a squeeze to fit in the practices for 30 days. Each year, I consider quitting, but my stubbornness keeps me going. In the end, I am glad when I finish.

To be honest, I'm not in the best yoga shape, but I'm not an absolute beginner, either. I get annoyed at the very basic nature of the beginning practices. They seem too slow and too easy, but I think that is part of Mischler's intent. We all need to start with a beginner's mind. We need to reset, not think we know it all, and begin anew. Good practice for yoga, and for life.

Mischler's style is part restorative hatha, part energetic vinyasa, part Pilates with some plain old stretching thrown in. Really, there is something for everyone. Mischler's dramatic flair and quirky humor add to the practice. (If you investigate her videos, beware, that sometimes her humor can be a bit mature.)

I combined the challenge this year with my run training. This contributed to the tight scheduling and multi-tasking, but it worked. I looked forward to the slowness of the practice after a potentially harder run. Making these challenge a success, for me, means using them as meditation, not exercise. For me, they don't do the job of exercise, even though yoga is an exercise.

The theme of this challenge was breath, focusing on the breath to rest. Focusing on the breath to guide through. Focusing on the breath to stay in the moment. I didn't do great with breath. I didn't even practice all of the breaths. But I said the challenge was good for me. Why? It gave me a breath of fresh air. It forced me to focus at least a little bit. I practiced prioritizing. I remembered, even if only for a brief few moments, what it felt like to rest.

Will I continue with daily yoga, as recommended by Mischler? No, probably not. Will I keep doing yoga. Yes, probably so. Will I do next year's challenge? Yes, if I can. It's a good way to reset at the beginning of the year, and if nothing else, motivation to keep my practice going.

Hello, February, goodbye, Breath. But really not goodbye. Hello to keeping the practice going, at least subconsciously, to giving myself a little rest and space, even if not indicated by the clock or the yoga calendar. We all live on air, so yoga or not, breath is important.

Your Mat is a Reflection: Reflections on Yoga with Adriene's Home

Yes, I did it again. I took another journey of 30 straight days of yoga (by God's grace, and thanks to the plethora of free video series online). This is my third 30 days of yoga, having completed two in 2017, and one in 2018. You might remember that I did a Yoga with Adriene series in 2017, and didn't like it. But guess what? I did another one. And I liked it. I'm in a different place. Maybe she's in a different place. This year it worked.

What made this yoga challenge work?

1) The calendar. Knowing what time to expect to spend on my mat each day was exceedingly helpful, for scheduling and for life.

2) The daily e-mails. Signing up early meant I got an e-mail each day telling me more about the day's practice and how to embrace it. This helped keep me motivated and accountable.

3) Not using the challenge as my primary source of exercise. Last time I did the Yoga with Adriene challenge, I did it as my main workout. Since switching to running more, I have used yoga as a cool-down and stretching component. It is more satisfying this way.

What did the challenge teach me?

1) That my life is more harried and hurried than I think it is. Adriene said one day, "Your mat is a reflection." (Some teachers say, "Your mat is a mirror.") I noticed that I almost always multi-tasked while practicing. I'd be scrambling to read or reply to an e-mail as I loaded the day's video. I'd be on my phone reading my devotional or looking something up during the seated start to the practice. I'd be checking the slider bar to see how much time I had left as I went through the moves. I struggled to be still.

2) I get out what I put in. I admittedly didn't get the most out of the practice because of the habits above. I wanted to rest and relax, but I didn't. I got the stretch and cool-down out of the practice, but less of the meditation and stress relief (which I also needed).

3) I know more than I think I do (but don't trust myself). I always hate the last practice of Adriene's challenges, because she likes to turn off the microphone and have viewers practice themselves. In the past, I didn't know what to do. This time, I felt I could do my own practice, but I nevertheless found myself glued to the screen, straining my neck to make sure I could copy Adriene. Why? I didn't trust myself. Though I'd done most of the challenge by the sound of Adriene's voice and not the video, I didn't think I could do it right by myself. I didn't trust my body to tell me what it needed. I also feared missing out. I feared I'd miss the workout if I didn't follow her. Sigh. I have a lot of growing to do.

So would I do a Yoga with Adriene challenge again? 

Yes. Actually I would. And I even found myself wanting to practice yoga after the (self) obligatory days of the challenge. Maybe I didn't get the full benefits of this practice, but I got something, and I am both thankful for that, and eager to learn more.

Yoga Revolution (Yoga with Adriene) Review

I wrote earlier about my experience with 30 Days of Yoga. I enjoyed that journey, the mental discipline, the time-management, the body practice. And now I've completed another journey: The 31 Day Yoga Revolution with Adriene Mischler. I learned about Yoga with Adriene from a friend who posted lovely photos of her yoga journey on Instagram. After a month off daily yoga practice (goodbye February), I wanted to get back into it. So I signed up.

Let's just say I wasn't a fan. Adriene's yoga is slower and more meditative. Hatha style, not vinyasa. Strength, not stamina focused. Adriene talks a lot. About things other than yoga. She's silly, and sometimes inappropriate, borderline crude. She's way into self-love. And maybe to an unhealthy extent. I found myself unhappy, frustrated after sessions. I started adding ten minutes of Fitness Blender before the yoga. (These videos are shorter than many of Do Yoga With Me's challenges.) That helped a little. But I still found myself angsty.

I completed the final day of the challenge last Friday, and I was grateful. I have to admit that video surprised me a little, though. Adriene didn't talk and just practiced. I had to really watch to follow. I had to focus. This practice contained more flows. More chatarunga. I liked the music in the background. At the end, I finally got into crow (only for a few seconds, but it still counts). I left feeling strong and proud and happy. I think that's what Adriene wanted for her yogis.

So did I enjoy the 31 Day Yoga Revolution? No, not really. Will I continue with another of Adriene's challenges? (Hello, 30 Days of Yoga or Yoga Camp.) Probably not. Yoga with Adriene is not my style. But I still learned from this experience. I practiced discipline. I processed frustration. I got stronger. I let myself feel.

It's okay to dislike. It's okay for something to not be my thing. But what's important is working through the struggle and discomfort, accepting them, accepting myself in the process. That's the revolution.