The Yoga Thread
urbanhippie
Posts: 3,007
I met up with an old gf last night who I haven't seen for years. She looked so young and well and had lost a whole lot of weight. She put it all down to the fact that she's been doing yoga on a regular basis for a year. She said it made a whole load of difference to how she felt and looked.
I was wondering if anyone on here practises yoga, does it help and whats the best kind for an absolute beginner to go for? Apparently it also works wonders combatting stress and anxiety and helps aid sleep.
Any experiences to share?
I was wondering if anyone on here practises yoga, does it help and whats the best kind for an absolute beginner to go for? Apparently it also works wonders combatting stress and anxiety and helps aid sleep.
Any experiences to share?
A human being that was given to fly.
Wembley 18/06/07
If there was a reason, it was you.
O2 Arena 18/09/09
Wembley 18/06/07
If there was a reason, it was you.
O2 Arena 18/09/09
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I misread the thread title and thought it was about this dude: http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/feb2008/jellystone.jpg
So sorry if my contribution is a bit vague and useless.
naděje umírá poslední
Thanks Collin..that helped relieve my stress and anxiety
Wembley 18/06/07
If there was a reason, it was you.
O2 Arena 18/09/09
Wembley 18/06/07
If there was a reason, it was you.
O2 Arena 18/09/09
Not too much in my opinion. I would say pilates is more stenuous as it's all centered around exercises to strengthen the core, with an emphasis on quality rather then quantity with repetitions. Yoga is more about poses imo..but some of them are challenging. I have not mastered all the pilates moves..like the teaser. But I think they are very similiar.
and tons more meditation both.
i find walking to be amazing for deep thinking
and well
i guess excercise too.
i could walk forever and be perfectly content,
walking makes my mind race,
well probably my entire being more than just my mind,
i think i meditate best when walking.
weird shit that walking..
matter of fact i just walked some trail out in the woods
what a whole satisifying at peacefulness of sanctuary
that feeling is..off to lala land i dwell..
good-bye..
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
And a little weight loss and added flexibility wouldn't go amiss either.
There are lots of different types of yoga... does anyone know which is the best for relieving stress as opposed to burning calories?
Wembley 18/06/07
If there was a reason, it was you.
O2 Arena 18/09/09
It's probably the best thing I've ever done for my body. I didn't really need to lose weight, but I did get a little slimmer I guess, but really it just makes your body and mind feel so good.
The woman who teaches it uses Ashtanga yoga, which is more about movement and breathing. Now I'm in a semi intermediate /advanced class called Vinyasa, which is stringing together poses into movement.
I'm graceful like a swan now.
It's pretty cool how it's really a workout when you do the poses right, because you're stretching, but also the side of you that's not stretching is flexing and strengthening.
I've been in other classes like hot yoga and classes where you seem to need $100 special shorts and it's a fashion competition, but mine is more like a loose fun, but serious time where everyone can laugh if they want. Ok, well, laugh at my dancer's pose!
It should be non competitive, and also, just do what you can to start, and you challenge your body, not try to be better than the people around you.
I don't do specific meditation with it, but if you're concentrating on the yoga moves, you are in a sort of meditative state and you get to be relaxed and energized all at the same time.
Then go out for a couple of beers!
Your best bet is probably to try out some beginners classes like Ashtanga to get into the game, and get the breathing and poses and movements down and you can do them at home the right way.
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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Yoga = yoking together the mind, body, and sprit.
Every form of yoga is a little different. I've been studying Iyengar yoga (a form of hatha) for the past 12 years, which focus' on alignment. Yes we meditate, when we are concentrating on a pose we are making sure our bodies are in alignment.
When choosing a teacher, make sure it is hatha so you will be doing poses. I signed up for a class one time that was strictly meditation. That's not what I wanted. You want a teacher that will correct your poses to make sure you are doing them right.
Don't worry about if you are a "swan or penguin" It's not a competition. You go at your own pace. You do what's right for you. Remember that some people are naturally more flexable than others. I've helped students that have actually apologized to me for not being very flexable. There's no need to apologize. It's the journey, not the destination. I hope I made myself clear. I tend to take this seriously.
Namaste
Exactly!
A properly done class works on the mind body and spirit, and you aren't specifically meditating for meditation's sake, but it's a natural part of the package. The movements are so thought out after 5000 years, and you really do walk out of class with a relaxed but invigorated attitude.
That's why it's so great to get with an instructor who you're comfortable with. When you find one, you'll probably be with fellow students you'll be comfortable with.
The people in my class are really cool and we're on different levels. When I say we laugh, well, not really much. There is one point in the class that's a routine now, though.
My right foot was smashed a few times and rebuilt but it doesn't balance well. I told everyone that they better watch out when we get to the right foot dancer pose because I might go down and take the whole line down like dominoes!
Well, every time we get to the right foot dancer pose everyone looks and chuckles. Just a friendly break.
A good instructor should suggests different poses for different level students at the same time, too, so not everyone has to do a backbend or a headstand or complex balance pose. A good instructor will also show you how to use props or blocks or straps to help you get into the pose if you're not flexible enough yet.
You do what you're comfortable with and enjoy the journey, like In My Dreams says.
I look forward to class, or an hour or so a couple times a week at home, and I never really did with any other exercise, or workout.
Give it a try, Urbanhippie!
Namaste
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
__________________________________
Up until about three weeks ago I had never done yoga. Then my gf introduced me to Bikram. It is the "hot yoga" where the room is heated to well over 100 degrees. I have very good stamina and am in pretty good shape and it continues to kick my ass! Just go home from it tonight and feel amazing! I did try another yoga class last week and was pretty bored in it. Once you go Bikram good luck going elsewhere!
"The leads are weak? Fuckin' leads are weak? You're Weak! I've Been in this business 15 years"
"What's your name?"
"FUCK YOU! THAT"S MY NAME!"
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
why?
Haha,,, Man, I almost NEVER pick up on pop culture stuff, and I only saw the first Star Wars, but the one quote I know from all the other 246 Star Wars movies is "Either do or do not. There is no try"
By Yoda!
So if this a combo of me saying, Give it a try, Urban Hippie and a Yoda reference,
Nice!
If it's not, well, then, I'll go back outside and sit in the car.
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
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Bikram is good. Personally, I don't like other forms of Yoga because I don't feel like it gives me a full body workout. Bikram, on the other hand, kicked my ass. Physically and mentally stimulating.
i think you need to figure out what your goal is to decide which kind of yoga you want to do ...
Wembley 18/06/07
If there was a reason, it was you.
O2 Arena 18/09/09
seconded wholeheartedly!
I used to do yoga about 2 years ago for little over a year and really liked it. but then the lady who taught the group, retired and I stopped going cause I didn't feel comfy with the new lady.
I still do some of the poses/moves at home though.
what I noticed is that I was more flexible and bendy. dunno for sure about weight loss but I'm guessing that happened too.
the stuff we did was a combination of all kinds of yoga. some nights were mellower and just stretching and stuff. and some nights we did moves specifically targeted for abs and so on.. some of the moves/poses are really tough! not as in difficult but as in tough on your muscles, which is good.
but yeah, like Boberino said, start off by doing what you can and sooner or later you'll find yourself improving.
as for the meditation part.. some of them poses (like the tree http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/754/319058.JPG) need a lot of focusing so your mind really can't wander. also when we did some relaxing/slow stretchy bits we did these mental image journeys and things.
haha. enough rambling I think. my point is, yoga's nice! I should look into starting again.
oh boy...that reference went over my head.
Also, guys, every time I went to a yoga/Pilates class, it was like 20 women to every man. Just sayin'...
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my only problem with bikrams is that it does take a long time to do. at least a two hour chunk of day for exercising and we all dont have that. but if you force yourself to go, the benefits are reallly great.
i love the philosophical side bikram teachers bring too.
my friend trained with bikram in 2002 and now owns his own studio.
hatha yoga is the way to go then
http://www.matsmatsmats.com/yoga/yoga-disciplines.html