yoga, who has tried it

solorpower

I really need to get some exercise and I hate these long winter nights.. down right depressing

Judt wondering if any one here has tried yoga and how did you find it?

Lemming

solorpower wrote: »

Judt wondering if any one here has tried yoga and how did you find it?

I did Ashtanga yoga for a couple of years. Keep meaning to take it back up. It's a really good workout.

Standman

I did yoga for a good while, it's great if you keep it up. It's really good for core strength, overall fitness & flexibility, which means you are less likely to be injured while doing other exercise etc.

The only thing I'm not a fan of is the woo element that surrounds some kinds yoga. 'Chakras' and that kind of BS. Was a bit put off by it when I first went to a class, but the benefits far outweigh anything else.

run_Forrest_run

I started yoga about 15 months ago and I must say I like it. There are different types of yoga so try to find out which one would suit you.

I do a fair bit of running so I was looking to gain a bit more flexibility and the instructor throws in some Pilates stuff too to help strengthen the core (feckin hard!!).

Don't expect instant or even medium term results, in terms of mental well being you can gain something straight away but from a flexibility and strengthening aspect it will take time, but it's all about taking your time and doing only what you are comfortable with when ever you find yourself on your yoga mat.

It also helps me to chill out a bit and relax the mind, sounds a bit hippy but there is something to it.

Namaste.

run_Forrest_run

Standman wrote: »

The only thing I'm not a fan of is the woo element that surrounds some kinds yoga. 'Chakras' and that kind of BS. Was a bit put off by it when I first went to a class, but the benefits far outweigh anything else.

I agree, the whole 'bring your nervous system back into balance' and ' bring fresh nutrients into your body on each breath' can be a bit up in the clouds

kupus

I did bikram yoga, and its great if you can keep it up. I couldnt but, A guy in his mid 40s that worked in heavy construction foundation work all his life put me on to it.
He was having trouble with his back and general health from the the heavy lifting pulling and dragging. HE started bikram and ever since he has had no problems.

+1 on tuning out all the spiritual mumbo jumbo, its exercise plain and simple.

Oink

kupus wrote: »

I did bikram yoga, and its great if you can keep it up. I couldnt but, A guy in his mid 40s that worked in heavy construction foundation work all his life put me on to it.
He was having trouble with his back and general health from the the heavy lifting pulling and dragging. HE started bikram and ever since he has had no problems.

+1 on tuning out all the spiritual mumbo jumbo, its exercise plain and simple.

Tried it as well. I'm sure it's great for you, but it's just a bit too close to my idea of hell on earth.

Pat Mustard

Bikram yoga is carried out in a room heated to a high temperature. Seems a bit gimmicky to me, compared to normal yoga:

"The benefits are largely perceptual," said Dr. Cedric Bryant, the chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise (ACE). "People think the degree of sweat is the quality of the workout, but that's not reality. It doesn't correlate to burning more calories."

...

"But as far as physical benefits," which he said include muscular strength, endurance, flexibility and balance, "you can get those from a standard yoga class."

kupus

Yes it is hell, its smelly stinky and sweaty, but when you get in the shower for a cold one its a nice feeling.
As for gimmiky, I found the stretches were done a lot easier in bikram than in regular due to the heat.
horses for courses and all that,

As a few users have pointed out - there is an industry of complete woo that has built up around yoga - but as with many things where this happens - there is a core of utility and benefit in there if you can mine it out.

I observe the exact same truth about meditation - which at it's core is the beneficial and enjoyable training of ones moment to moment awareness and attention towards certain goals and ends. But we are all likely aware of the charlatan onions layers of complete nonsense that has built up around many forms of it - from weird magic powers claims - to communing with spirits or even gods.

I engaged with yoga too and mined out some core benefits and utility which I incorporate into other aspects of my life - such as meditation and physical well being. But now I solely incorporate it into other things - rather than pursue it in and of itself - as my time has been taken up more with things like Capoeira (which shows much faster and more intense benefits interms of physical health - strength - flexibility and endurance) and BJJ martial arts. And Meditation.

But I now incorporate elements of yoga into my morning wake up routine - my warm up routines for Capoeira, BJJ, Cycling, running and swimming - and into my meditation practices.

I am sure pursuit of it in and of itself is beneficial - enjoyable and useful for many. I just found for me it was more beneficial to mine out utility from it - and bring that utility to other areas.

not_quite_last

I did 6 open level yoga classes last winter. Just the basic poses and a lie down at the end. Absolutely loved it.

Doing an intermediate level yoga class this winter and it's alot tougher - head stands, hand stands and all the usual poses again. It's alot faster but again loving it. And the class is usually around a 50-50 split too!

Call Me Jimmy

I always think of yoga as a meditation, when approached in this way I think it's very beneficial, you gain a deeper relationship with your own body.

I remember going back playing football for the first time in years. I had been doing yoga and meditating for a couple of months previously. When I got out on the pitch then I was so much better than I used to be in younger years, it felt so much easier. I've always theorised that the best players, like messi, it seems that time is moving slower for them. That's how it felt for me, like I had a ridiculous amount of time to make decisions compared to other people, like I was cheating.

So the benefits can be incredible, just have to ignore the guff.

cichlid child

Jimmy was it a particular type of yoga you practiced?

Call Me Jimmy

Mainly following a book Asana Pranyama Mudra Bandha which is hatha yoga.

Jack Skellington

Followed a few vids on youtube but never went to a class. Got into a regular stretching/yoga type routine after work, definitely helps if you're like me and you carry around a fair bit of tension at the end of the day, I'd say a class would be even better for the social interaction or just learning the basics.

D'Agger

As somebody who has back trouble that's posture related, and works in IT, sitting at a desk for most of the day - I'd recommend yoga, pilates or at the very least - a home stretching routine.

I did Bikram yoga once and I didn't like it, it was uncomfortable and it was more of an endurance test than a good stretch which is what I wanted.

Recently I've been doing pilates and while the progress is slow, I've noticed a difference in lower stomach strength and posture. I'm still having issues - I'm back football training the past two weeks and my back is giving me a bit of trouble but I'll be stretching before bed or when I wake up, depending on how it feels. Last night for example, it was at me - stretched well before bed - woke up this morning and it's not causing me any issues.....yet :pac:

If you're sitting at a desk all day then you need to stretch your glutes, hip flexors, chest, shoulders to give your back a chance - tightness in those areas will affect your posture and force you to put additional strain on your back - at least that's what I've found.

TLDR - Did Bikram, wasn't a fan, Pilates is very beneficial especially for back issues - Stretching a couple of times a week will benefit anybody who does so

SVI40

I've been doing Ashtanga for the past 18 months or so. It does take a while to get use to it, but if you stick with it, you will be surprised at how flexible you become. It's not easy, and if like me your were never really physically active it's tough going, but well worth it. You discover muscles you never had, I was amazed at how physical it was. It's mainly about core strength and flexibility.

Give it a go, you won't regret it.

Stone Deaf 4evr

Standman wrote: »

I did yoga for a good while, it's great if you keep it up. It's really good for core strength, overall fitness & flexibility, which means you are less likely to be injured while doing other exercise etc.

The only thing I'm not a fan of is the woo element that surrounds some kinds yoga. 'Chakras' and that kind of BS. Was a bit put off by it when I first went to a class, but the benefits far outweigh anything else.

try looking up DDP yoga, he's a former pro wrestler (and before the eye rolling - check it out first - hes a genuine guy who takes an active interest in his subscribers). He discovered it as a relief for the many wrestling related injuries he sustained in his career. There little to none of the spiritual stuff involved. I used it myself when I had a bout of sciatica, and within a week I saw great results. I dont do it regularly, but find that any time I feel a twinge I can give a run through a few of the poses and It sorts me out before it develops into a more painful problem.

JaseBelleVie

I did yoga for a while, but it wasn't violent enough for me

I've since switched to Jiu Jitsu, and I love it. But it was amazing for me how much the year or so of yoga helped with the fundamentals of martial arts.

One big advantage that yoga has over martial arts, however, is that you've less chance of getting a black eye or a broken bone in yoga!

zoobizoo

Studied Iyengar Yoga in India for 9 months... doing between 2 and 5 hours a day.

Iyengar is a good type to start with as it is all about alignment and the correct positioning for poses. I've a bad back so for me it was all about trying to find stretches to alleviate any pain. It works for me.

Bikram - have never done it but Mr Bikram copywrote the Bikram name and makes a % off every class that is run. meant to be good workout.

Asthanga - energetic like Bikram. You follow a Set of yoga poses. Have heard of a lot of injuries from it.

As for the Wooooo element, I stayed away from all of that. At the end of a session of iyengar you do some restoritative poses which are like relaxation. The more I got into the physical side of yoga, the more it felt meditative.

If you're going to a class, check for qualifications. I've been to some shocking classes in Ireland where I felt that people's bodies were being stretched beyond their healthy limits. I would refuse to participate in some moves which could have done damage to my back.

I'd avoid any evening type classes unless the instructor has a proper qualification. You can get a Shivananda Cert in two weeks in India and it isn't the safest.

As for Hatha - all yoga is hatha really... but if a teacher says "I teach hatha", ask where they studied, how long for etc...

Gael23

I did and althoughh it wasn't for me, I would recommend you give it a go. Its one of those things you will either love and get hooked to or hate and never go back