Yoga

Bandara

Bit of an odd question I know but can anyone recommend Yoga classes without all the (no offence meant) airy-fairy stuff ?

Im just going to keep flexibility and strengthen joints, balance etc. However the few different places I've tried out I just can't hack the approach they use, silly talking about feeling the flow, open your mind, cleanse etc etc

Last place they made us lie on the ground after the class and they put a blanket over everyone and made use close our eyes and 'connect'

I'm not being disparaging, but thats sort of stuff just going to put me off.

Any suggestions of functional and no frills classes anywhere gratefully accepted, and again, apologies if any Yoga fans are offended, I realise some people love the relaxing aspects it can bring them.

dastardly00

Ashtanga yoga could be the closest form of yoga that you are looking for.

Alf Veedersane

Bandara wrote: »

Bit of an odd question I know but can anyone recommend Yoga classes without all the (no offence meant) airy-fairy stuff ?

Im just going to keep flexibility and strengthen joints, balance etc. However the few different places I've tried out I just can't hack the approach they use, silly talking about feeling the flow, open your mind, cleanse etc etc

Last place they made us lie on the ground after the class and they put a blanket over everyone and made use close our eyes and 'connect'

I'm not being disparaging, but thats sort of stuff just going to put me off.

Any suggestions of functional and no frills classes anywhere gratefully accepted, and again, apologies if any Yoga fans are offended, I realise some people love the relaxing aspects it can bring them.

You're unlikely to find a place offering yoga that completely dissociates the physical from the mental /spiritual. It is central to yoga.

You can just block it out and concentrate on the movements if you don't like the spiritual/mental aspect.

I used go to Yoga Hub and I never had any problem and some of the instructors of the classes I went to wold briefly explain the some of the main stretches.

pinkypinky

I don't know if we're allowed to name places?

Where I go has almost no spiritual side but there is a relaxation part at the end. I've never attended any yoga class that didn't include that - practicing for about 12 years.

pinkypinky

pinkypinky wrote: »

I don't know if we're allowed to name places?

Where I go has almost no spiritual side but there is a relaxation part at the end. I've never attended any yoga class that didn't include that - practicing for about 12 years.

Yeah go ahead

Mellor

What exactly are your goals?
You might be better off to tackle them directly rather than with yoga - if the airy fairy side of it puts you off.

TBH at times it can be a bit much for me too. I do yoga sporadically, so the PAYG cost is a bit higher, I often feel that a lot of the time, while useful is not really working towards my goals.

bonzo_k

You could try a self practice ashtanga class aka Mysore Style Class.

These generally take place early in the morning from 6.30 until 9.00, 6 days per week. You come in, roll out your mat and do your practice, the teacher wanders around making sure people are practicing correctly, adjusting if required and teaching beginners the sequence of postures. There is generally no talking, no music, just people practicing.

There is a very short chant when the teacher enters the class room, buts that it as far as airy fairy stuff goes.

Once you know the sequence of postures, you can make your practice as difficult as you want to make it.

Zillah

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

You can just block it out and concentrate on the movements if you don't like the spiritual/mental aspect.

I was following a Youtube video for introductory yoga one day, and I eventually got sick of all the lying down and breathing and white light, so I skipped ahead and I am glad I did: dis bitch was going to have me lying there for forty minutes doing nothing but breathing.

Mellor

Zillah wrote: »

dis bitch was going to have me lying there for forty minutes doing nothing but breathing.

Lol
I'm guessing it was a yin video or similar.
It might have turned into a nice nap

Reps4jesus

Im completely ignorant of all this stuff but is Pilates basically like Yoga without the zen side of things? Basically if im just trying to improve stuff like balance and mobility would i be better off in Yoga or Pilates?

cactusgal

Some people absolutely hate it, but I really like Bikram yoga. There's none of the airy fairy stuff really, and it is tough. Holding poses for a long time in high heat and humidity, but I find it great for flexibility and balance. But I can understand why some people hate it!

kierank01

Reps4jesus wrote: »

Im completely ignorant of all this stuff but is Pilates basically like Yoga without the zen side of things? Basically if im just trying to improve stuff like balance and mobility would i be better off in Yoga or Pilates?

I was going to suggest Pilates also.
There are differences between Pilates & yoga, but both will help with flexibility/balance.

I do a lot of hard training/exercise, and I like the meditation in yoga as a contrast.

Alf Veedersane

Zillah wrote: »

I was following a Youtube video for introductory yoga one day, and I eventually got sick of all the lying down and breathing and white light, so I skipped ahead and I am glad I did: dis bitch was going to have me lying there for forty minutes doing nothing but breathing.

It might have made you more in touch with your inner lung.

Bandara

Thanks all for the responses

Hot / Bikram Yoga isn't something I'd consider for various reasons, mainly health and actual effectiveness, but thats another story !

Yoga is pretty much what I'm after and will definitely try the Ashtanga this week

Pilates I'd have done a lot of but I'm now looking at more joint flexion improvements, so Yoga is the way to go apparently (the wife is a physio so I'm happy enough to follow her advice)

Thanks again and will report back as to how the Ashtanga goes ! :P

bonzo_k

If you want recommendations for Mysore classes let me know.

Transform

Bandara wrote: »

Thanks all for the responses

Hot / Bikram Yoga isn't something I'd consider for various reasons, mainly health and actual effectiveness, but thats another story !

Yoga is pretty much what I'm after and will definitely try the Ashtanga this week

Pilates I'd have done a lot of but I'm now looking at more joint flexion improvements, so Yoga is the way to go apparently (the wife is a physio so I'm happy enough to follow her advice)

Thanks again and will report back as to how the Ashtanga goes ! :P

most of the yoga and pilates out there is a really inefficient way to help imporove mobility and core strength,

Heres what i recommend -

For mobility pick out lots of the stuff here and i post about mobility drills all the time

combine with midline stability work here

that should cover it mostly and combine for about 20-30mins daily picking different areas or spend more time if mobility is particularly pants.

Overall spending 60mins doing pilates where you're told to suck your belly button in (no one whos a top class powerlifter ever does that to create intra abdominal tension) or yoga where you spend time on poses you're already ok at is to my mind not the best use of ones time.

Lastly ive worked with many yoga and pilates teachers that have come to me for training and the most common issue they have is they naturally had decent flexibility i.e. look really bendy, but were all incredibly weak which is just as bad as being super stiff because it meant the were never safe in any of the positions they were in as they were hanging out on their e.g. lower back all the time.

A simple example is many of them cant do a simple push up without getting into extreme flexion in their lower back.

Mobility is flexibility AND strength combined.
This is an example of good mobility -
Got the strength AND mobility to move in and out of the movements

pinkypinky

I really recommend Suzanne Kenny's classes in Swords. http://www.yoga4all.ie/

The vinyasa classes (as well as barre concept) are really good workouts. She throws in bits of other disciplines and the occasional bit with weights. You never know what you're going to get. She does end with relaxation but no one complains because they're knackered!

hooplah

Where are you living?

I used to go to iyoga in Phibsborough. They do Iyengar yoga which is big on doing poses correctly and using props to help if you're not able to do certain things.

They have a men's class on Monday evenings. Yer man does a bit of relaxation at the end of the class but I've always found it a good wind down. There's a decent mix at that class, from memory I think most people were doing other sports / activities and were often addressing injuries / shortcomings. It was funny to see that something you found relatively easy someone else really struggled with, and vice-versa.

http://iyoga.ie/yoga-classes/#mens-class-about

LuG123

Bandara wrote: »

Thanks all for the responses

Hot / Bikram Yoga isn't something I'd consider for various reasons, mainly health and actual effectiveness, but thats another story !

Yoga is pretty much what I'm after and will definitely try the Ashtanga this week

Pilates I'd have done a lot of but I'm now looking at more joint flexion improvements, so Yoga is the way to go apparently (the wife is a physio so I'm happy enough to follow her advice)

Thanks again and will report back as to how the Ashtanga goes ! :P

HI Bandara

I totally understand where you are coming form.
There are so many different types of yoga and then with that there are different types of yoga teachers in each style who have different approaches..Some would focus more so on the relaxing side of it and some do really strong classes. This is one thing I find frustrating about when people say they don't like yoga or categorise it as one thing because there is such a vast selection of different styles and teachers that it's usually all about finding what suits you.
I think I was lucky that I found a few good teachers that suited me early.

I'm a yoga teacher myself and I personally love a strong class. My own teacher (not sure if I can give out names) I think would be exactly what you are looking for. He is known for his strong classes and has been teaching years.

Regarding the lying down bit at the end that is called savasana and you won't escape it. It is at the end of every yoga class and after a really strong class it's actually really nice. A lot of teachers don't put the blankets on (it's never happened me) but some students choose to use blankets of put on jumpers etc purely so they don't get cold.

Not sure if that was helpful but If you want more details feel free to pm me.

Macy0161

Transform wrote: »

most of the yoga and pilates out there is a really inefficient way to help imporove mobility and core strength,

Not going to contradict on mobility and core strength, but I do find pilates fires and works my glutes, which is admittedly something I've been working on the last few months before starting pilates.

I would say it's showing up my lack of mobility/ core strength rather than enhancing it, at one class a week at any rate - I will be looking at the links above to improve, as I can't fit in a second class anyway!

Transform

Macy0161 wrote: »

Not going to contradict on mobility and core strength, but I do find pilates fires and works my glutes, which is admittedly something I've been working on the last few months before starting pilates.

I would say it's showing up my lack of mobility/ core strength rather than enhancing it, at one class a week at any rate - I will be looking at the links above to improve, as I can't fit in a second class anyway!

you wouldnt be correcting me there, you'd be giving your opinion which is grand.

Of course the pilates can help but when people have less than 2hrs total per week to train then doing an hour pilates class is so far away from being the best use of their time.