Post by: heids on August 31, 2017, 01:57:26 pm
I used to practice yoga intermittently, but I picked it up again at the recommendation of my psych and have been practicing six days a week for the last couple of months. I'm doing it at home based on the ashtanga yoga primary series, using Kino MacGregor's ashtanga book and youtube videos. Have never been to a class.
Physically, it's bloody hard, and I finish sessions barely able to walk haha. Mentally, it's even harder... trying to accept where I am (read: I'm not great at yoga lol) and deal with intense emotions.
But it's not all just fancy poses and fitness and flexibility, or meditation and woo-woo stuff (me and meditation... aren't friends lol). I feel like I'm starting to do yoga all the time now off the mat, just being more aware of my physical alignment and integrity, coordinating breaths with normal movements, moving from the core, and then linking that to the spiritual lessons of thinking and behaving with integrity, alignment, balance and strength. Sounds like bs but it's been really helping me in the last few weeks (except when things get too bad ::)).
So much growth ahead of me!
If you've ever tried yoga, what's your experience been? :)
Post by: peterpiper on August 31, 2017, 03:59:36 pm
If you've ever tried yoga, what's your experience been? :)
Fucking hard at first. But eventually I got used to kissing the back plate of my head. So it works I guess. My experiences have often been extremely periodic and short-lived mainly because the person I'm doing yoga with stops going >:( >:(
Physically, it's bloody hard, and I finish sessions barely able to walk haha.
Hahahah 10/10 relatable. There was one time where I just rolled myself down the staircase outside the yoga place I was doing it at.
Post by: K888 on August 31, 2017, 04:18:09 pm
Quote from: peterpiper
I got used to kissing the back plate of my headAs someone who is not familiar with yoga, this confuses me a great deal...
Personally, I physically can't do yoga, which is a shame. About the closest I've come is clinical pilates, which I really enjoy. :)
For those of you that do yoga, what's the best part about it?
Post by: Natasha.97 on August 31, 2017, 04:19:54 pm
It really helps to reduce stress levels and leaves a refreshed feeling after having a session :)
fell face first onto the floor when attempting a particular move for the first time
Post by: Joseph41 on August 31, 2017, 04:58:51 pm
It was a fun time.
Post by: Calebark on August 31, 2017, 05:49:26 pm
I actually got started when sparring with a mate (martial arts. He so won that round :P ), and he said that he's been doing yoga the past few months to improve general fitness and flexibility, and that it's been helping him with control of his body. His girlfriend (who taught him) showed me some basics, gave me some links, and I've been doing it everyday since -- I intend to keep doing it, it's really fun!
For those of you that do yoga, what's the best part about it?I love that I can do it at home. Normally I'll be doing martial arts or other team sports which obviously require going out and other people, but for yoga, I am all that is required. It's perfect for lazier days when you still want to be physically active but still want to keep the day a bit lowkey.
Post by: sweetiepi on August 31, 2017, 05:55:15 pm
Maybe I should attempt it again someday, who knows? :)
*Those bonds don't rotate, neither can I :P
Post by: Calebark on August 31, 2017, 05:57:39 pm
I'd *attempt* to do yoga if I wasn't as inflexible as a Carbon-Carbon double bond* :P
Maybe I should attempt it again someday, who knows? :)
*Those bonds don't rotate, neither can I :P
Should definitely try it! There's a bunch of different styles out there, so maybe have a look, see what one appeals to you, and just give it a try! Like I said, it doesn't take much preparation -- no loss!
Post by: Phoenix11 on August 31, 2017, 06:02:07 pm
I did it for about a year and a half and it's been amazing!
Especially for the selective school exam (as i was doing it during that time) as it really kept me focused whenever I was doing a test or something. I had my full concentration on whatever I was doing. It really kept me calm and made me feel really good.
It's really fun and it is definitely worth it!
:) :)
Post by: peterpiper on August 31, 2017, 07:15:29 pm
I'd *attempt* to do yoga if I wasn't as inflexible as a Carbon-Carbon double bond* :P
Maybe I should attempt it again someday, who knows? :)
*Those bonds don't rotate, neither can I :P
That. Was. Amazing. Thank you. You get 50 000 + peterpiper respect dollaz
For those of you that do yoga, what's the best part about it?
Corpse Pose at the end and Downward-facing dog in the sun-salutation sequence :P
Post by: heids on September 03, 2017, 10:52:23 am
Every time I practice yoga I want to give up. I've been realising I have this deep-seated belief that I'm a weak, undisciplined, lazy person who always gives up when things are hard (in exercise, or study, or work, or anything really), which ends up self-fulfilling. I'm so ashamed of it. During a practice I always hit the point where I go "let's stop and sit here and philosophise about what it means to keep going through discomfort" which is actually my way of dodging the discomfort lol. It's... a work in progress.
And it's such a struggle with perfectionism too... I feel like I "should" be achieving inner peace in poses (hint: I normally don't) and gazing in the right direction and focusing deeply and flowing smoothly through vinyasas (which I normally skip because I can't deal with them) and engaging my pelvic floor and not stopping and doing the poses better and so on... but my practice is so imperfect, physically and mentally.
For those of you that do yoga, what's the best part about it?
The heightened physical/mental/emotional/spiritual awareness it gives me.
Post by: elysepopplewell on September 03, 2017, 11:48:46 am
I love that you've brought this up Heidi, I want to start stretching more each day. The day after dancing I'm always a bit sore and I noticed last week at Uni I was stretching my hamstrings out under the table, and I like the feeling of being elasticy. I think I like it so much because being strong might never ever be my ace of spades, but this is a great flexibility and strength thing. The mental benefits are great, I'm sure, but the primary focus for me right now is finding something that proves to me I'm not a total weakling!
So, friends, can you recommend anything for me to start doing yoga at home? What do you recommend for setting - music? outdoors? dark? What do you recommend for a guide - youtube? a book?
I'd love to be more flexible in my legs, and I'm really addicted to the feeling of stretching the backs of my legs (why am i like this).
So please offer me your thoughts! I'd love to give this a go, even if just once a week to begin with and then increase.
Post by: heids on September 03, 2017, 05:20:29 pm
I love that you've brought this up Heidi, I want to start stretching more each day. The day after dancing I'm always a bit sore and I noticed last week at Uni I was stretching my hamstrings out under the table, and I like the feeling of being elasticy.
Stretching feels so good right! Fair warning, yoga makes you very sore at first, and if you do it once a week you'll be sore every time. I promise, I'm as weak as you could ever be. :P
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So, friends, can you recommend anything for me to start doing yoga at home? What do you recommend for setting - music? outdoors? dark? What do you recommend for a guide - youtube? a book?
Kino MacGregor (kinoyoga on youtube) is awesome, and has a 30-day complete beginner series on her channel, plus hundreds of more advanced videos.
Yoga with Adrienne is the other excellent beginner yt channel.
I just do it inside on carpet with lights on and that's it, nothing fancy. I personally don't follow videos during my practice but use them to teach me how to properly do poses beforehand - I practice by memory, but started with a book. :)
Post by: elysepopplewell on September 03, 2017, 06:33:44 pm
Stretching feels so good right! Fair warning, yoga makes you very sore at first, and if you do it once a week you'll be sore every time. I promise, I'm as weak as you could ever be. :P
Kino MacGregor (kinoyoga on youtube) is awesome, and has a 30-day complete beginner series on her channel, plus hundreds of more advanced videos.
Yoga with Adrienne is the other excellent beginner yt channel.
I just do it inside on carpet with lights on and that's it, nothing fancy. I personally don't follow videos during my practice but use them to teach me how to properly do poses beforehand - I practice by memory, but started with a book. :)
I will report back!
As a side note: one of my favourite artists has printed their work onto yoga mats and I liiiiiiiiive for them, but so pricey! Would never buy one. But love looking! :)
Post by: heids on September 05, 2017, 03:48:14 pm
I get successfully to the end of practice, doing okay enough at all the poses... and hit the second-last, headstand, and get stuck and frustrated every time.
Have always been scared of inversions (head/hand/forearm stands), but I was gradually whittling away at it till I managed a proper headstand for the first time a couple of weeks ago. The next day I did it again... and carelessly fell out of it onto my back, hurting it (not injuring it, but had to be careful on the backbends for the next week). It feels like there's a long way to fall out of a headstand... haven't been able to do it again :-X
Soooo reminding myself that being able or not able to do a basic headstand doesn't change who I am as a person, and I'll get there in a couple of months. All that matters is that I keep trying - "practice and all is coming". :D
Also time to flout advice and practice against a wall since I have no one to help me 😂
Post by: zofromuxo on September 05, 2017, 04:07:43 pm
I can't actually believe this is a thing...and here I though Yoga was hard :'(
Post by: heids on September 05, 2017, 04:51:56 pm
@heids, any thoughts on Acroyoga ?
I can't actually believe this is a thing...and here I though Yoga was hard :'(
Oh man. That's insane lol.
Advanced yoga, partner or single, is pretty acrobatic... but that's achieved after many years of practice :-X
Post by: elysepopplewell on September 11, 2017, 02:19:11 pm
Went to a Body Balance class today at the gym. I like being in the class, they play good music and they do a 10 minute meditation at the end. It's a shame I will be leaving the gym because I can't afford a membership there and the place I'm doing dancing. But, I liked feeling all stretchy and balanced and powerful in a way that's not aggressive at all, but a little bit artful. Going to have a look at those online videos and report back when I try them!
Post by: heids on September 12, 2017, 11:22:42 am
Reporting back post-yoga as promised.
Went to a Body Balance class today at the gym. I like being in the class, they play good music and they do a 10 minute meditation at the end. It's a shame I will be leaving the gym because I can't afford a membership there and the place I'm doing dancing. But, I liked feeling all stretchy and balanced and powerful in a way that's not aggressive at all, but a little bit artful. Going to have a look at those online videos and report back when I try them!
Cool, I'm glad you had a good experience with it! Yoga is definitely both artful and powerful. :D
Watching videos of super strong and flexible people doing extremely advanced poses, I start to assume that's normal, and I'm just useless because I can't achieve anything in comparison. I forget that many people can't touch their toes, let alone put their head right between their legs when bending forward, and neither is inherently better than the other.
part of the so-called "intermediate" series
(https://i.imgur.com/lyqGfGy.jpg)
So I tried comparing myself the other way. I borrowed "Yoga for Dummies", which teaches very basic yoga I'm easily able to do, and compared myself with my younger siblings, who apparently can't sit on the floor with their legs straight out in front of them and back straight (I thought all uninjured people could do this).
But... neither of these approaches are yoga. Comparison isn't yoga. It's simply. not. RELEVANT. what other people can or can't do. It doesn't matter if I'm more flexible than 80% of the population, or less flexible than others. Even if I became the Best Yoga Practitioner In The World (no such thing lol), I'd lose that physical flexibility and strength through injury or illness or old age or death, so, what does it matter? I do it for my own health, not for achievement, and not for others.
I just need to keep practicing and doing my best and remembering that physical achievement isn't the aim. That's real yoga.
(hope no one minds my yoga philosophy discourses - I'm trying to really ingrain this stuff in my head haha)
Post by: elysepopplewell on September 12, 2017, 04:49:29 pm
Post by: M909 on October 23, 2017, 09:37:08 pm
Would you say in general you need to be doing it more than once a week to really get the benefits and stick to it Heids (or anyone else with long term yoga experenice)? - 6 per week is true commitment! Everytime I'd tried to get into it I was only going once a week. Thanks
Post by: heids on October 24, 2017, 05:19:51 pm
Actually did my first class for a while today :) Yoga is part of my gym membership, but I've kind of been busy with uni and work, so just did the "essential" strength and cardio, but now semester's over, I thought I'd try it again (have started and stopped many times) and loved it. On top of the great stretches, the instructor focuses a lot on mindfulness/breathing/positivety which is exactly what I needed.
The cool thing about yoga is that it combines cardio and strength, as well as the mindfulness/stretching/breathing. :D
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Would you say in general you need to be doing it more than once a week to really get the benefits and stick to it Heids (or anyone else with long term yoga experenice)? - 6 per week is true commitment! Everytime I'd tried to get into it I was only going once a week. Thanks
I mean, any yoga is better than none! But if you practice more frequently, you don't get sore after every session, progress faster, and the mindfulness is more engrained.
If I practiced yoga by going to classes, there's no way I could do it six days a week - I do those at home by myself. :)
Currently I have more free time than you, but I fit it in by making it a basic requirement in my day just like sleeping and eating and going to work - I plan the day with a yoga chunk somewhere in it, rather than try and fit it in afterwards.