overweight and yoga?

pandyg180

Ive been doing zumba classes (which I love!) consistently for some months now. A fellow classmate convinced me to stick around for a hatha yoga class. Admittedly I was hesistant because I wasn't prepared (had no mat) and most of all I had never done it before. I decided to give it shot. I borrowed a new mat and there I went.

Honestly, during it was hell - further proved my lack of flexibility and strength! But in the end I actually felt really good afterwards and was able to cleanse my mind for that moment. Made me think like this is why so many people do this and that I shouldn't let my weight hold me back.

Just looking for inspiration from those that are overweight and have been doing yoga? How do you think it has changed how you feel, look, and your health? What's the biggest difference you see in yourself since you've started?

emmycantbemeeko

I love yoga and think it's great for both physical and mental reasons for anyone willing to put in the practice. You definitely don't need to look like the cover model of a yoga gear catalogue to benefit. Stick with it!

An acquaintance of mine took up yoga while very overweight and several years later, she's a certified instructor with a popular class who can get in to poses most people can't even attempt.

She's not skinny and has no intention of being so, but she's strong, flexible, and happy.

pandyg180

emmycantbemeeko wrote: »

I love yoga and think it's great for both physical and mental reasons for anyone willing to put in the practice. You definitely don't need to look like the cover model of a yoga gear catalogue to benefit. Stick with it!

An acquaintance of mine took up yoga while very overweight and several years later, she's a certified instructor with a popular class who can get in to poses most people can't even attempt.

She's not skinny and has no intention of being so, but she's strong, flexible, and happy.

Awesome...thank you!

bover145

There is no competition in yoga. Just find a style you like and stick with it. I find it clears my mind but has also made me stronger and more flexible.

alohajls

When I started yoga years ago, I was very overweight--and went to a fancy gym in NYC full of the hyper-fit, hyper-competitive types you might imagine. It was very intimidating and I was very self-conscious at first, but the teacher of the Gentle Yoga class I took was amazing. There were a ton of things I could not do, including Child's Pose, which is the 'easy' rest pose (my knees won't bend like that)!

Still, as my teacher said, you might not be able to do every pose, but everyone can BREATHE. Do what *your* body can do today, don't worry about the rest. It's called yoga 'practice' for a reason! I must say, even though I have not practiced in a while, the mental part of it has really stuck with me.

Check out this Instagram account for inspriation: @mynameisjessamyn

kshama2001

pandyg180 wrote: »

Ive been doing zumba classes (which I love!) consistently for some months now. A fellow classmate convinced me to stick around for a hatha yoga class. Admittedly I was hesistant because I wasn't prepared (had no mat) and most of all I had never done it before. I decided to give it shot. I borrowed a new mat and there I went.

Honestly, during it was hell - further proved my lack of flexibility and strength! But in the end I actually felt really good afterwards and was able to cleanse my mind for that moment. Made me think like this is why so many people do this and that I shouldn't let my weight hold me back.

Just looking for inspiration from those that are overweight and have been doing yoga? How do you think it has changed how you feel, look, and your health? What's the biggest difference you see in yourself since you've started?

Regular yoga helps me tremendously with emotional eating. See https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-science-willpower/201007/how-yoga-can-help-end-binge-eating

I'm a former full time yoga teacher, and while I would prefer everyone new to yoga starts out with a beginner or gentle or restorative yoga class, I realize these aren't always available at gyms. So do listen to your body and don't force it to do what others are doing if you are not yet ready. Namaste!

Sabine_Stroehm

kshama2001 wrote: »

YOGA is AWESOME. Stick with it OP, it's totally worth it!

Sabine_Stroehm

alohajls wrote: »

When I started yoga years ago, I was very overweight--and went to a fancy gym in NYC full of the hyper-fit, hyper-competitive types you might imagine. It was very intimidating and I was very self-conscious at first, but the teacher of the Gentle Yoga class I took was amazing. There were a ton of things I could not do, including Child's Pose, which is the 'easy' rest pose (my knees won't bend like that)!

Still, as my teacher said, you might not be able to do every pose, but everyone can BREATHE. Do what *your* body can do today, don't worry about the rest. It's called yoga 'practice' for a reason! I must say, even though I have not practiced in a while, the mental part of it has really stuck with me.

Check out this Instagram account for inspriation: @mynameisjessamyn

That's fabulous!!!!

Forty6and2

I started doing yoga not too long ago and I love it! Definitely not the thinnest nor the most flexible in the class but the classes are so individualistic that it's not a problem for me. As others have said, it's not a competition and if you like it, you should stick with it!

ridge4mfp

Absolutely stick with it. I started hatha yoga at 286 lbs. Needless to say I could not do many of the poses well, but I modified where I could and just kept trying and breathing. My flexibility has increased greatly. When I started and we did a forward fold, I could barely touch my shins. Now I can fold and wrap my fingers around the balls of my feet.

I still can't do it all but I am much better and improving every practice. Losing weight is helping too (gets some of that fat out of the way)! It makes me feel great. I love it and am now really upset if I have to miss a practice.

Sabine_Stroehm

ridge4mfp wrote: »

Absolutely stick with it. I started hatha yoga at 286 lbs. Needless to say I could not do many of the poses well, but I modified where I could and just kept trying and breathing. My flexibility has increased greatly. When I started and we did a forward fold, I could barely touch my shins. Now I can fold and wrap my fingers around the balls of my feet.

I still can't do it all but I am much better and improving every practice. Losing weight is helping too (gets some of that fat out of the way)! It makes me feel great. I love it and am now really upset if I have to miss a practice.

Great post.

And OP: if you like yoga, but not the teacher, try a few others until you find a teacher you click with. I wish I had done that ages ago.

RenewedRunner

Yoga is great and because it is about what YOU can do, size and shape doesn't matter.

Though I have found my "gut" gets in the way sometimes. Ugh!