I WANT to like yoga, but.....

Hellbent_Heidi

I just can't stand it!! I find it so incredibly boring....am I the only one?

I'm constantly hearing people blather about their love for it, and I've tried taking it twice (and by twice I mean, two 8 weeks classes, several years apart), but it was still a no-go for me.

Maybe I just have a short attention span, but I'd much rather pound out cardio with Metallica blasting in my headphones than to do that relaxing and stretching mumbo jumbo...

How about you? If you love it..is there some trick to learning to enjoy it?

snowfox92

I think it's boring too! And kind of girly....

rml_16

I love yoga, but not every workout is right for everyone. If you hate it, don't do it.

Interestingly, one of my coworkers who recently got certified likes to do yoga to Metallica. And she used to play Lady Gaga when she would lead a class at work.

healthy_KT

I'm right there with you. Don't get me wrong, I really like stretching but I'm not into yoga. I don't really get it. It doesn't feel like a workout to me. I think it's good after a workout to calm down and relax but as a workout I just don't understand.

rml_16

I think it's boring too! And kind of girly....

Another of my coworkers was an officer in the Navy and a helicopter pilot and he does yoga every day. There were always men in my classes and NFL and college football players are strongly encouraged to take yoga classes.

PBmaria

Try Crunch - Super SlimDown: Pilates Yoga Blend: Ellen Barrett.
It's awesome, not girly at all and deceivingly tough!

It's on Nexflix streaming!

jackalope28

I love it, but it's right for ME and I stick to it because I look forward to it daily and get cranky when I miss it! If it's not right for you, move on and do the thing that YOU love!

Btw, I look forward to yoga classes where the teacher has an outstanding playlist.

michiforjoy

Try some faster, harder yoga? Here's my favorite 20-minute (free) podcast. http://jivadiva.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=70082 (Click the little "pod" button.) After about 5 minutes you'll be sweating, and you WILL be sore the next day! I totally dig yoga, but not the slow kind. Avoid the hatha variety and check out more of the iyengar stuff for more intense workouts. Good luck! xx

jessashcher

I have also tried yoga and just couldn't do it, they tell you to focus on your breathing and everytime I tried to do that I would hyper ventilate, don't know why but I just did. And I too think it's boring, zumba on the other hand is such a great work out and lots of fun too.

jonikeffer

I find it incredibly relaxing and love it, but I don't really think of it as a workout. I can be, like Astanga yoga (sp?), but I like to do Hatha/Iyengar yoga to be mellow.

fbmandy55

I fell in love with it when I really focused on it. I do it in a dimly lit room, close dmy eyes and just listen to what the instructor(in my case dvd) tells me to do. I get so focused on the relaxation that sometimes I don't even realize how incredibly far I've put myself into a pose.

Bonus: I am incredibly flexible now and my balance is better than ever.

It not for everyone but some people halfa$$ it and don't get the full experience.

MissMaryMac33

I find yoga boring too.. I spend most of the time wishing I was napping or on the floor with my eyes closed.

I'm definitely more of a zumba/soul-grooves/hip-hop dance cardio girl.... blaring music, lights off and lots of hooting!
My gym always turns the lights off so you can stop worrying about what you look like and just dance!

carolinedb

Personally, I'm a yoga fiend, but if you don't like it, don't do it!

That being said, what kind of yoga were you doing? I get bored during hatha yoga classes, and actually sometimes use a short hatha practice to help me fall asleep. However, I do vigorous, challenging ashtanga and vinyasa yoga, and it rocks my socks off! I sweat like crazy, and I'm definitely sore the next day. Plus, I can hold a headstand for two minutes now, and I think that's pretty darn cool!

rml_16

I also have to ask if those two classes, years apart, were the same KIND of yoga.

There are so many different kinds, some more challenging than others. Some are about relaxation, stretching and meditation while others really work your muscles and balance.

If it's not for you, it's not. But there is a lot of reason to do it (if it's something you enjoy). Improving your focus, breathing, flexibility, strength and balance improves your form when you do other exercises (especially running!) and therefore helps those exercises be more effective and also reduces the risk of injury.

And if you don't think yoga really works your muscles, take a week off from working out and then do an hour-long power yoga class and see if you can walk the next day. ;-)

noexcuses1218

SO much of a class has to do with the style of yoga - it sounds like you were doing a basic hatha yoga or Iyengar class where the poses are held for a while and there's not a lot of movement or flow.

If you want to move and sweat and challenge yourself, try a flow or vinyasa class. The pace is usually faster, and they're all about about movement and breath. Let me tell you, it sounds a *lot* easier than it is!

I've heard that Bikram yoga will really kick your *kitten* too, although I've never tried it myself (pretty sure I'd get hooked and spend a lot of money and time commuting to a yoga studio).

Then again, I'm a power yoga junkie, so I'm pretty biased.

Hope you find a niche, but it's certainly not for everyone, so don't sweat it if it's not your thing.

JRW2010

I have tried both traditional yoga and then tried hot yoga on a groupon deal. I liked the hot yoga because it was more militant and you do the same thing every single time and burn a ton of calories since it's so freaking hot. I do the hot yoga three times a week and you get that "runners high". I still struggle with the traditional yoga... LOL

jgic2009

I also have to ask if those two classes, years apart, were the same KIND of yoga.

There are so many different kinds, some more challenging than others. Some are about relaxation, stretching and meditation while others really work your muscles and balance.

If it's not for you, it's not. But there is a lot of reason to do it (if it's something you enjoy). Improving your focus, breathing, flexibility, strength and balance improves your form when you do other exercises (especially running!) and therefore helps those exercises be more effective and also reduces the risk of injury.

And if you don't think yoga really works your muscles, take a week off from working out and then do an hour-long power yoga class and see if you can walk the next day. ;-)

^^^^ THIS!

Hellbent_Heidi

That being said, what kind of yoga were you doing? I get bored during hatha yoga classes, and actually sometimes use a short hatha practice to help me fall asleep.

I believe both classes I took were hatha. Last time was a couple of years ago, but the topic came up at work today...a co-worker asked me if I'd done it and I said "yes, and I hated it", and the girl behind her said she loves it.... so I figured I'd toss it out there.

Its become pretty trendy again the last few years, and seems like it would be nice to be able to relax like that, but I just can't get into it. I don't think I'd try the group-class route again, but maybe will give it a shot again by myself at home....

heybrit

You should try Brian Krest's Power Yoga.

omg. talk about a killer. I couldn't walk right for a near week and I was in child's pose for 1/2 the class! There were a lot of men there too because it's intense.

BeverageTreats

I have been liking it because I need to stretch in places that the jocks who are training me to lift weights don't know how to tell me to stretch. Every time I walk out of yoga I feel like some broken part of my body became fixed in the past hour.

anna2709

I'm reading this with interest - our gym has a Dru yoga class, but I've never tried though I am considering it. Is that one of the "power" ones? Thanks!

Hellbent_Heidi

I also have to ask if those two classes, years apart, were the same KIND of yoga.

Yes - the same kind. The first go-around was when I was working in a high-stress job and had to drive like 30 miles across town (after work in rush hour) to meet my friends for the class, so I figured those factors had a lot to do with my inability to relax and enjoy.

Second time, 10 years later, was while I was laid off for a while, and was a lot less stressed, and I still felt the same way....it even got me agitated at times for some reason.

Maybe I'll do some research and try a different kind sometime though...

anvacarz

I'm not sure where you live but in my neighborhood we have dozens of yoga to choose from! Try hot yoga. Bikram is nice but gets boring to me (same 27 poses held statically). I'm in love with hot vinyasa yoga. Try holding downward dog for a minute, moving to plank, sun sal, crescent, warrior and repeat. It'll kick your *kitten* for sure!

rml_16

That being said, what kind of yoga were you doing? I get bored during hatha yoga classes, and actually sometimes use a short hatha practice to help me fall asleep.

I believe both classes I took were hatha. Last time was a couple of years ago, but the topic came up at work today...a co-worker asked me if I'd done it and I said "yes, and I hated it", and the girl behind her said she loves it.... so I figured I'd toss it out there.

Its become pretty trendy again the last few years, and seems like it would be nice to be able to relax like that, but I just can't get into it. I don't think I'd try the group-class route again, but maybe will give it a shot again by myself at home....

Do not, do not, DO NOT do it by yourself at home until you've been taking classes with a qualified instructor for a while. PLEASE. Yoga looks like it's simple and easy, but you can seriously injure yourself for life if you do a posture wrong.

armacd

I too hated yoga when I first started, it was long and boring. But I kept at it, and while I don't love it, I have learned to appreciate it for its benefits. Once I started to see changes in my ability it wasn't so bad, so my advice is to keep at it for a bit longer, maybe seeing the benefits will help.

M_lifts

NO! i dont do yoga either, i tried one but the intructor said i wasnt in tune with my inner zen! lol! dont do chanting etc! maybe i just went to a bad class? lol

rml_16

NO! i dont do yoga either, i tried one but the intructor said i wasnt in tune with my inner zen! lol! dont do chanting etc! maybe i just went to a bad class? lol

Sounds like you went to a class more focused on the spiritual side than the exercise side.

melsinct

I tried yoga but found it boring. Some classes focus more on meditation or chanting which TOTALLY turns me off. I ended up falling in love with mat pilates, where some parts are yoga-esque, but I find it much more interesting and makes more sense to me. Plus, no meditation or chanting.

Like anything, find something you like and you'll stick with it!

Laurarunnergirl

I love yoga!! I work in a high energy, noisy environment all day M-F, and love the opportunity to just unwind after work and be calm and peaceful (I do primarily restorative/yin yoga). Plus, best of all, it's a great way for me to stretch after a long run -- I feel much more flexible (with less sore muscles), which I think is a benefit to my running. To each their own.

Laura