Whats up with yoga??

MeaganMichelle93

Im thinking of taking a yoga fitness class in my next semester. What exactly is involved in yoga? Is it all just stretching and poses? What kinds of health benefits can I get from doing yoga? And, is it even possible to lose weight from yoga?

ModoVincere

there are different forms of yoga.
Generally speaking the benefits are : strength, agility, limberness, and if you go far enough beyond just the workouts....peace and meditiation.

rapat

stretching
poses
building strength (yoga can be very demanding)
meditation / mindfulness /eastern philosophy is a benefit if you learn yoga at a hindu/Buddhist center but isn't necessary for the physical part of practicing yoga
you're body will feel better overall if you have back/muscle pains/issues

JesterMFP

there are different forms of yoga.
Generally speaking the benefits are : strength, agility, limberness, and if you go far enough beyond just the workouts....peace and meditiation.

^this.

Weight loss comes from a calorie deifict. Yoga can be a way of increasing your calorie deficit, but generally, there are more effective ways of doing that. (That said - some forms of yoga give higher calorie burns than others).

BCSMama

I love yoga and wish I could do it more. For me, I don't view it as a workout really, but more of a mind/body meditation thing. Sure, there is great for your body and incorporates strength, balance and flexibility, but it's so much more than that. When I leave a good yoga class, I feel centered and peaceful and revitalized.

Clew

We do a little yoga during warm up and cooldown in my bellydancing classes and I really enjoy what we do for that. I'd like to get a good yoga DVD but I don't want the ones that play trippy music and make you feel like you should be smoking cannabis in your friend's basement. Are there any normal person yoga DVDs? :happy:

I'm not an expert but from what I know of yoga, vinyasa appeals to me the most.

Mykaelous

stretching
poses
building strength (yoga can be very demanding)
meditation / mindfulness /eastern philosophy is a benefit if you learn yoga at a hindu/Buddhist center but isn't necessary for the physical part of practicing yoga
you're body will feel better overall if you have back/muscle pains/issues

As a dude I can tell you that it is really challenging. I go to a studio from time to time or do a routine from a video at home and 10 min. into a session I'm already sweating, by the end of a 60 minute routine my body is shaking trying to keep its weight up.

My primary benefits are flexibility and strengthening muscles a lot of the balance muscles I don't directly train at the gym.

WanderingLass

Im thinking of taking a yoga fitness class in my next semester. What exactly is involved in yoga? Is it all just stretching and poses? What kinds of health benefits can I get from doing yoga? And, is it even possible to lose weight from yoga?

I have a friend who took a yoga class in college just last year and she loved it. She has scoliosis and she said that she was amazed at how little pain she had and her muscle spasms were far fewer.

Bob, from The BIggest Loser, has a fitness yoga dvd and even my then-teenage son struggled with it - definitely a workout!

I would ask for a description of the class to find out what method (or methods) of yoga is going to be used and ask the instructor what benefits they feel you can get from it.

maulop

I started doing astanga yoga like three months ago, and i've got a lot of good results from the practice. My flexibility has improved from board stiff to almost flexible (now i can grab my feet easily with my hands with my legs extended). My attitude towards work and life I've noticed has become more secure and relaxed. I have more strenght in my arms and legs but not more noticeable muscle.

At first you do a small part of something called 'primary series' which is a series of postures (asanas) combined with a specific breathing technique and eye direction. The first week I couldn't make most of the asanas as i got tired easily, like when you make repetitions to failure with weights, but in a couple of weeks i managed to make it through an entire class, so it's a matter of patience and dedication.

And I've learned that you don't have to train hard in yoga or strain your body to achieve improvement, the postures has to be steady and relaxed, focusing on the breathing and the direction of the eyes. The rest comes naturally in time.

Icyy037

Yoga can change your life.

rapat

If you only had 30-60 minutes / day, it's not the best way to burn calories if that's your primary goal.

It's great at developing core strength and flexibility. I think it has its place in a workout. It will never get 'easy' if you keep pushing yourself.

And if you're interested in learning eastern philosophy -- which as an Indian I'm biased toward -- there's general benefits to learning how to calm your mind and be less stressed about things -- I agree with the prior commenter -- take the yoga class at a Buddhist or hindu temple / center and you'll get exposed to that stuff as well. You might get exposed to some religious stuff, but it's possible to separate the philosophical stuff from the religious stuff.

Alphastate

I love yoga and wish I could do it more. For me, I don't view it as a workout really, but more of a mind/body meditation thing. Sure, there is great for your body and incorporates strength, balance and flexibility, but it's so much more than that. When I leave a good yoga class, I feel centered and peaceful and revitalized.

^^This x1000

I love going to my night class after a long day of work. It allows me time to center my focus back on myself, focus on my breathing, and bring acceptance and awareness to myself and my surroundings.

yoginimary

I would ask for a description of the class to find out what method (or methods) of yoga is going to be used and ask the instructor what benefits they feel you can get from it.

Absolutely. There are many different styles.

zytah

i must say yoga is no joke. i havent taken a class for it but ive had a friend show me a few of the poses to help me loosen up. i thought it looked easy, and i fell flat on my face trying to do it. once i got those few moves down it felt pretty amazing. my balance and posture has actually improved with only a few moves.

lcyama

yoga is also good for releasing tension and relieving stress.
yoga helps you accept and appreciate yourself and others around you.
my only regret at practicing yoga is i wish i had started sooner.