Anyone here do yoga? (mini-rant included)

13

Replies

  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,789 Member
    Here's a yoga group, for all those that love yoga :bigsmile:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1484-generic-yoga-group

    I've practiced for 12 years. There's some yoga that is easy, some that is hard. A good student can make an easy class harder; a good teacher can make a hard class easier.
  • cleotherio
    cleotherio Posts: 712 Member
    There's some yoga that is easy, some that is hard. A good student can make an easy class harder; a good teacher can make a hard class easier.

    I totally agree with this. I do the P90x yoga video once a week. I also have a couple Rodney Yee videos that I really like. It bugs me when people say yoga is "too easy". If it's too easy, you're not doing it right.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    I lifted strong weights (the classic three) in my twenties and did yoga, did some years rock climbing and did yoga, even went to ballet classes back then - and did yoga.

    Then I let myself go for about twenty years and now - here I am; doing yoga!

    It seemed to me that, looking back over the years, I had been doing yoga as a supplementary to whatever else was taking my fancy and for me, that was the wrong way around. Now, my main focus is (anusara and vinyasa styles) yoga and I do bodyweight exercises to supplement the strength I need to work towards the more advanced yoga work; especially inversions and hand balances.

    It depends on your goals which of the disciplines: strength, cardio, flexibility and balance, become more pronounced but when hey all work together you have a workout program which locks together like a strong, well balanced wheel - take part of the wheel away and it is useless.

    I believe that Yoga on its own pulls from and demands from all four disciplines, but individuals are usually weak in one or other so then it makes sense to supplement in order to bring the wheel to balance. For me, it is upper body strength so I bring in bodyweight exercise.

    Yoga has always been in the wings for me, whatever I did across the years. Now it is where it belongs for me; centre stage - so - I love yoga!
  • willia123
    willia123 Posts: 60 Member
    Yes, it has changed my life. I do it 5 times a week. It has completely changed my body. It is also BY FAR the most challenging thing (exercise-wise) that I have taken on in my adult life. I know it isn't for everybody though!
  • Pheonix2012
    Pheonix2012 Posts: 61 Member
    I actually started doing Yoga as a suggestion I received to help with stress and anxiety. It helps me feel centered and control any panic attacks I might have.
    I did find when doing Yoga regularly that my flexibility increased tremendously, and my core was stronger than its ever been. But strength wise its certainly to build lean muscle, not bulk up by any means. :smile:
  • perficktangel
    perficktangel Posts: 26 Member
    I want to...does that count? I just need to find the right program etc. I'm a little intimidated by the whole thing.
    My workouts are 1/2 and 1/2 cardio and weights hard core at this point and I *really* need some stretching and flexibility.

    I posted earlier today (but got no response) if anyone can recommend any good yoga sessions on DVD or you tube. I'd like to go to classes but I'm already really struggling with time constraints.
    I do Jillian Michels yoga melt down. It has an easy workout and an advanced workout. To be honest the easy one is still tough, but I really like it.


    I think I've seen the Jillian Michaels yoga melt down on YouTube. I want to start yoga this week. I did a 10 minute workout a few weeks ago & my abs & legs were a little sore the next day (because I haven't exercised in quite a while). So I also disagree with anyone who says yoga is easy. It isn't. I hope you find some good workouts! Look for some on YouTube. There are short ones & longer ones. Try them out. A friend of mine does yoga & I asked her for the name of a good yoga DVD. She said that she hasn't found a bad one yet. She also said to look around & find one that looks interesting to you & more than likely, you'll enjoy it.
  • perficktangel
    perficktangel Posts: 26 Member
    I actually started doing Yoga as a suggestion I received to help with stress and anxiety. It helps me feel centered and control any panic attacks I might have.
    I did find when doing Yoga regularly that my flexibility increased tremendously, and my core was stronger than its ever been. But strength wise its certainly to build lean muscle, not bulk up by any means. :smile:


    Phoenix, how long have you been doing it? I also have quite a bit of stress & anxiety. My friend who does yoga suggested it to me for the same reason. I need to find a way to become a more postitive person & "freak out" a lot less often.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I actually started doing Yoga as a suggestion I received to help with stress and anxiety. It helps me feel centered and control any panic attacks I might have.
    I did find when doing Yoga regularly that my flexibility increased tremendously, and my core was stronger than its ever been. But strength wise its certainly to build lean muscle, not bulk up by any means. :smile:


    Phoenix, how long have you been doing it? I also have quite a bit of stress & anxiety. My friend who does yoga suggested it to me for the same reason. I need to find a way to become a more postitive person & "freak out" a lot less often.

    It helps me with that also. Over the years I've tried a lot of different types of yoga. My favorite is Ashtanga Vinyasa (also called power yoga or sometimes flow).
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    I love yoga, and it's a regular part of my exercise routine. It really depends on what your goals are though. If your primary goal is to gain muscle, or to gain strength, yoga's not the most effective way to do that. It is good initially to build strength, but you get to a point where you can't progress much further in terms of the weight you are lifting. You can do harder poses, but in the end you will reach a plateau as far as increasing strength goes. I do it for flexibility and relaxation, because it's challenging, and just because I enjoy it. :smile:
  • florymonde
    florymonde Posts: 261 Member

    Try looking for Tara Stiles on you tube. I really like her videos. Though I'm definitely a beginner when it comes to yoga.

    Thanks for the recommendation; they look pretty good. I've enjoyed the live yoga classes I've done, but have had difficulty finding any DVDs/videos I like. They all have so much talking it takes forever! The first Tara Stiles video I looked like had someone complaining about how fast she talked; but the movements were slow and smooth with no big waits for the talking, so it'll probably be good for me!

    In some ways, I feel like the weightlifting is kind of cheating. I'm building muscle, not because I want to use it; I just want to have more muscles to burn more calories when I'm at rest! I feel like yoga builds muscles in a more useable way, because you have to build your core and increase flexibility along the way.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    I love yoga, and it's a regular part of my exercise routine. It really depends on what your goals are though. If your primary goal is to gain muscle, or to gain strength, yoga's not the most effective way to do that. It is good initially to build strength, but you get to a point where you can't progress much further in terms of the weight you are lifting. You can do harder poses, but in the end you will reach a plateau as far as increasing strength goes. I do it for flexibility and relaxation, because it's challenging, and just because I enjoy it. :smile:

    I agree, but strength is relative to what you are using the strength for. For example, there comes a limit to how much being strong in the bench press and deadlift would enable you to perform the yoga Peaock Posture. Not many yoga people can hold this posture so, for the majority, there is no plateau so long as you keep working your limits; as in strength training.

    Though obviously strong, the yogi who could pull off a stable Peacock Posture could possibly not match the weightlifter's bench press or deadlift. There are many kinds of strength in my view.
  • cici1028
    cici1028 Posts: 799 Member
    It's my only routine outside of walking the dogs. :) I love ashtanga yoga and it has changed my life, and my body! Keep at it!
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    "yea for Ashtanga! <applause>"
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    If you're using the words "yoga" and "rant" in the same sentence, methinks you're doing it wrong. I spend a ginormous amount of time trolling.....errrr, I mean contributing to the F&E forums, and I don't recall seeing anyone saying yoga is easy or yoga is worthless. Yoga isn't lifting, sure. But doesn't have benefits? No one says that anywhere.

    I wish I could link you to the thread I saw, but it was a week ago and it's too far gone. But there was a girl on here who started a thread about how she hated yoga and thought it was pointless. And a bunch of other MFPers chimed in and said yoga was useless in terms of exercise. Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean the thread wasn't there.

    I know the thread of which you speak. The OP said she didn't get it or enjoy it, which is still a legal opinion to have in most states. Some others felt the same way. But mostly the thread was a ton of yoga lovers saying what they enjoyed about yoga and how they benefited from the practice. Like most things, people see what they want to see. I witnessed (and participated in) a pro yoga rally that went on for pages where you saw a Yoga Sucks thread.

    Yeah, I remember that, too. The yoga folks were real cool about the silly rant and didn't blow it out of proportion or take it too seriously. Just took it as an opportunity to connect and talk about yoga and recognize that not everyone likes the same things.
  • buzzbait67
    buzzbait67 Posts: 1 Member
    I don't see much of a way to compare strength training with yoga. Strength training is...... strength training. It's pretty simple to describe and do. You do the exercises, and you gain muscular strength. It's a very coarse and narrow method of adding muscle to your body. That's not a bad thing at all. It's just a very tiny part of a path to overall health in life.

    Yoga on the other hand, has so many facets. It's much more of a lifestyle than a simple means of physical exercise. There are physical exercises in yoga, but those exercises are a small part of an entire plan for wellness. Yoga grounds you, and acts as a guide along your path in life. There are both philosophical/religious and physical aspects to yoga. Combined together, they can help you to achieve far more than strength training ever will. You may not gain as much muscle mass as you would through strength training, but you'll gain a unique understanding of your mind and body. You'll learn what it truly is to breathe and to love and to eat mindfully. Yoga will encourage you to be a better person, and show you how to make better decisions in everyday life. It will add flexibility, balance and strength to your body. It will teach you how to eat properly. The benefits are sooooooo numerous.

    One is a set of prescribed exercises. One is a lifestyle.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    I like this, thank you
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I liked it also!
  • theMIDDLE
    theMIDDLE Posts: 64
    for me, yoga is ESSENTIAL. as is the meditation after. without it, my entire fitness game gets off track as does my focus and drive for overall health.

    as for the benefits, listen to your body. ever get down on a 45 minute session of back and ab focused poses and feel sore as heck for days? THATS your benefit. your strength.

    and remember, everyone is full of *kitten*. I mean that jokingly, but we're all guessing here. we're all working with different bodies and genetics and cycles of habits. read. follow your instincts and do the work. you can't fail.
  • Cali212
    Cali212 Posts: 20 Member
    If you can afford it, I would try a one-on-one session with a yoga instructor to teach you the basics. I had a couple of these before I joined regular classes and they were instrumental in dealing with my initial intimidation.
  • Syreeta6
    Syreeta6 Posts: 377 Member
    I LOVE Yoga and find it very effective, I was my most fit and toned when I did a 21-day challenge at my local studio. The experience was amazing and not only that I have back problems and have noticed such an improvement since starting Yoga.

    Anyone who doesn't think it is effective I would advise trying a Hot Power class. You might think it's easy until you're in a hot *kitten* 110 degree room trying to support your own body weight.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I've been here over two years and have never seen anyone knock yoga. Not once.

    Yoga and weight training, as has been said, have two very different values, and different results. Just because someone says "try weight training" doesn't mean they think yoga is worthless.
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,789 Member
    I don't see much of a way to compare strength training with yoga. Strength training is...... strength training. It's pretty simple to describe and do. You do the exercises, and you gain muscular strength. It's a very coarse and narrow method of adding muscle to your body. That's not a bad thing at all. It's just a very tiny part of a path to overall health in life.

    Yoga on the other hand, has so many facets. It's much more of a lifestyle than a simple means of physical exercise. There are physical exercises in yoga, but those exercises are a small part of an entire plan for wellness. Yoga grounds you, and acts as a guide along your path in life. There are both philosophical/religious and physical aspects to yoga. Combined together, they can help you to achieve far more than strength training ever will. You may not gain as much muscle mass as you would through strength training, but you'll gain a unique understanding of your mind and body. You'll learn what it truly is to breathe and to love and to eat mindfully. Yoga will encourage you to be a better person, and show you how to make better decisions in everyday life. It will add flexibility, balance and strength to your body. It will teach you how to eat properly. The benefits are sooooooo numerous.

    One is a set of prescribed exercises. One is a lifestyle.

    :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
    I love yoga, and practice regularly. Those who would make disparaging remarks just don't understand that it goes beyond stretching.

    To say that yoga is a humbling experience for a newbie, would be an understatement. I've seen fit guys from my gym wander into the yoga class with all sorts of bravado and just get WORKED by yoga. Shaking, sweating, grunting - the absolute works. I respect the few that see the benefits and come back for more. The others, at least, learned their lesson that the yoga studio is not just a place where girls prance around in tight pants.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I've done yoga on and off since I started college (I'm a junior now), and my strength and flexibility always get better when I do it. I believe more advanced practitioners could easily use it as their sole form of strength training. But a lot of people here are just into lifting heavy and think everything else is wrong. I've seen people create entire topics dissing yoga and talking about how "easy" it is and how it does nothing. The advanced poses are nowhere NEAR easy. If you don't like yoga, that's fine, but to minimize the experience by saying its easy or stupid is insulting.

    Anyway, I wonder if anyone on here besides me actually likes yoga and makes it a part of their routine? I plan on doing it all week to get back into the swing of things with exercise, and it'd be great to have friends on here who are into it, too.

    I do yoga and I do cardio. I MAKE myself do weights because there is a health benefit, but I despise the gym, so it's tough to make myself go. And I don't really care if other people don't approve. It's my body and my choice, so that's all that matters.

    I find that the people who think yoga is easy have either never done it or have only taken the classes that do breathing and seated, easier poses.

    I love yoga, but have been bad about doing it. I hadn't done it in a long time and did an hour a couple Saturdays ago. My entire body hurt so bad I couldn't move for four days! lol It is a great workout. It doesn't burn a lot of calories, but the felxibility, balance and strength you gain from it improve your form for other exercises and make those even more beneficial.
  • Krahn1984
    Krahn1984 Posts: 57 Member
    Yoga is part of my weekly routine. It really helps me keep my tight muscles loose. It also tones and helps me with my balance - I love it!
  • EmiVReyes
    EmiVReyes Posts: 118 Member
    I really want to get started in yoga...but don't know where to begin...maybe i'm stretching myself to thin amongst all my fitness/exercising goals. I want to start heavy lifting, running more, yoga, and i'm currently doing insanity. Busy busy busy...
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I really want to get started in yoga...but don't know where to begin...maybe i'm stretching myself to thin amongst all my fitness/exercising goals. I want to start heavy lifting, running more, yoga, and i'm currently doing insanity. Busy busy busy...

    Start with a class. That easy. Walk in and let the instructor know you're new and then just get on your mat and do your thing.

    If you have any kind of dance background, it will be a bit easier for you. But there are modifications of all poses for every level and the instructor will help you.
  • JScarbo
    JScarbo Posts: 30
    Not without plenty of F bombs.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    I have been instructed by my physical therapist to avoid doing Yoga (I keep wanting to type Yago for some reason) so no, I don't do it.

    I have loose joints. The flexibility you gain from doing Yoga will have negative effects on my body.
  • LucyAndDiamonds
    LucyAndDiamonds Posts: 16
    I loved yoga when I could afford the classes (boo college budget)...I know you can do the tapes and things but I've found its just not the same as having someone to physically reposition or alter your stance so you learn what's right. When I was going 3x a week it did help me tone up but more than that I felt an overall improvement in my health. I have chronic back pain and that went away. Other symptoms from other conditions were lessened too. If I could afford to go back I would totally add it into my routine.

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