Why do you like yoga?

LOVE YOGA!!

It's an amazing stretch after my insanity workout
I do classes and yoga at home ( doyogawithme.com-free at home videos if anyone's interested).
If you take classes sometimes they target certain body parts - hips and backs I enjoy this as I have tight hips and its really benifical. I also love the sleepy time yoga, I always sleep well after it .

Benefits-
Relaxing, distressing, better sleep, more flexibility , amazed in myself ( have been able to introvert a few times sucessfuly), arms and core strength as well. It's helped my butt and thighs to and I like being able to wear comfy clothes !

Also wanted to add its helped my arms tone up

I've heard people say that they lost a lot of fat from doing yoga alone. I am skeptical about that one..

I've heard people say that they lost a lot of fat from doing yoga alone. I am skeptical about that one..

Well, you'll lose a lot more fat from doing yoga in a class than doing yoga alone.

Nice Carl :laugh:

I do a lot of yoga, by most people's standards. What do I get out of it? Whatever I put into it.
Some people want to sweat and burn calories, some people want to stretch and relax, some want to build strength, others want to meditate. You can do all of these, but you really need to set aside ample time.

Yoga REALLY helps with your breath too. It's great to do a yoga session before you do any other form of exercise. It has fantastic health benefits, helps with flexibility (great for your adult fun time!) makes you more capable of dealing with what life throws your way, improves your posture...I could go on (but I wont!)

I hate doing cardio. Some ppl are into it, but for me it's just boring and repetitive. The most cardio I do is walking my dog. I nvr miss out on yoga. I do yoga 5 to 7 times a week for 40-60 mins. And I started in February, and I can honestly tell you that it has changed my body. In as little as two weeks, I saw muscle definition in my arm and tummy. Sure, toning up in yoga is slower than other exercising regimens, but i love it that it never makes me feel sore or causes pain in my joints.

My strength and stamina has increase tremendously. All the breathing helps.

You get what you put into yoga, and I do believe yoga can give the female form the benefits of strength training without all the bulk.
Plus yoga literally makes me feel like Im walking on air after every session. I'm a huge fan and this is something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. Yoga has that power over you, your body eventually will ask you to do it.

I love the way my body feels after a session but I do it purely to reduce stress levels. I havent kicked a puppy in weeks.

Aw damn, I totally misunderstood Downward Dog.

I do Jillian Michael's yogameltdown and I love it. It is a great workout, i'm getting stronger and more flexible and the stress relief is awesome.

Bump

for me I started just over 2 months ago.... since then I increased it from 1 1/2 hours once a week to 1 hour every day and then on my pure yoga day 2 1/2 hours spread over three sessions.

benefits ive noticed so far:

flexibility: huge increase here for me.... I used to take tae kwon do in college so I have always been more flexible than most but I stopped for about 4 years, 2 months of yoga and I am almost just as flexible as I was 4 years ago (took tkd for 4 years got red belt)

strength: I have been doing other work outs as well but I used to struggle 20 minutes into the 95 minute yoga session now I finish the 95 minutes and could go running right after, when I started I could only hold wheel pose for about 5 seconds now I can do it for 50 seconds still trying to get a full minute

abs: I hate doing ab work outs they are the worst... Id rather do some plankin and yoga since I have started my plank went from like 40 seconds to about 3 minutes

balance: most noticeable change of all.... like i previously said being a red belt in tkd I always felt like I had good balance until I started yoga balance postures like twisting half moon and was falling and rolling over constantly. I can now do my whole session without tumbling typically (some times there is just no helping it) It has also inspired me to do other balance exercises like walking on top of a chain link fence (if you dont know how hard this is try it lol) I can now stand in tree pose for as long as I want.... I've even practiced after drinking and lets just say if it wasnt for the eye test there is no way I could fail a field sobriety test

stress: There is a noticeable difference in a day when I wake up and do my morning yoga or I sleep in and don't get it in... I am truly more stable less irritable. I feel like I am getting the relaxed nature of a hippie lol. this has helped me tremendously at work as I work as a teacher with kids 4-7 years old my patience with them is way better thus I am more effective at my job

secret knowledge: there is something to be said about meditation and exploring ones true self. I am a practicing Taoist and believe really deeply in having mind body and soul in balance. Yoga has helped me to bring the three together in balance. In the western culture we are so focused on our looks do i fit into a size whatever that we forget to cultivate our spirit. Yoga is a great way to focus the all three aspects your body is changing for the better, your mind is getting past the i can't stretch this far or that pose is impossible to hold and if you can focus it wraps your spirit into everything you do. have you ever noticed yoga instructors are some of the happiest people in the world? you will learn secrete knowledge about yourself that no one can teach you, you have to delve into your own spirit to learn these things

and of course relaxation: those who say they find it boring not relaxing probably aren't the type of people that like to meditate. No big deal to each their own, but when you get down with a 1.5 hour yoga session where you really push your body to do things you couldn't do the day before well after I am done I have a major release of endorphin's and feel like a million bucks.... its one of the best feelings in the world

and this is with just 2 months of practice..... I can't wait to see what its like after 10 years.

anyway thats just my two cents on it best of luck to your journey