? Yoga ? Help!

I attend a class with a very body aware instructor that leads us through the movements very slowly so that we get used to the muscles and tendons that are being affected. Slower is harder and more effective. I just ignore the spiritual aspect. I have seen significant gains in flexibility and mobility.

Male instructor by the way. He likely puts us through more hips and abs exercises because that is often more concerning to women, but the exercises can be done by any sex. He mentions that his well attended class at the men's prison that the weight lifters often struggle to lift their arms straight over their heads (temple and mountain poses).

I think core exercises are important for everyone.

I think you can practice the same movements for months and continue to gain benefits, concentrating on improving form.

I've been practicing using http://yogastudioapp.com/ for a couple months and love it. This is available for both iOS and Android. I do believe there is one free session, but for 4 bucks, you can access the entire library. They have different sessions focusing on strength, flexibility, balance and my favorite - combination. There are beginner, intermediate and advanced as well.

IMHO, this is by far the best yoga app/practice I've found online and is worth every penny. You can download the sessions so you don't need an internet connect - great for when you are on the go.

The first couple times, you do feel a bit silly, but after about a week, you really start to feel the difference. Now, my day just doesn't seem right unless I do my practice first thing in the morning - great for loosening up the kinks and releasing stress, building strength and tone. And, just an FYI, I'm a 48 yo male.

I took a hatha yoga class at a community college that was taught by a male math teacher! I've used some of Rodney Yee's dvds before, and I know he has a lot of beginner videos out there.

I also shy away from any talk of "the divine," but I do use yoga for mental exercise, as well as physical. I let go of any thoughts of what I could be doing instead of yoga, as well as any thoughts of being mildly uncomfortable from exercise, and replace them with positive reminders that I'll be less cranky if my body feels better. Of course, if something really hurts, you can't just think it away, so take a break!

BKS Iyengar was one of the most infuential yogis of the modern age (that sounds really lame, but the rise of yoga in the west is actually called the modern age of yoga), and the style he developed might be something you want to look into. Iyengar yoga focuses on proper alignment, and encourages the use of props to achieve the best stretch for your body at the moment. Steer clear of kundalini and anusara. They're big on chanting and opening the chakras.

Most classes end with something called the "corpse pose," where you make like a corpse and decompress. It's arguably the most difficult pose because all you're "doing" is breathing and paying attention to your body instead of your inner monologue. It's easy to want to skip it, but give it a fair shot on a regular basis, at least. We all deserve a break from our critical brains for a few minutes a day, right?