Experienced in yoga/just starting?

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Sammie757
Sammie757 Posts: 9 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I started yoga for the first time. Today was my fourth class. I wanted to know from experienced yoga goers, how did you feel the first day? I cannot do some of these moves the downward dog and plank and interchanging them is so hard! I go to the classes every Tuesday and Thursday, should I do more? Also how has yoga helped in fitness and in your own personal life. Do you feel more confident ?

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  • MadDogManor
    MadDogManor Posts: 1,452 Member
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    Good questions and I'm curious too. I've been thinking of trying yoga for more flexibility, plus it's something I haven't done before
  • LeoT0917
    LeoT0917 Posts: 206 Member
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    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    It gets easier, like anything. Did you expect to hit a hole in one the first time you picked up a golf club, or run a four minute mile the first time out? Yoga may seem like "just stretching," but it's tough. I love the way there's always more room to grow in a pose.

    Everyone's bodies are different. I have really tight shoulders and wraps are tough for me--someone can't do without a strap. But I can do the splits and get my leg behind my head. But I keep working and I see so much improvement. I'm working on inversions now (11 months in). Can do headstands, almost stable in firearm balance--handstand is next! When I started--OMG no way for any of that. Could barely manage a shoulder stand.

    Take some pics now and again in 6 months in the same poses--you'll be floored!

    My fav teacher says it's called "yoga practice," not "yoga perfect."

    I've been practicing yoga now for about 6 years on and off and just started taking classes twice a week for about 8 weeks now. I wish I had started out taking classes, so cudos for you being so much wiser than I was! The comments by paychgrrl are spot on! Yoga is much more about your intention and the journey of bringing your mind, breath, body and the world around you together (the Sanskrit definition of yoga is union or bringing together) than in striking a certain pose. If you are patient and loving toward yourself during this journey, you will find that you will gain strength, flexibility, durability, stamina, and, perhaps most importantly, a positive shift in how you relate to yourself and others around you. And yes, the ability to "hit those poses" will also come. Especially with a good teacher.

    I'm doing yoga along with weight training and cardio and it has really helped improve my performance in these other areas. I tend to push myself pretty hard and have had a history of injuring myself resulting in having to stop for a week or two before working out again. I've now gone a whopping 3 1/2 months without incident. I'm working just as hard, but am much more aware of my movements and body and know when to back off a lot better and am much better at maintaining good body alignment/form. I attribute this increases awareness to my yoga practice.

    So hang in there, take some pictures as suggested above and you will amaze yourself!!!

  • bluecrush84
    bluecrush84 Posts: 77 Member
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    I do hot yoga an average of 5-7 days a week. First time I ever did yoga I thought I was going pass out. If you d yoga consistently you will eventually notice subtle changes to your body. Yoga tends to give a lean toned physique. It improves you posture and builds your lean muscle tissue.

    The more you do yoga, the better you feel, physically and mentally. Yoga is my therapy. It has done wonders for. My stress/ anxiety levels. And helps calm my mind.

    2 times a week is great. You just have to go by how you feel. You may feel like taking more classes or less. The key is to listen to your body.

    I still have trouble doing certain poses. Downward dog is hard on my shoulders, so during power yoga, I don't hold the downward dog position as long as the class. I go to child's pose. I take a resting pose as often as I need.

    I have lost 70lbs in the last 10 months through counting calories and doing yoga and some Elliptical training. I will say doing yoga helped tone my body and helped with my stress eating.


    So it really can have a positive effect.
  • sofchak
    sofchak Posts: 862 Member
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    As an avid runner, I was noticing my calves and hamstrings were often tight and tense even days after a long run. I was worried about the long term effects on my muscles remaining in that state - in my head I kept imagining my Achilles heel as a violin string that would snap from the stress one day... so I took up yoga and it was a game changer for me! While I am still not nearly as flexible as others in our class, I definitely see improvements all the time regarding my journey to be healthier and avoid injury. I now include yoga in my fitness routine 1-2x a week in a formal class and 10-15 minute at home sessions every night after a run.
  • HoldTheDoor13
    HoldTheDoor13 Posts: 172 Member
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    I've taken up a regular yoga practice for a while now, and your ability to do certain asanas will improve with time along with your flexibility and stability.

    That being said, yoga isn't about doing the poses perfectly. It's about doing them with integrity and to the best of your ability and being mindful about it.
  • oldyogi66
    oldyogi66 Posts: 45 Member
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    Don't try to adapt your body to yoga, adapt the yoga to your body. Proper breathing is the key to yoga, otherwise your just doing exercises. Close your eyes if you can and concentrate on your breath. The asanas will take care of themselves. Learn diaphragmatic breathing, three part breath and ujjayi and then focus on your form.
  • oldyogi66
    oldyogi66 Posts: 45 Member
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    sofchak wrote: »
    As an avid runner, I was noticing my calves and hamstrings were often tight and tense even days after a long run. I was worried about the long term effects on my muscles remaining in that state - in my head I kept imagining my Achilles heel as a violin string that would snap from the stress one day... so I took up yoga and it was a game changer for me! While I am still not nearly as flexible as others in our class, I definitely see improvements all the time regarding my journey to be healthier and avoid injury. I now include yoga in my fitness routine 1-2x a week in a formal class and 10-15 minute at home sessions every night after a run.
    sofchak wrote: »
    As an avid runner, I was noticing my calves and hamstrings were often tight and tense even days after a long run. I was worried about the long term effects on my muscles remaining in that state - in my head I kept imagining my Achilles heel as a violin string that would snap from the stress one day... so I took up yoga and it was a game changer for me! While I am still not nearly as flexible as others in our class, I definitely see improvements all the time regarding my journey to be healthier and avoid injury. I now include yoga in my fitness routine 1-2x a week in a formal class and 10-15 minute at home sessions every night after a run.

    Check out yinyoga.com, the practice of yin will really benefit you as runner.
  • kzooyogi
    kzooyogi Posts: 121 Member
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    When I first tried yoga, I hated it. Holding my body up in downward facing dog was such a struggle. You have to give your body time to get used to the poses, and don't hold any expectations for it. It might start to feel easier after a few days, then one day you'll go in and feel like a bag of bricks trying to hold yourself up. Each and every practice is different, and it's important that you don't judge or shame yourself because of what you did or did not do.

    The practice, like anything else, gets easier over time. But remember that it doesn't matter the shape your body is in - rather it's about the quality of breath. Position your body in a posture and then as yourself, "How's my breath? Is it full? Is it free?" Try to go deeper. Then ask again, "How's my breath? Is it choppy? Is it labored?" Then back off a little until you've found the place where you can sustain a full, quality breath. That's your edge for that particular day.

    Most importantly, let go of any preconceived notions of how a posture should look based on other people in the room or what you've seen in pictures or in magazines. The posture is just a shape you're putting your body in so that you can experience how the breath moves through you in that posture. If it's a modified version that helps you to better sustain your breath, then that's your posture. Don't change your body to fit the posture, make the posture fit your body. And, as always, love, love, love what you see. It all starts with your own curiosity and the fact that it brought you to your mat; the rest will fall into place. Congratulations on starting your journey!
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    I like doing asanas. I learned when I was a girl, so its been part of my life. Agree with holdthedoor and oldyogi66.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    I'd been reading about yoga being good for arthritis for years. I have OA and have been swimming and doing acquagym for 20 yrs, thinking that was the best--wrong. I finally added yoga, a light version, last year and it's changed my life. I sang in a choir for most of my life, and swimming also needs breathing control, so I love the breathing part. I find myself using the breathing in the gym now. I wouldn't consider myself flexible at all, but it's amazing to see how beautiful your body is in certain poses. I have nothing but positive comments. Anyone thinking about it--don't put it off. Give yoga a try.
  • Sammie757
    Sammie757 Posts: 9 Member
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    Everyone has been so helpful! I am doing yoga and I am really liking it even more so now that I found out I can use it for extra credit in one of my courses! But it is great I am struggling right now but I know my body will get into it more and more as I go.
  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 827 Member
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    I've been doing yoga consistently for about 1 -1/2 years now, twice a week. One of the poses I found very challenging was a chatarunga. I didn't have the tricep strength. Now, I am pleased to say I can do it with ease.
    Overall, yoga has helped with my back pain and overall flexibility. Love the stress relieving benefits too!
  • MissyK222
    MissyK222 Posts: 204 Member
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    Yoga is amazing! I have been doing it on and off for two years now and I fell in love with it. one piece of advice is it's call Yoga Practice for a reason.... everyone's body is different and if you can't quite do a pose at first keep at it but don't beat yourself up about it. Just enjoy the practice. :smile:
  • Sammie757
    Sammie757 Posts: 9 Member
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    I am doing yoga at my college and spring break is next week. I am afraid I'll lose my motivation! But I really enjoy it and I may actually do it more over break (hoping) I am already in love with it. The mats are so slippery tho I need to get a good one
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,738 Member
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    Twice a week is definitely enough to make progress.

    That said, I've found that I make faster progress - in flexibility and perceived coordination - when I'm able to consistently practice every day. I can see a difference even vs. almost every day. For me, that's home practice, and that's really only practical after you've been getting good instruction for long enough to be comfortable doing some postures at home on your own.

    I always encourage folks here who're trying some new, challenging activity to commit to at least some period of weeks. Anything complicated and new tends to feel difficult and clumsy at first, which makes us feel uncomfortable and possibly even inept . . . and those can be unpleasant feelings at the time.

    But the reward comes later, when we have at least a basic comfort level, and can build on that to increasing accomplishments. The latter feels great, but one can't get there (for anything non-trivial) without going through the uncomfortable phase. If we routinely give up when it's first uncomfortable, we never accomplish much that requires skill.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    You don't have to do more to get better. It will just come if you keep doing what you are doing. We all struggle at the beginning. We all struggle with certain poses, breathing, etc. But that is the journey of it.
    Yoga helps me a ton in my fitness. I run and play tennis quite a bit. It all takes a hard toll on my body. Yoga helps me recover. I guess it is the stretching. It also keeps me stronger, which helps me withstand the strains of the other activities.
    And then there is the whole breathing and meditative aspect of it......

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