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I've been interested in getting into yoga for a few years now, but I don't know anyone that's actually doing it to ask their opinion of how it has helped them. I'm sure there has to be some goons here that do it, so if you could tell me how long you've been doing it and how it has helped improve your life that would cool, and if anyone has tried it and it didn't work out, explain why it didn't work for you. Also any advice on how to find the right instructor would be awesome too since there are tons of studios around here but I have no clue whatsoever on how to choose one.
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Feb 8, 2014 00:16
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leica posted:I've been interested in getting into yoga for a few years now, but I don't know anyone that's actually doing it to ask their opinion of how it has helped them. I'm sure there has to be some goons here that do it, so if you could tell me how long you've been doing it and how it has helped improve your life that would cool, and if anyone has tried it and it didn't work out, explain why it didn't work for you. I would start here: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3480390
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Feb 8, 2014 02:35
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There are tons of different styles of yoga, you just have to figure out which one works for you by checking out local studios and classes. I like vinyasa yoga, it's kind of a mixture of strength and stretching. Most studios/instructors focus on one type of yoga. I don't really care for the "trendy" stuff like hot yoga or Bikram yoga. I like the ones that focus on poses and posture (vinyasa or ashtanga are good for this). Yoga helped me become more flexible, much stronger, more muscular (especially my upper body and shoulders) and almost completely eliminated my insomnia. I have Restless Leg Syndrome and it's basically gone when I do yoga regularly. It's also helped my posture. Plus now I can stand on my hands and do back bends and stuff that people think is cool but really isn't that hard.
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Feb 8, 2014 03:39
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Not a Yoga guy. However, I do a few movements whenever my back acts up after shoveling snow and my back makes a impressive comeback within an hour.
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Feb 19, 2014 00:46
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leica posted:if anyone has tried it and it didn't work out, explain why it didn't work for you. I've tried it several times and it didn't work for me, because I find it very tedious. I did feel much better afterwards, but the actual act of doing it I found very annoying. When I exercise, I like to do something very simple and repetitive like running or swimming or using a rowing machine and just kind of tune out the world and listen to music while I do it. Yoga requires a lot of concentration on what you are doing and paying attention to the positioning of your limbs and your breathing and all that, and I just don't find it very enjoyable. I guess if you do it long enough where you automatically remember all the routines maybe you don't have to think about it as much, but I never got that far.
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Feb 19, 2014 00:50
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leica posted:I've been interested in getting into yoga for a few years now, but I don't know anyone that's actually doing it to ask their opinion of how it has helped them. I'm sure there has to be some goons here that do it, so if you could tell me how long you've been doing it and how it has helped improve your life that would cool, and if anyone has tried it and it didn't work out, explain why it didn't work for you. It might help to know why you're looking into yoga / what your goals are in order to recommend a style or teacher and to chime in on whether yoga might be helpful for you. Personally, I've found that the quality of the teacher has always mattered more than the style being taught, and it's something that varies greatly. My advice on that front would be just to go to as many different classes with as many different teachers as you can.
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Feb 19, 2014 01:57
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Yoga in the West is for white girls to tone they butts, it has been divorced from any larger spiritual context that it ever had before. Not that in India they are doing it right though, yoga in India only had a resurgence after it became popular in America. As a spiritual discipline, as everything that can be seen as metaphysical in an increasingly materialist world-culture, it was unpopular in India for centuries, especially since the rule of the British. Or something. I only know the broad strokes of the history of yoga. Anyway, yoga was not primarily ever supposed to be about stretching and toning your glutes in order to feel "centered", which is really just a way to say you finally notice your body and how it moves and feels for the first time, physical yoga was intended to be a prerequisite activity to long periods of meditation, so that the practitioner could have proper posture and not have to shift constantly (as well as the physical movements being a meditation in themselves). That said, there are many aspects of yoga. Since I don't have much personal familiarity with this, I will just give you this link. http://www.expressionsofspirit.com/yoga/eight-limbs.htm quote:In brief the eight limbs, or steps to yoga, are as follows: Yoga is important to be understood philosophically rather than "all the ways in which I can move my limbs", I think. Yoga is in the service of self-realization. The Western conception of it has missed this almost entirely. These are the four yogas, for example. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Yogas_%28Hinduism%29 Karma Yoga or the Path of Action (karma) Bhakti Yoga or the Path of Devotion (bhakti) Jnana Yoga or the Path of Knowledge (jnana) With the fourth being Raja Yoga, the path of meditation. There are intellectual points of yoga to understand and principles to viscerally apply, other than "should I move my limbs in a heated room or not". That's my general point. I'm not a yogi though. But I am interested in how philosophical worldviews can play a part in guiding an individual towards what they want and who they are (and aren't). Yoga as a practice has depth to it, and it has been translated into a culture that has little to no understanding or interest in that depth, or even a cultural context to place it in, other than some kind of "how can I be a successful person (in the eyes of other people)" spiritual marketplace, which is still missing the mark I think. It is an entire world-view, something to live your life by, a foundation to your life. Not a way to provide answers, but a base from which to act. Since the history of America has essentially been finding newer and more devious ways of extracting resources from the land (and people) and searching for more and more comfortable standards of living, we have lost interest in this philosophical basis because of the hope that tomorrow will be the day where the question of "how ought I live" will be eradicated by purchasing power. The rest of the world doesn't have this faith in the future to solve all of our problems, personal and otherwise, and so they, at least in the past, tried to approach the world from the standpoint that what they are *actually* doing now matters. Not to say that they do that recently, as almost the entire world has come under the spell of this "tomorrow will be better" faith in some way, even if only at the periphery in the form of product exports and American mass media culture. But that's a recent phenomenon, yoga is far older than this recent quest to loot the entire planet simply because we can. So that is part of why yoga is important, I think. I don't mean to go overboard, but context is incredibly important when it comes to philosophically personal disciplines. It's about taking your whole life into account, and asking yourself what's really important. So the type of yoga that you do is not as important as the type of teacher that you find, and the amount of depth that you yourself bring to it, because out there in the commodity marketplace that is most of Western culture, very few people are going to give that to you. They don't even know what they're doing themselves. Most yoga teachers fake personal power and "inner peace" and don't care about actually teaching or learning, only in looking the part. That sounds like a tough standpoint, but I think it's true. They aren't even trying. Some teachers are, but it has nothing to do with the style that they teach, because the differences between the styles are arbitrary marketing distinctions created by white people (and Westernized Indians) to attract followings and look spiritual. Evidence: every single California yoga cult of the past 30 years or so. I know this was a lot, but a lot of it needed to be said. ThePriceJustWentUp fucked around with this message at 14:50 on Feb 19, 2014 |
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Feb 19, 2014 14:11
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ThePriceJustWentUp posted:I know this was a lot, but a lot of it needed to be said. Came in to post all this. Not sure it needed to be said, though. My mom was into yoga in the 70s and 80s and at that time it was very much appropriated woo-woo from the mystical orient. A lot of yoga enthusiasts went on to become new age crystal healers and chakra toners and other bizarro things. But yoga as a form of stretching persists. Stretching can feel pretty good, and many of today's yoga joints in the US are just stretching clinics with only echoes of the former crazy. These stretching (yoga) instructors are totally unlicensed though so be careful not to overdo it because I've seem some people do some nutty contortion poo poo that no physical therapist would ever recommend. Speaking of which, if the stretching is what you're into, you could schedule a one-time 30-minute consultation with a licensed physical therapist who would probably love to set you up with some preventative stretching exercises. Usually they're dealing with car wreck survivors and old people, having someone healthy to talk to about preventative stretching would likely be a welcome change. You would save a lot of money by stretching at home, but then you wouldn't get to look at hot chicks in yoga pants, so follow your heart, OP.
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May 30, 2014 00:12
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leica posted:Also any advice on how to find the right instructor would be awesome too since there are tons of studios around here but I have no clue whatsoever on how to choose one. Just go to a few studios and try a few different kinds of classes, with a few different instructors. I thought it was bullshit myself until I got an instructor I really enjoyed, then I was hooked. If you have studios near you, just try a few of each. Even at the studio regularly I go to there are a few instructors that are really obnoxious/over-the-top with the new age poo poo - some people just LOVE that stuff, but actually I'd say overall they are the minority. I tend to ignore a lot of the "spiritual" mumbo jumbo and think of it just as historical context or vocabulary (like you'd encounter in some kind of martial art.) You can get deep into that if you want, I don't think it's ingenuine or false, just not my cup of tea. I think that side of it can be as genuine as you want or believe it to be. I would definitely say try the classes before doing anything with youtube/videos/etc as you can injure yourself pretty bad if you mess up some poses, and learning things properly from the start is really important.
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May 30, 2014 01:29
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its bendy
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May 30, 2014 03:56
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From what I've read, hot yoga is actually a pretty bad idea. Yoga is already pretty exercise-intensive, and adding a heated room to that is a recipe for heat stroke And yeah instructors who doesn't do the new age bullshit tend to be really awesome
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May 30, 2014 09:17
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Yoga is great inasmuch as it gets you to stretch and increase your flexibility. I have [a fairly minor case of] cerebral palsy, so I've basically had to do stretches regularly for as long as I can remember. I've never seen any advantage whatsoever from doing yoga rather than just doing normal stretches, but it's really all up to what you prefer. If a bunch of mystical "positions" convince you to increase your flexibility, that's great; if you just want to do normal stretches on a regular basis, that's good too.
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May 30, 2014 09:50
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I tried Bikram yoga (hot yoga) because a friend invited me to go with her for a free week and why not? I liked it but also hated it. Adding artificial heat is stupid. It makes you feel like you are doing a lot more work than you actually are and is also pretty dangerous unless you are chugging water. I never really felt sore after any yoga workouts like I would from lifting or running or swimming; just really dehydrated and dizzy. The spiritual bullshit was also ridiculous and some sessions felt like borderline brain washing with the extreme heat. I guess the one thing it did was increase my balance and flexibility a little bit. It's also nice that a lot of yoga moves are similar to how you stand up on a surfboard which was something I was trying to pick up. Yoga actually helped out quite a bit in that regard. I might try it again in the future, but start in a class that is more focused on really getting basic stuff down. I feel like Bikram yoga is the crossfit of all yogas. Avalanche fucked around with this message at 11:59 on May 30, 2014 |
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May 30, 2014 11:56
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Comparing it to crossfit isn't quite right, since it's still somewhat safe if you're drinking tons and tons of water whereas crossfit injuries are simply the norm
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May 31, 2014 01:26
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Thought this thread died.....Anyways, I've been thinking about getting into it because I have back issues and thought it may help. Also I'm old and a lot less flexible. I stretch on my own now, just wanna take it to the next level I guess and see what happens. There's just a lot of studios around and some of them seem like quacks, so I guess it will be a trial and error thing. The whole meditation thing doesn't bother me, I'd be open to that too.
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Jun 1, 2014 05:25
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leica posted:Thought this thread died.....Anyways, I've been thinking about getting into it because I have back issues and thought it may help. Also I'm old and a lot less flexible. I stretch on my own now, just wanna take it to the next level I guess and see what happens. There's just a lot of studios around and some of them seem like quacks, so I guess it will be a trial and error thing. The whole meditation thing doesn't bother me, I'd be open to that too. Unfortunately, I think finding the right studio/instructor match is kind of trial and error. Try a few classes in with different instructors and see what you like; most places will give you a free trial period, or at least a single class. As a few others pointed out, staying away from Bikram/heated yoga while you start is a great idea for a number of reasons - one I didn't see mentioned is that the heat increases your flexibility. That's great, but if you're unfamiliar with your body's limits and what you can and can't do, it makes it easy to hurt yourself. An instructor who knows what they're doing will be able to guide you and help you find variations or alternates for positions you might not be able to perform. Look for a class that's small, where you can get more individual attention from the instructor to make sure you're doing things correctly. For reference, I'm a dude in his late 20's who has been doing yoga regularly (twice a week) for four years now. I do it for the physical aspect, and not spiritual component.
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Jun 2, 2014 02:29
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Cpaka posted:For reference, I'm a dude in his late 20's who has been doing yoga regularly (twice a week) for four years now. I do it for the physical aspect, and not spiritual component. I'm honestly curious: what do you feel you get out of yoga versus simply stretching the muscle groups you want to target for greater flexibility? That's the one part of yoga I've never really understood. Conversely, if you need more motivation, why wouldn't you do something like martial arts that also requires a good deal of flexibility and fitness?
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Jun 2, 2014 07:39
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PT6A posted:I'm honestly curious: what do you feel you get out of yoga versus simply stretching the muscle groups you want to target for greater flexibility? That's the one part of yoga I've never really understood. Conversely, if you need more motivation, why wouldn't you do something like martial arts that also requires a good deal of flexibility and fitness? The biggest reasons I do it are the intangibles - for me it's the best way to relax and decompress. I can go into it with a headache from a stressful day at work, and come out calm, relaxed and clear. Nothing else does that for me - not weightlifting, going for a run, or for a bike ride. The physical effects of increased flexibility, strength, and "body awareness" are nice bonuses.
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Jun 2, 2014 15:19
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You'll also end up with really good balance after a year or two.
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Jun 2, 2014 19:26
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PT6A posted:I'm honestly curious: what do you feel you get out of yoga versus simply stretching the muscle groups you want to target for greater flexibility? That's the one part of yoga I've never really understood. Conversely, if you need more motivation, why wouldn't you do something like martial arts that also requires a good deal of flexibility and fitness? Comparing yoga to stretching is kind of like comparing beating a punching bag to boxing. Stretching does give you benefits in terms of flexibility and warming up muscles but its not rigorous like a session of ashtanga or vinyasa. Flexibility is only one component, you also build strength and and your cardio endurance. Depending on the class type and instructor it can be really "brutal" in terms of a workout. That was one of the big draws to me - it's very rigorous but, if done properly, is not really "hard" on your body like a lot of other athletics. If you are curious about the difference I would suggest trying a beginner class near you. Most places offer a free session or a heavily discounted session... you should really try.
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Jun 2, 2014 21:07
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Apparently the woo-woo components haven't dispersed as much as I thought.
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Jun 2, 2014 22:31
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cruft posted:Apparently the woo-woo components haven't dispersed as much as I thought. I liked your mom in the 70s and 80s too, if that helps.
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Jun 3, 2014 00:20
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Beat. posted:I liked your mom in the 70s and 80s too, if that helps. A little, yeah.
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Jun 3, 2014 04:48
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I bought a Vikram Yoga book thinking it would include routines or at least plans. To my dismay, I found it only includes the posture with detailed descriptions. I would like to integrate some Yoga to my current exercise plan, particularly on the down days when I don't do weights. I am currently VERY short on cash so I can't afford an instructor or going to a gym. Are there any online plans or routines?
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Jun 4, 2014 16:26
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TerryLennox posted:I bought a Vikram Yoga book thinking it would include routines or at least plans. To my dismay, I found it only includes the posture with detailed descriptions. I would like to integrate some Yoga to my current exercise plan, particularly on the down days when I don't do weights. I am currently VERY short on cash so I can't afford an instructor or going to a gym. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=basic+yoga+routine+for+beginners
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Jun 4, 2014 16:42
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TerryLennox posted:I bought a Vikram Yoga book thinking it would include routines or at least plans. To my dismay, I found it only includes the posture with detailed descriptions. I would like to integrate some Yoga to my current exercise plan, particularly on the down days when I don't do weights. I am currently VERY short on cash so I can't afford an instructor or going to a gym. There are thousands of YouTube videos. I used to have terrible hip flexor pain and chronic issues with my shoulders, even though I was always very active and played a bunch of different sports. Been doing yoga a few times a week for a few years now and have never felt better. I find its a good supplementary exercise that his a bunch of areas that are easy to miss. I do vinyasa/"power"/Baptiste yoga.
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Jun 4, 2014 16:42
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