I totally understand what you're saying. I want to focus on my workouts, not my problems. I do my own prayer, relaxation, controlled/deep breathing, etc. I do get that it is helpful for a lot of people though.
My frustration with Downward Dog
- Thread starter DeannaTS
- Start date
I think my sis does all of those types of yoga.This is an aspect I enjoy with Tai Chi and Restorative or Yin Yoga also. I took an in-person Tai Chi class while recovering from shoulder surgery years ago to supplement my PT. I think it helped me with stress and flexibility. I have a bunch of Lee Holden QI Gong dvds tucked away somewhere. You mentioning it reminded me .... I'm going to find them! Thanks!
But what a fun mess we make!!! My toys are my workout stuff & crafting stuff! I have big messes when I play with either!
I used to do Tai Chi in a class. Distance (after my move) and having to stick within a new budget made that no longer possible. So, Lee Holden is who I use too! He often uses water (the ones with the rock in the middle of the stream) for a soothing visual, and I find the music to do be calming as well. I also like that the camera angles change periodically, which allows me a full view of the movement. His reminders on breathing and tips for movement are helpful without being invasive to my feeling at peace. I think Tai Chi is actually what helped me learn how to clear my mind for a more full yoga experience. When I first started yoga... I had a "busy mind" and just went through the movements. With Tai Chi... the movements themselves soothed my mind, which kind of helped me "practice" what I'd been missing in yoga. I have a slight hearing impairment that makes it so that when I try to do Tai Chi to a video with an instructor with a heavy accent, I find myself having to concentrate on what they are saying SO hard that my mind doesn't relax. Others had camera angles that didn't allow a newbie to be able to copy the movements. Once I took those classes and later bought some Lee Holden DVDs on e-bay... I found that I knew how to release my mind and that made it so when I tried yoga again, my brain had been trained to "let go" and my body followed. I actually understand why they call it a yoga "flow" now. lol Cathe does an excellent job in Yoga Relax of demonstrating the breathing, which also helped me immensely. I now enjoy all of Cathe's yoga, as well as quite a few of Jessica's Smith. I have even found myself using some of the breathing from Tai Chi as well as yoga in my everyday life. So, if it's not an active recovery day, I still have strategies that help me find "calm" on a hectic or stressful day. If you have other yoga instructors that are available on DVD... I'd love recommendations.This is an aspect I enjoy with Tai Chi and Restorative or Yin Yoga also. I took an in-person Tai Chi class while recovering from shoulder surgery years ago to supplement my PT. I think it helped me with stress and flexibility. I have a bunch of Lee Holden QI Gong dvds tucked away somewhere. You mentioning it reminded me .... I'm going to find them! Thanks!
I don't stream and I found out I don't enjoy downloads or viewing on a computer, but I buy used DVDs on e-bay. I buy Cathe's stuff new, though, because I'm too impatient to wait for it. lolYes, I believe it's just called a yoga wedge. I drop my fingers over the edge, and while I still feel pressure on my wrists, it's minimized substantially. I also use mine (if I'm doing strength training without shoes on) to prop my feet (toes or heels up) while standing when Cathe instructs us to use a weight or weight plate under our foot to work muscles a different way. They are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased alone or in a set (with blocks, a yoga strap, or a yoga wheel). I've never used a yoga wheel, but I do own the a couple of straps and a few sets of blocks (cork for when I'm really worried about stability and foam for when I just need a block/s and want something lightweight that I can just scootch out of the way with my foot when I'm done). If you purchase the wedges, though, make sure you get two. Some companies sell them individually, and it can end up costing more, PLUS, if you weren't expecting it... you can't use just one for most things, so you're stuck having to reorder (paying shipping or throwing things you don't need in your cart to avoid shipping) and waiting for the 2nd one to arrive before you can even try out the first one.
I had to learn how to hold things differently too. It's been years, but my last incident of the "dropsies" involved a pot of boiling water in a metal pan and a ceramic tile floor... while wearing shorts.
My son is a disabled adult that is still in my care. We have a silly routine we go through after my workout. I say "Who made this big mess?" (a phrase from a children's show he used to watch when he was younger). Then, he sings the "Clean up" song while I put my toys away. lol
I use Classical Stretch/Essentrics and find it great for flexibility, range of motion, balance, etc., but I have had to learn to block out the chatter. And I know it's not supposed to matter if you do more of something on one side of the body than the other, but it drives me NUTS. lol I've spent decades working on "imbalances", so it's just against my nature to more of anything on one side than the other. Even when I vacuum... I've taught myself to switch arms/hands off and on so as to not exercise one side more than the other. lol
I also like the Tai Chi warm-up, lessons, and form that Jane Adams has on one of her DVDs. I don't use the rest of the DVD, and I donated the others that I purchased, because I do not yet need the chair portions of the first video, and there are more fun ways to work on balance (in my opinion) than that video includes. I tried her yoga videos, but I have other instructors that I enjoy more.
I really like the Chair Yoga workout too...