well i got talked into doing yoga and.......

T

trevor

Guest
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Sep-08-02 AT 02:50PM (Est)[/font][p]found out I really suck at it! :)
God I was self-conscious in there but at least there were two other guys like me...you know, flexible as a seasoned two by four!
At one point I really thought I damaged my left knee trying to get into that indian style position with the feet tucked, one low and one high! REALLY hurt! Took me a while to shake the pain out of that.
Any suggestions out there for yoga beginners. I guess I just need to keep at it and stretch alot more. huh? :)
It seems alot of it is state of mind also and I had trouble, at least that day, focusing on my inner self. Any comments greatly appreciated.
Trevor :) :-jumpy
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Sep-08-02 AT 04:24PM (Est)[/font][p]I think the thing about yoga is you're suppose to respect your body's limits. If you can't o a pose fully, you should only do as much as your body will allow.

If that lotus position is too much, don't do it. Protect yourself. As you practice your abilities will improve.

That's kind of the mental part about yoga I think - being patient with ourselves and accepting our limits gracefully.

I'm not a big yoga fan, but I have dabbled with it.

Susan G.
 
Good for you Trevor!

Hopefully the instructor was showing modifications. Harness your competitive juices & respect your body's limitations. Use the modifications while your body becomes more flexible. Much of the time, no one can even see what you're doing because they're looking at their own knees. If the instructor wasn't offering modifications & checking your form, find a different instructor.

There IS a lot of inner focus which is pretty challenging for Type A's. Can't say that I enjoy it either, but the mental exercise should payoff when you tackle a steep hill this fall.

At least you had some male company. You wouldn't believe how quickly men drop Pilates which looks deceptively easy. My yoga classes usually have several males attending.

Is your son running cross-country this fall? How's his baby brother?

Debra
 
No advice, but I still wanted to give you a cyber "pat on the back" and a "thumbs up!" for even trying yoga! I've tried it several times only to come to the conclusion that I am an "athletic stretch" kind of girl at this point and yoga may be in my future, but no time soon! I don't have the "mental focus" thing happening, I'd be going over my grocery list, bills due, new outfit or Cathe video I want etc., the entire time. I'm just not disciplined enough for yoga at this stage of the game! But some day, I'll revisit it and try again, but until then, I'll live vicariously through you and other yoga enthusiasts! :)

Have fun with it, I'm sure your flexibility will increase with each class. :)

Donna
 
You crack me up!

Well of course you're going to suck at it if it's only your first time right? But the question is, Did you like it? If so, you should keep at it and I think you'll find you'll become much more flexible in a short period of time. Remember that yoga is more of a practice. Some of the postures take literally years for some people to master. In my opinion yoga is definitely worth doing. I love it. It does wonders for back pain. When I get bored with weights I switch to a power yoga rotation for strength every couple of months.

If you feel like a nerd in there with all the other people maybe consider buying a Bryan Kest tape and trying it at home. You can get them really cheap and they are great. Or David Swenson's Short Forms is supposed to be really excellent for beginners. I enjoy doing Mark Blanchard's tapes, The Power Within and Embracing Power Yoga. They are tough and I highly recommend them.

Good luck Trevor!

Kristie :)
 
I bought Kathy Smith's New Yoga Challenge today on a whim. I've only previewed it and it looks pretty good in a non-hokey kinda way.

Stacy
 
Ya, know what, Trevor?
Here's a non PC statement from a girl who's NOT onto and NEVER will be into zen buddihisim...YOGA SUCKS. I can't to it, I don't like it, it is not me. But, I realize this is at this very moment this is going to make some people very mad. My beliefs are strong and my idea of rejuvination is a very cathartic run, where I feel my cadence, hear my breath, yell at my dog, you know... peaceful stuff...no weird poses, no weird dogma, just me, blue sky, my dog and me. Very cathartic.

Amy
 
Ditto, Amy. I hate it. It hurts my back. It bores me. It makes me annoyed. It hurts my back. I'm very flexible, and I like to stretch. But, yoga? No thanks. And did I mention, it hurts my back.
So there.
But have fun, Trevor!
Wendy
 
Hi ladies!!
Thanks for all the responses.
Did I mention we meditated for 10 mins. prior to the class I took. Bells were being rung and everything.......I felt like I should've been smoking something!! No, just kidding!!
I will try it again but the class doesnt really fit my schedule right now. Maybe some of the videos mentioned would be good to try.
Hey there Debra! -- Matthew is doing well. He just started 10th grade and is running cross country for the high school. I miss watching him play soccer but at least he's doing something he really likes. Brandon is just a wild little toddler!! He's into EVERYTHING. His big thing right now is to pull the bag out of the vacuum cleaner and then say "broke, broke, broke." That cracks me up. He's a huge Jeff Gordon fan now too just like his old man. I gave him a little Gordon racecar and he just clutches that thing everywhere he goes, usually muttering "Gordon, Gordon, Gordon" under his breath. He's a funny one!!
How's the biking?.....I am starting blading here very soon. Fall is the best time!!
Anyway, I'll email you when I get a second.
Thanks again for the suggestions ladies!!
Trevor :) :-jumpy
 
Yoga & Pilates are two displines I know I should learn, but just can't bring myself to devote the time. I'm too hard core weight lifting and grunting (quietly, mind you!). I told my classes grunting helps, but is optional.

Maybe some day! Got to hand it to you for trying, Trevor.
 
Hi Trevor! I too sucked at it at first but give it time and you will understand the breathing and the positions. Your flexibility gets better and better w/practice. Just start out perfecting the sun saluations first then move on to the more complicated positions, warrior 1, 2 and 3, etc. I laugh every time I put Rodney Yee's Yoga for Intermediates into my VCR. He thinks for some reason that all of the inversions are intermediary. Can't picture myself doing shoulder and head stands any time soon. I found doing Karen Voight's Yoga Sculpt excellent for us athletes. I did it 1x a week over and over again until I perfected it and now I've moved onto other more complex balancing moves. I actually enjoy it now and you will too! Best, Kathy
 
Hey Trevor,
It's really neat that you tried it but I'm with Wendy. I took it one time with a few friends and I was so bored!! I kept looking at the clock and all I did was look forward to going out to eat afterwards. Yoga is not for me.
Joanne
 
Whenever I get real tight from weights or spinning I pop in BKest's Power Yoga 2. I am not fond of yoga but him I don't mind.
I remember my back hurting and my hams were just sooo tight that finally I surrendered at 2 am and did the damn tape and sure enough I felt the knots ease and it felt real good by the end of the hour. I guess there is a place for yoga in a fitness routine and I'm glad I didn't have to go through buying crappy ones.
 
Trevor,

I vote for yoga at home also. You'll improve with time! Regular yoga bored me too but a friend sent me a power yoga video and that's what did it for me! :) Even though I was a beginner and really wanted to give it a try because it was recommended for my back, I found the power yoga enjoyable. You flow from one move to the next! I did what I could at first and every few workouts I added a few more minutes.

Try some videos before giving up completely!

Take care!
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Sep-10-02 AT 07:48PM (Est)[/font][p]Trevor:
I can't find my inner self in a packed room either. And let me tell you, the whole world does not need to see my butt pointed in various compass directions. Tried "public yoga" hated it. BUT-
I do yoga at home (have for about 3 years now) and have a small library of hot yoga, kundalini yoga, and yoga for the back tapes. I also bought the Ivyengar encylopedia of yoga poses. It filled in all the vital instruction points the tapes (and live classes packed with students) often leave out- and gives lots and lots of modifications for each pose. Plus I put together various exercises as suggested from the book for specific problems--they usually work great!
I have had tremedous gains from yoga- and it has dramatically lowered my sports injuries, esp. hip flexor, achilles, and knee strain. It was hard for me at first, but now I really love it. I would suggest trying it at home before you tank the idea, and check out a good instructional book. :)
 
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