Yoga Question

S

Stacy

Cathlete
Ok, I know yoga has to benefit somebody out there since it seems to be the latest craze. I've only looked through a few books on yoga, havent ever tried it yet, but the pictures scare me!! There's no way my foot is going behind my head short of some sort of miracle, lol!! I'm not trying to poke fun, lol....I just dont get it and want to know more!!!

Thanks for all the input!

Stacy
 
I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert on the subject, but I will use this comparison: you wouldn't start your very first Cathe experience by doing power 15s, or Interval Max, for that matter. I think it's safe to say that most of us doing yoga may never get our foot behind our head (but correct me if I'm wrong ;-)). I've seen some yoga books out there and they've scared me silly, too. Fortunately, there are some great tapes and DVDs out there, so you should really give it a try.

The benefits I receive from yoga are primarily flexibility and relaxation, but there are some tapes I do that have given me strength gains as well. I won't even venture into the spiritual part of yoga, but there is that element as well, and maybe someone else out there can help with that.

There is a set of tapes from Yoga Journal (Beginners, Relaxation, Meditation, Energy, Strength and Flexibility) that usually contain two workouts under an hour in length each, and are well-instructed and easy to follow. Based on their titles, each one has a different focus. Living Arts' A.M. and P.M. Yoga (especially P.M.) are 20-minute workouts that leave you feeling as if you just swallowed a spoonful of warm honey--all relaxed and happy! Living Arts' Yoga for Athletes is more of a yoga-infused stretch tape targeted at improving the balance and flexibility of athletes.

Many instructors are incorporating yoga-type moves into their workouts, like Karen Voight's YogaSculpt and Grace Lazenby's All the Right Moves. Both of these tapes use certain poses which build core strength and improve flexibility.

There are so many other yoga tapes out there--I've barely scratched the surface with my list of favorites. Check out the reviews at videofitness.com.
 
Thanks for your answer. Before I dish out anymore money on tapes, is the relaxation gained more than I would get say by soaking in my hot tub????

:) Stacy
 
yes! it is a matter if control over your body and realizing what a machine it is--Regardless of how far into the poses you can get.
 
Hi Stacy,
It's hard to believe but Yoga can be more relaxing then soaking in a hot tub IMO. What's even better is to soak in a hut tub and then do Yoga (your muscles are already warm which allows for more flexibility). That realy makes for a good nights sleep. :) Just wish I had enough time to do this every evening. Speaking of which if I get off the computer that's what I can do right now!!! ;-)
Dawn
 
Hi Stacy! I was given as a Christmas gift the tape on Kundalindi. It's a very ancient type of yoga as well as being the first one ever introduced. All the other types of yoga (there are 23) are a derivative of kundalindi which is from India. The tape has everything from relaxation, aerobics, flexibility, etc. packed into 1 hour. It's doable by everyone because I'm not an expert. It's the VERY BEST tape on yoga that I've ever done. The others you must ease yourself into. It takes a lifetime to achieve perfection and must be practiced every day which I don't have the luxury of. Maybe they have this one in gaiam.com site. Happy hunting! Kathy
 
They also have the Kundalindi Yoga tape at Target for either $6.99 or $9.99 (I can't recall exactly). I have been tempted to pick it up but I haven't yet. I'm sort of hoping a DVD version will come out.
Dawn W
 
I spend a lot of money on tapes too. But when I got interested in yoga, I found a guy on TV that I love. His name is Steve Ross and near Nashville, TN, he comes on at 5:00 a.m. on the Oxygen Channel. The name of his show is INHALE. I taped up several shows and regularly do them as part of my personal workout.

If you do have the money for another tape, "YOGA FOR DUMMIES" is a good learning tool. It isn't a yoga workout, it actually goes through about 15 of the most common moves separately and explains each one. I got mine at Walden Books.
 
The soaking and then doing yoga is an excellent suggestion!! That's what I try to do on Sundays. I reserve this day just for yoga. I do it during the week also, but boy do I look forward to my Sundays!! Here are a couple of tapes that I think are great for yoga beginners, Crunch Joy of Yoga (my first), and Ali MacGraw's Yoga Mind and Body (awesome, and not too hard!) I've never read a yoga book, just jumped right in with the videos. Please give it a try, the benefits are felt as early as the first session:)!


Aimee
 
I am recently back into doing some kind of yoga at the end of all my workouts. In another life I was a dancer and did plenty of yoga back then.

Boy... it is hard to express what yoga does for me... (not the spiritual side as I don't utilize that part). I think it is the marvelous combination of true flexibility, infusion of breath, and the way the discipline absorbs your whole body... all this produces a wonderful feeling, nearly druglike... almost an altered state toward peace and tranquility with energy and strength.

My flexibility has improved a great deal, but I cannot do everything just as presented in the videos.

My favorite so far is Rodney Yee's Yoga for Strength (Yoga Journal). I also like Karen Voight's Yogasculpt.

Some pure athletic stretching tapes can produce similar results: Autonomy Stretch and Serene Stretch come close. But the yoga tapes do it better.

The hardest part is making the time for it, since I don't want it to cut into my cardio or strength committment. It is an add-on, but I find my workouts lengthening because the yoga is so worth it!! (And yes I am as busy as the rest of us and can not really afford the longer workouts... but I can't help myself and the yoga is so beneficial that I think the rest of my life comes into better focus with it)

The yoga has helped my fibromyalgia condition a great deal also, but that is another story.

jenzy

p.s. I am sitting here trying to decide if I would do the hot tub before or after the yoga... honestly I love the yoga at the end of a very tough workout when my muscles are really hot... then I'd do the yoga, finish with the hot tub. Not much could be better than that!!!
 
INHALE on OXYGEN

Hey, Kim, I love Steve Ross too! Lucky for moi, he comes on at 6 a.m. here in Nevada. He is pretty amusing. The only real downer is the commercials.
 
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