Yoga Questions from the Newly Converted!

S

sparrow

Cathlete
Hey All:

I am soooo enjoying yoga these days, thanks to P90x. I have a couple of questions though.

- how intense should I be about progress? I'm the type of person who tends to leap on a new activity and rip out its throat out with my teeth. If progress is slow I get frustrated. I know that's not the attitude to have with yoga. So, for example, if there are two postures, one more advanced, should I be trying to get into the advanced ASAP, or is it better to stay in the more simple pose without "forcing" anything, until I am stable and confident with the basic pose, both mentally and physically?

- for a post like crane, which I can do for about a nanosecond, how on Earth DOES one progress? It seems to me with something like that, what you can do is always going to be what you can do! Should I keep plugging away?

- Does anyone else get super hungry after doing yoga?

TIA, Sparrow

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow - what a ride!’ — Peter Sage
 
I think you should take your time with yoga, never force a pose.
Yoga X has some very advanced poses, so just watch and do the easier one. The more advanced moves will come over time, but maybe never. It's so individual.

Here's a tip for Crane Pose. Balance your head on your yoga block (stand it on narrow long side, facing you horizontal), that way you won't fall forward, and you can concentrate on not falling backwards. Put a toe down if you go backwards to much and switch toes every few sec. I can now hold the pose the full min. with my head teatering over the block, touching it now and then. I used to be able to only do that for about 10 sec. So, the poses will come.

Hope I explained that ok. :)
 
Wow - what a great idea!

I don't know how this happened for me, but one day - I think my third or fourth week, Crane just clicked, and now I can stay in all day long. I find that it's a matter of understanding how to use your forearms and hands to control your balance - I don't feel it's a strength or flexibility pose at all. Well, I take that back - maybe it does require some decent forearm strength - that's the only place I feel working in this pose.

I wish I had actual tips for you! What happens when you fall out? Do you fall over in a heap? Or can you tell it's coming? The toe move that Tony shows and explains I think is really helpful - just keep doing that until you feel like you can stay longer.

Re: advanced poses. What I typically do is to start where I'm fairly comfortable - working, but not killing myself. Then, about 1/2 way through the pose, I'll start to try to go a little deeper, try to get a bit close to the advanced pose. Week by week, I'll be able to get closer and closer, and my starting point moves closer and closer to the final destination. This way, I feel like I'm getting a good workout, but not constantly frustrated that I can't get to the advanced stuff or am falling down all over the place.

m.
 
Hi Sparrow,

I love the "rip out its throat out with my teeth" comment. LOL!

I found that I made the most progress when I went back to doing poses at their more modified form. I, too, like to progress quickly, but I found that pushing into the advanced postures too quickly really did keep me from getting better. I was more worried about wrenching my hand around my back to grab my foot, instead of focusing on releasing the muscles that would let that happen more naturally.

As for hungry, I was taking an 11:00 am yoga class over the summer, and I was absolutely ravenous when I got out at 12:15.
 
I am waiting for my P90X to come in the mail now. I am not sure about the Yoga X, though, because I am just not a yoga-girl. I will try it though, but heck, I have problems still doing the downward dog!!!;-) :D

We'll see!
 
Thanks everyone!

Sunnyside, I will try the yoga block trick! Thanks!

M, I don't fall so much as I can't figure out how to balance and so just end up jerking into crane - throwing myself really - so it's momentum, not balance or skill. I really want to do this pose too, it looks awesome.

Gayle, you put my mind at ease. I've been doing the same thing, getting focusing on the fact that I can't reach under my thigh and grab my arm, rather than relaxing and letting the muscles do what they need to do. I felt like if I was not pushing I wasn't really working. Good advice, thanks.

Amy, in another thread mspina and I were just discussing how we were never into yoga until P90x Yoga. Hopefully you will have the same experience!

Thanks again all!

Sparrow

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow - what a ride!’ — Peter Sage
 
3rd day of yogax and can still not do crane! i love this workout. forgive me but, i crack up at the end when they do the humming and ahs.

laura
 
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