Ive been thinking about starting yoga. Ive noticed that I am becoming a little more flexible since I am stretching alot more from weight training and running. I just love the feeling you get from stretching. I figure something that puts so much emphasis on stretching would be right up my alley.
So, anybody here do yoga? Or maybe even power yoga? Is it the type of thing that I can do at home or would it be necessary to take a class?

Thanks :D

I did Iyengar Yoga for about 6 months and loved it! I stopped for a few months when I was working non-stop but I must get back into it.

Iyengar yoga is one of the more strenuous forms. I think you should either do Iyengar, Astanga (sp?) or the hybrid version Power Yoga. They are all full on and really get results. Hatha is ok but its pretty docile.

It feels so great to be flexible and it really does give you clarity of mind. I could also maintain a handstand for 5 mins :)

Thats what is great about Yoga, its doesnt just have poses for flexbility but also poses for strength and balance where you are sweating and shaking all over the place.

My advice is go to the classes for a couple of months to learn the poses and then spend 40 bucks on some props and do it at home. Its cheaper and you dont have to drive to the centre just to practice. You can just get out of bed and begin.

Marcus :tucool:

I've been taking classes in Ashtanga Yoga for a while now. At first I had some problems doing some of the poses because my muscles were so tight and I was lacking in upper body strength. Yoga has really helped me become more flexible and build some core strength. As Marcas said, it makes you feel incredible. For that hour I took the class I focused on the poses and my body. It took all the stress I was feeling due to work, school, whatever and washed it away. Afterwards I feel like a new person - very refreshing!

I've always taken Yoga classes. I do some poses at home, but not so much.. I'd suggest going to the classes because a teacher will help you with correct form and really teach you about Yoga. The Yoga center I go to actually has introduction courses that are inexpensive and very, very helpful for the beginner. It lets you experience what Yoga has to offer without making a large commitment to buying more classes or books/DVDs, etc.

Hope this helps :)

It never occurred to me that there were different types of yoga!

I bought a yoga video years ago, and tried it out. Didn't like it much when I first saw it, but tried it a few more times. Still didn't like it. The instructor keeps saying to focus on your breathing. Breathe in. Breathe out.

I can't breathe that slowly!!!!

I felt like I was holding my breath through the whole video. I thought maybe I was just too stressed or something, so that's why I tried the video several more times, but each time same thing. Maybe if i tried a different type of yoga, it would suit me more. I'm very flexible and love stretching so it should be right up my alley.

As far as I know most types of Yoga do that kind of breathing. I had a lot of problems getting the proper breathing technique down when I took the introductory course. Luckily I had a patient teacher who helped me with it - that's why I recommend that people go to a Yoga class at least once.

I highly recommend getting into yoga! It really helps your flexibility (read: fewer injuries) as well as your mental focus and concentration.

Thanks everybody. Ill look into what the local gym does or if there are any other centers that do yoga.

I've never been to a class, but I like my yoga DVDs. Any DVD with Rodney Yee as the instructor. He's awesome. (I recommend his Power Yoga DVD.)

I'm an avid yoga practitioner. I practice everyday, usually right before bed. There are hundreds of uses for yoga, and each person can decide what they want to get out of it. If you're interested in losing weight, I don't really recommend yoga, but if you're interested in strengthening and toning muscles particularly standing poses can be very benefitial. I take a class now, but I practiced on my own (from the book Light on Yoga by BKS Ineygar) for some time before the class. Yoga has helped me learn to calm my emotions, increased my sense of awareness at my body's reactions and those two things are particularly important to me during my workouts. Understanding not just the mechanics of the body, but the way in which the body reacts to stimulus is very important to me especially in my weight program...
Yoga can be benefitical in reducing stress, and I often use it as a stress reliever before and after workouts.
I can't say enough about yoga, it is an all around EXCELLENT medium for fitness.
My recent fitness test showed my flexibility level to be through the roof, and it helps me stretch sore muscles after intensive workouts.

I want to bring up another point on this thread. We all think about fat, and muscle..but how much do you all think about your organs and internal muscles? We know John stopped smoking, and thats one way in which people consider the effect that their lungs have on the body..but how much do you consider your liver, kidneys, stomach, and other organs during your workouts? Probably not very much, but it is just as important for your organs to get a workout on a daily basis too...yoga is unique in that it can provide the practitioner with this type of workout. For example, each day I work out my psoas muscle which holds the organs in place and some of the poses I work on are inversions that reverse the circulatory system's normal path and make it work in a different way. Things like this are rarely considered by bodybuilders, but they are very healthy practices.

www.yogajournal.com is an excellent resource for beginners, and it includes poses for specific ailments as well. Need to bounce back from a cold so you can workout again? Try yoga poses!!

If anyone has any yoga related questions, feel free to e-mail me or IM me and I can impart some of my knowledge. I'm no yogi or yoga instructor, but I'm a student of yoga and have learned very much about it from my studies.

azusman@indiana.edu
LemonSong1

What an awesome pose: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/468_1.cfm

I may take Yoga just for that.

Thats amazing. It doesnt look like his weight is certered...weird.

What an awesome pose: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/468_1.cfm

I may take Yoga just for that.

Yeah its amazing isnt it.

I've been practicing a pose similar to that but I can only hold for a few seconds before either my arms cant take it or I lose my balance. That guy can probably hold it for 5 minutes at least.

Check out the book 'Light On Yoga' that the 'TheLemonSong' mentioned and it has some amazing poses. Things you never thought the body could do. Looking at that book always remindes me how bad my flexibility is.

Marcus :tucool:

Big thank you to TheLemonSong for recommending "Light on Yoga." I ordered the book from Amazon.com after reading your post.

Wow, what a great book. I finally had the chance to read the Introduction and look through the rest of the book today, and it is awesome. Very comprehensive. Gives the philosophical foundation, the postures, breathing practices, recommended progressions (courses), a table of the postures, and an extensive glossary. Everything is explained very very clearly. Would have been well worth many times the price.

:)

Partly due to this thread I've actually signed up for a local beginner's yoga class. Thanks for the idea guys.

I'd say I'm equally interested in the meditative part of yoga as I am being stretchy and fit. Couldn't get my girlfriend to join with me, but this should be fun anyhow.