August 2006 Weddings
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Talk to me about yoga
I have never done yoga ever in my life. I'm not flexible at all and I have no sense of balance. But I think I might like it. How do I start?
A friend of mine wants me to take a bikram yoga class with her that starts in February. Do you think it's OK for beginners? What can I do at home to prepare me for the class? Any DVDs of basic yoga poses that I can practice with before hand?
Re: Talk to me about yoga
I would rather die than do Bikram. I'd really say it's inadvisable unless you're in the best of health/shape. I would probably have a heart attack, but I'm like 100 pounds overweight.
I took a level 1 beginner yoga class last year, and it's really fun. I have a DVD that introduced me to it, but I can't find it online now! I would get a beginner one, just so you know what to expect. Also, you have a non-committal way to try it before spending money on classes.
You don't need to be flexible--you will become moreso every day practicing yoga. It can be a great workout and is great for tone/flexibility. It's just a good thing for general health.
Beware: It's very hokey. Lots of spirituality, surrendering to the earth mother, etc. I roll my eyes a lot, being a big ol' skeptic. But I cannot deny the physical benefits, I just don't dig the benefits for my spiritual life.
Good to know. Maybe I'll talk to the instructor. I'm probably 75 pounds overweight, but I recently had to have some tests done, and all my signs (blood pressure, glucose, etc) are those of a really healthy person, so I wonder if that makes a difference?
For some reason, I inherited my father's fat genes, and my mother's freakishly low blood pressure. Doctors are always puzzled when they see me, it's low for a normal person, let alone an overweight one. I'm a medical freak!
I actually get this too. I have good cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, but I'm waaaay overweight. We are lucky!!
I cannot tolerate heat, so maybe this is just me. If you feel comfortable, you should go for it! Maybe you could try a class for free. I just get light headed and winded if I work out too hard/too long, and hot yoga freaks me the hell out.
I want to do Bikram yoga, but every place I've been to smells like feet. It's really distracting.
I love yoga and I totally recommend it. There are a lot of beginner DVDs. Check out Ross' selection (you can get them for ~$5 there) or Half Price Books (they have a variable selection). Or, if you'd like, I can loan you a couple of DVDs. I've got a couple of beginner ones that I don't use as much any more.
my read shelf:
This might just be me, but it was really hard for me to figure out if I was doing anything right by doing the DVDs first. I found it more helpful to find a beginner class, not only to know if I was doing the positions right, but to make sure I didn't hurt myself. Most of the studios in my area give you your first week free so you won't be out a ton if you decide you hate it.
I used to do a yoga/pilates/tai chi class that I really, really loved. Then, my instructor left the gym and the chick they got to replace her turned it into all pilates, all the time, so I stopped going. I miss it... I need to get with the program and start again.
LOL, we are genetic twins!
Thanks for the advice. I think I'll talk to the instructor next week and get her thoughts on it. Mesh, I may take you up on your offer to borrow DVDs...I'll send you an email later!
About three years ago I tried doing a beginner's DVD and I actually really liked it (though I am so not bendy!); then law school hit and messed with my ability to relax, even if just doing yoga.
I'd like to try again. It felt good to do it.
I actually started on my recent health kick with yoga. I haven't done it in a few weeks but I felt SO good when I did. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow!
I get FitTV so I tried Namaste Yoga first- it's earth mothery but I like it. Only thing is, a lot of the moves were pretty tough for me.
So I went out and got Yoga for Beginners with Patricia Walden.
It's really silly, with a creepy blue background and her voice is annoying BUT the instruction is really great. She spends a lot of time on each pose, even the simple ones. The DVD also lets you select poses you want to work on from the menu.
I wouldn't start with Bikram, and I wouldn't start with DVDs. It's very difficult to understand the poses and the correct alignment when you're trying to arch your neck up to observe someone on the tv screen.
There are so many different types of yoga. I recommend checking out a few different studios near you until you find one you like. Are you near any of the Yoga Tree locations?
http://www.yogatreesf.com/
It's a well-known studio in SF that offers tons of classes in many different styles. Even among the different types of yoga, the teachers and their styles vary greatly. Don't feel bad about shopping around to find the right balance for you.
Personally, I love Anusara yoga. It has a strong sense of community, playfulness, and joy. It celebrates a certain kind of spirituality and the divine without being preachy or taking itself too seriously. Anusara focuses on finding the delight in each pose, each person, each day. It's the type of yoga that most speaks to me. Plus, it focuses heavily on alignment, ensuring that you are protecting your back, your spine, etc in every pose. Our classes typically start off with the teacher presenting a theme for the class. Yesterday, our theme was essentially that it's not the destination, it's the journey. So while doing our practice, we focused not on getting the perfect pose, but the sense of exploration during each pose. What can you try to enhance what you're doing now? So many people see a picture of a yoga pose and decide they have to be that exact picture, but every pose is different, and the way you get there is personal. It's just a nice way of giving you a nugget to think about during the practice. Sometimes it also relates to things going on in my life, sometimes not, but I like it.
You can search for teachers at www.anusara.com, if you are interested.
Again, I'd just recommend trying and trying again until you find the right fit. Not every yoga teacher, class, or style is for every personality, but there is so much out there, if you have an interest, I'm certain you can find a good fit!
Feel free to hit me up on Facebook if you have other questions.
I used to do Hatha yoga for a time and I LOVED it. The first time I did it, I felt like my spine had been pulled from either end and stretched out (in a good way). It felt SO good. I wasn't overweight but I was REALLY out of shape and it was perfect for me because you go at your own pace. I think Hatha is usually the slowest-paced and best for beginners. If you're looking for a workout rather than relaxation/stress relief, it's probably not the best choice.?
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I'm with Bunny - I would rather die than do Bikram. There is NOTHING appealing about that to me. Ugh. ?
we had a yoga class at work so thats how I got into it. I agree, DVD's are hard cause you gotta look up to see it and imo they go much faster from pose to pose and it takes a while to learn how to do the poses "right" all the way. You gotta concentrate on what body parts you are relaxing/flexing when and if you dunno then you aren't gonna get the benefit out of the pose. If you want to get into it I would recomned a beginner class.
Don't worry about flexibility - the "mantra" is to only bend as much as what makes you comfortable. No one is pressured to do more that they feel is ok. Its not ballet class!
You can always try the class with your friend but just bow out or whatever if you get overwhelmed and just watch. I know in my class she offered "advanced" versions of poses and "beginner" versions that where more basic.
OK, so it sounds like bikram is probably out. The appeal of it was that they were running a special - 30 day membership, unlimited classes, for $30. All the other yoga places nearby that I've found are much, much more...like $10/class, and I can't really afford that. Actually, even if I could, I wouldn't because I'd join a gym instead. So, it's either a DVD, bikram, or no yoga at all.
If going to a studio isn't an option, I can recommend a video. I just don't like to if classes are an option, b/c it's so easy to learn things incorrectly on your own. Definitely watch the video a time or two before you do it, so that you see what they are doing and don't have to strain your neck, etc.
I like Sara Ivanhoe's videos. This one, while improperly named by some ad wizards, is actually a great video for beginners. It's how I started, after going to a couple classes:
http://www.amazon.com/Crunch-Perfect-Yoga-Workout-Fat-Burning/dp/B00005NQGR/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1232124625&sr=8-3
If you get it and have questions, just page me!
One other thought, ESF -- many studios offer free community classes once a week (Willow Street's are taught by teachers from the yoga teacher training, for example).
And I found this:
http://www.yogatreesf.com/newtoyoga/yoga101.htm
They offer an intro to yoga workshop plus a week of free classes for $35! Obviously, they want you to become a studio regular, but this might be a great way for you to get started. You'd get the basics in the intro class, then you could go to a few beginner classes. That should give you a better foundation for practicing on your own, than just starting a DVD cold. This way, you can ask a few questions and allay any concerns you have about flexibility, etc.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the tip! Unfortunately their studios are all in the city, and at least a 45 minute trek by public transportation. I need convenient exercise or I won't do it.
If I get over my fear of driving in the city, or get a job in the city so I am there anyway, then I will definitely check them out.
Oh, shoot, i was hoping one of the locations was near you. I don't know SF very well, other than the PG&E building where I worked as a consultant for a while.
I hear ya on convenient. I'm about to join a gym near my office. Expensive, but worth it b/c it's so convenient, I'll go. Def check out some websites for community classes. Free yoga = awesome.
H and I signed up for a beginner class when we lived in Omaha. ?I think we went to 2 sessions. ?I couldn't get over the way the instructor said bu-TOCKS. ?Giggling fits aren't conducive to the mood apparently.
I'm not flexy, either, although I wish I were. ?I just never have been, and I have zero motivation to work on it on my own. ?
Like Bunny, I have a hard time ont rolling my eyes at all the earth mother crap. ?I'm pretty darn crunchy, but I leave the spirituality part out of it! ?Now that I'm back in Denver, I have a feeling it will be even harder to avoid the spiritual stuff. ?That's pretty rampant in my area.?
*butting in*
I just wanted to say thank you soprano for this tip! I ordered the DVD the other night after reviewing the little video blurb and reading the reviews. I looooooooove that it's just straight yoga and not the "get in touch with your inner nirvana" yoga (not that there is anything wrong with this, it's just a little much on a regular basis for my tastes). So I will let you know how it goes for me! Thanks again!