I signed myself up for a yoga/pilates core-building class with my community school, which is starting in about three weeks. I've done tai-chi and zen meditation, but that's the limit of my experience with eastern practices. I signed up for this current class in order to strengthen my core and improve my running form in anticipation of my second marathon in October. But I want to get the most out of this, and I know so little. So I'd like to know what brought you to yoga, how it's benefitted you (in every sense - spiritual, mental, physical), and your ideas of how to practice in the most beneficial way. Also, what appeals to you about the philosophy of yoga?

When I started practicing yoga the first time, it increased my flexibility, lowered my resting heart-rate, and after class I felt totally "centered".

That's the short of it...I am picking it up again (starting this week!) after too long a hiadis (sp?) from it. I enjoyed the hell out of it when I did it...and I'm pretty sure I'm going to do so again. Have fun!

:nigel: Cheers!

I use to have a lot of back problems and pain. I at times couldn't get out of bed sometimes. Once i started to take yoga classes the back problems started to go away. Also I use ot have issues where stress would make me physically ill. Practicing yoga helped me deal with stress better and I haven't gotten ill anymore because of it. Also it help keeps me loose and it's a great way to stay fit.

By the way, if you'd really like to persue YOGA and find your classes less then fulfilling, it may be your instructor. Not all instructors are created equal. Give it some time, but if you aren't getting anything out of it, seek an instructor you find a connection with.

My experience with yoga was limited to a semester in college. During that time period, practicing yoga taught me to listen to my body. It was a sort of reawakening :D ... and the instructor was great!

For me, if I actually go/do it, yoga is great for stress. I feel very flexible and relaxed.

And then there are the other ;) benefits. Ahem.

It helped me with my depression/self-esteem and I had very stable energy levels as a result, though I've never had many problems there. I found my diet improved also and my general relationship to food.

And physically it improved strength and posture.

relating to what seasiren said, i want to add a bit more. It is likely that a yoga-pilates core class will focus most of it's attention on the physical and not really move into the more esoteric elements related to core movements (energetically) and the philosophical elements of yoga. typically, teachers who are really into yoga won't offer mix classes *unless* they taught the other discipline first, and then bring yoga to that discipline. In some cases, they'll be using the first discipline's philosophy and underlying ideas to the yoga, rather than the other way around (eg, duncan wong--karate and yoga).

while some instructors in community center and Y settings are highly trained (such as myself), most of them are not. There are many 'types' of yoga certifications, and not all of them are created equal. Sadly, the same is true of pilates in the current fitness climate. aerobics instructors can take one or two hour courses at a weekend symposium and be 'certified' to teach classes. often, not only do these instructors not have any knowledge of yoga philosophy, but they also don't have knowledge of yoga poses. Many teachers who teach 'combined' classes (yoga and pilates) often know very little about either discipline, and learn from books and videos to do a physical class focused on abs--rather than core (transverse abs and pelvic floor), another alignment/knowledge issue.

Yoga is a unique spiritual technology that is applicable to any spiritual life and faith practice. It works on the three primary levels of being: physical, mental, and spiritual. The asanas (postures) and pranayama work to connect these three starting with the most obvious--the physical. but each pose also has mental/energetic and spiritual elements. it takes a long time to learn these things, but starting with basic alignment of postures is important.

I've been practicing yoga for a very long time, so not practicing it is like missing a day's shower or not brushing one's teeth. It is, for me, simply part of what i am, as much as a spiritual discipline. I find that it brings me physical health, emotional well being, and spiritual insight. It is also challenging.

I tried it once and just hated it.

If I'm really really unflexible (i.e. We had to take flexibility tests in middle school and I was the least flexible out of more than 600 kids in my grade :p) will I even be able to do yoga if I take a class?

It's one of the few ways to focus me and get me to relax. I can't simply sit and meditate. I have to be active. Yoga gets me there, and I hear tai chi would be good for me, too. Yay, yoga. Boo, not enough time in the day.

If I'm really really unflexible (i.e. We had to take flexibility tests in middle school and I was the least flexible out of more than 600 kids in my grade :p) will I even be able to do yoga if I take a class?

Yup!

Unlike many other things in our lives, yoga is not product-oriented. While there are guidelines and methods, and a teacher will correct your alignment to avoid injury or to give you a greater understanding of a pose, there's no Yoga Biscuit...you can't win, so you can't lose. I have had many teachers tell me that the least flexible people in the class are the greatest yogis...they are developing patience and deeper insight into the postures instead of just flopping all around [like me, unfortunately] and I have come to see the wisdom in this.

I wasn't going to post in this thread because yoga is just too damned important to me and I'd go on and on, but I'll post to say: Misq17, go!

The first time I tried it, I couldn't see what everyone was raving about. Then I realized I was paying so much attention to the screen (I have tapes/dvds) and worrying about whether or not I was in the right position that I was unable to relax and really focus. I decided to give it a second shot and enjoyed it more the second time around. Eventually, you don't even have to think about the poses--you know them by heart and are by then fully able to concentrate on your body. When I finish a yoga session, I feel like I just had a full-body massage.

I first started yoga when my husband obtained a yoga DVD from a friend. He didn't stay at it for long, but I liked it, and after a while he bought Yoga for Idiots, which had a lot more interesting information and poses. I really got into it (and liked it more) when I took actual classes (the DVD sometimes made me feel bad about my body). Classes relaxed me, I thought my teacher was great, and after a while I noticed that I had increased flexibility, increased strength and better balance. I'm pretty sure it also helps me to maintain my weight. It helped with my judo, and I think with running a little.

I think it's most beneficial when you learn in a class, and then from there you can get other resources (books and DVDs) and put together your own personal workouts. So you could go to a class once a week, do it on your own once a week, etc.

i do yoga for flexibility, and for the wonderful feeling. before i did yoga, i was just there. once i started doing it, it was like i felt my body for the first time - umm, like i actally had a body. before - i didnt feel anything.

Thanks everybody, this is exactly what I hoped to find out. :D I will treat this class as a sort of introduction, without placing my judgement of yoga upon it (since it is community school and may not represent yoga well). I'm happy to hear someone compare it to meditation, too - this was sort of my problem with sitting meditation, it didn't involve my body enough and I think I kind of need that. Maybe yoga will answer that problem.

I keep trying yoga and it keeps letting me down.It may just be my personality type..but I get very uncomfortable with all the "oms' and moaning and breathing.We do little "naps' after the class which bore me to tears and when I am not in a position that challenges me,I am again,bored to tears.

I kept wondering if it is the teacher,but alas every time I go,I am diaspionted.But to give yoga some credit,I find many moves fun..my mind just cant relax and go so slow.Thats why i like Pilates..if they had a "fast" yoga class,it might be more fun for me.
I love the relaxing music they play though.
;)

I keep trying yoga and it keeps letting me down.It may just be my personality type..but I get very uncomfortable with all the "oms' and moaning and breathing.We do little "naps' after the class which bore me to tears and when I am not in a position that challenges me,I am again,bored to tears.

I kept wondering if it is the teacher,but alas every time I go,I am diaspionted.But to give yoga some credit,I find many moves fun..my mind just cant relax and go so slow.Thats why i like Pilates..if they had a "fast" yoga class,it might be more fun for me.
I love the relaxing music they play though.
;)

You might want to find a new class, or try practising on your own. It sounds like yours focuses a lot on meditation.

By naps, do you mean the Shavasana, Corpse Pose? Normally by the end of a class, you're usually tired enough that you almost need one of those. But if they bore you, you could probably just do another pose. It's not like anyone would notice, anyway, since they're all on their backs with their eyes closed.

they do have 'fast' yoga--it's called vinyasa yoga. sometimes they're called "flow yoga classes" as well. astanga is another type of vinyasa yoga.

as for chanting, not everyone likes it, but it does clear the airway, the throat, and aligns and prepares the energy body for class (the Om sound moves through the whole chakra system).

as for the 'nap' at the end, that's reclining meditation. It's also necessary for the practice. When you practice, you work the body, the energy body in dynamic ways. If you don't take rest, the energy body, the body, never gets to settle.

I remember one incident where i had practiced astanga, but i had to leave the room as the savasana (corpse pose) was starting. I had to 'man the desk' for the end of class. So, i left. I started doing my work and got serious shakes. These weren't from low blood sugar or anything else, and it was like i was flailing around. i had to lay on the ground for at least 3 minutes before it stopped.

If you can't hold yourself still for the five minutes of rest, you have something really important to work on. Often, overactive people are using movement to avoid things. There needs to be time to 'just be' and let the body adjust to the changes that you are making to it.

imo, pilates is boring. there's no depth to it emotionally or spiritually. that's why i prefer yoga. besides which, much of pilates is based in yoga.

Thanks for explaining the different styles of Yoga Zoebird~but please dont tell me I have things to 'work on' and that I am 'overactive' becuase I find yoga slow and dull and becuase I dont enjoy ten minutes of 'nap time'.Yoga is not for everyone.
Thanks.

Aside from the health benefits (flexibility, and building muscle for endurance), I appreciate the mental health benefits. My teacher always instructs us at the beginning to lay our burdens, our concerns, etc. down next to our mat, that they'll be there waiting for us after an hour's respite, and I used to think it was corny (no offense meant), but it's really very true, and after an hour of yoga I feel much more centered, less hostile and irritable. Also, I think mediation is good for body and soul, but it's not something that comes easily to me, and yoga seems to be a more directed way to mediate that works better for me.

Yup!

Unlike many other things in our lives, yoga is not product-oriented. While there are guidelines and methods, and a teacher will correct your alignment to avoid injury or to give you a greater understanding of a pose, there's no Yoga Biscuit...you can't win, so you can't lose. I have had many teachers tell me that the least flexible people in the class are the greatest yogis...they are developing patience and deeper insight into the postures instead of just flopping all around [like me, unfortunately] and I have come to see the wisdom in this.

I wasn't going to post in this thread because yoga is just too damned important to me and I'd go on and on, but I'll post to say: Misq17, go!

Definitly, I'm not naturally very flexible, but the teachers at my Y always stress listening to your body, focusing on your own experience, not worrying about people who may be more or less advanced than you. Just try to find a class where you feel comfortable and supported and go for it!

you may need to take the 'you' more generally.

in the yoga context, there is always something to work on and always a reason for doing something. savasana is not nap time. it's active in the fact that it's meditation, but it's resting physically. Many people find reclining for 5 minutes during the day to be incredibly daunting--which means that, in general, there is something for them to work on.

And yes, yoga is for everyone. But, one has to find the right kind of yoga for them. Not all yoga is physical (asanas, pranayama, etc). There are many 'schools' of yoga--and only one area, hatha, is physical. There are service based yogas (karma yoga), and devotional yogas (bhakti yoga), and studious yogas (jnana yoga), and 'royal' yoga (raja yoga) which is considered to be all of the yogas wrapped into one (similar to the term 'astanga' which means 8-limbs, and refers to the types of yoga available), to name a few.

Within the Hatha style of yoga practice, there are many schools that teach from different perspectives. Some are static forms, some are flowing forms. Some come from a physical basis, some from an energetic basis, some from a psychological basis. Most people will try one school, assume that that's what all yoga is like, and never consider that it may be different somewhere else.

I understand that a slow moving, static asana class with 10 minutes of reclining after a rather static session can be really tedious. I often find myself struggling to stay focused in 1.5 hour classes that have .5 hours of philosophy talk/lecture, followed by very slow asana practice (postures), followed by 10 minutes of savasana (reclining meditation) and then another 5-10 minutes of seated meditation. For me, it is very difficult to stay focused and not judge the teacher for what s/he 'isn't' doing rather than simply doing and being what s/he is having us do. Certainly, i understand the frustration. But, in a given class, i'm certainly willing to 'go for it' during and never go back to that class again! It certainly isn't the right style for me.

This is why i recommended another asana style. It is likely that because you are an active person who likes to be active, for whom activity makes you feel happy and good about yourself, etc, an active style of yoga will work for you. IN vancouver, i know that there are a lot of vinyasa and astanga classes, so definately look out for one. At then end, you'll need your five-ten minutes of reclining to reset your body. It's likely that after an active class, you'll feel more accomplished and ready for that rest time.

I'm like this myself. I personally prefer very challenging classes that work us hard and keep us moving. I also like the savasana--but sometimes i have to force myself to do it because i think "oh, i need to do this" or "i should be doing that" and so on. But, recognizing that it is necessary--regardless of the strenuousness of the practice--is an important way of embracing something that is sometimes difficult for me.

I think that you and I likely have a lot in common, and i also know that you're really not dealing with some things in the most productive way possible (and i know that you know this). Simply, i'm bringing up the possibility that this process may be something very difficult for you for a number of reasons, and that it's something worth working on.

It's not a criticism to have someone tell you that there's likely something that you need to work on. I know that there are lots of things that i need to work on, things that i am working on. Right now, i'm in a major growth push and it is strikingly difficult for me on many levels. Perhaps i assume that other people want to grow too. Of course, i get the feeling that you do like to grow and learn, so perhaps i assumed that you would be ok with someone saying 'hey, maybe consider looking into why this is hard for you.' And it's ok to day "yeah, it's mostly because of X, not because i really need to work on anything."

touchy touchy.

It's okay to not like yoga. But people who love yoga just have a hard time imagining not loving it. :p

actually, i honestly and truly believe that yoga is for everyone.

now, i know that everyone won't do it, and that there's good reason not to like it.

but, that doesn't mean that they shouldn't practice it--because it is the best system out there for overall physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual well being. it applies to every belief system, emotional state, and physical modality in some way. It can be applied in any number of circumstances.

I understand why people don't want to practice it. It's easier to not practice than to be physically, emotionally/mentally, and spiritually challenged each time you do practice (regardless of what sort of practhce that is--from the Hatha to the Jnana to the Bhakti--remember, only one type of yoga involves physical practices).