Yoga benefits???

[catgirl67]

I'm not being sarcastic. I really want to know what the benefits of yoga are, and what level of fitness you have to be in in order to start, and what good beginner dvd's are out there. I have a bad back, and heard that yoga is good for back problems.

I've taken a yoga class before, and boy it was much harder than it looked!

[zoebird]

well, you ask some complex, but also basic questions. So, i'm going to assume that you want what i'm going to answer. To do this, i'll reframe the questions to attempt to demonstrate what i think you're asking. :)

1. what are the benefits of yoga?

Reframed: What are the physical benefits to practicing asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathwork)?

Asana yoga strive to build muscle balance in order to achieve balanced strength and flexbility that improves movement and overall health. It also strengthens the nervous system and the lymphatic system. various postures and various ways of moving improve different areas of the body--the different systems such as musculo-skeletal, nervous, digestive, lymphatic/endocrine, cardio-vascular, etc.

Pranayama focuses on the abdominal muscles and the muscles required for breathing--at it's most basic level. focusing on these developes core strength (and thus back stability) as well as increases lung capacity.

2. what level of fitness you have to be in in order to start?

You don't have to be 'any' level of fitness in order to start practicing asanas--generally speaking. Yet, specific styles of yoga may require different levels of physical ability depending upon the style and the way that the teacher leads the class.

for example, i tend to teach traditional yoga classes that use a vinyasa-style format. This means i prefer 'flow' yogas, but i spend more time working on alignment. my classes are demanding, but *any* level of fitness is welcome in my classes. commonly, though, people feel or think that they're not 'fit enough' for my classes because they find them challenging or difficult. It is appropriate, when trying something new, that that something may be difficult.

other teachers tend to prefer 'more fit' clients so that they don't have to focus continually on alignment details or on injuries or other problems. So, a class that may teach the exact same sequence and timing that i teach may be 'less accessable' to newcomers because the teacher isn't interested in their progression. THe difficulty of the class is basicly the same, but how it is taught will be different.

Another thing to consider is the 'school of thought.' some people prefer a more slow, methodical practice. Others prefer a more quick practice where they don't have to hold poses for a long time. Some people prefer a lot of focus on alignment, others prefer little or no focus on postures at all. There are classes out there for everyone.

Some people teach theraputic classes. These can vary widely--from individuals who work the yoga poses much like physical therapy (you know, it's hard work, but it's worth it) to individuals who have people lay over a pillow for an hour in order to 'work out back pain.' So, there is a lot of variety here as well.

a lot in relation to this 'level of fitness' question has to do with the mindset of both the teacher and the student. Because i believe that 'yoga is for everyone' and i have taught all sorts of people (from completely paralized to professional athletes), i believe that for even the most 'generally out of shape' person, yoga is accessable. Yoga is often as difficult for the 'out of shape' individual as it is for the 'in good shape' individual--when both are beginners.

People who are 'out of shape' tend to have issues of 1. lack of kinesthetic awareness, 2. excess weight, 3. tightness throughout their body, particularly in their shoulders, hips, and hamstrings. People who are "in shape" tend to have issues of 1. lack of kinesthetic awareness as necessary for yoga, 2. excess weight (or not enough muscle in some cases, so not enough weight), and 3 tightness throughout their body. Both groups also often come to class with a myriad of injuries.

So, a person who is, like my husband 'in great shape' struggles through yoga class. A person who is just starting to get back into exercise will struggle through yoga class. Both will struggle because they are beginners.

Some people when they come to yoga are expecting somthing 'easy' and 'fun.' if that is the case, it's likely that i'm not the teacher for them. I like things to be 'fun' but nothing in my class is easy. I'm a demanding teacher because i want my students to learn, to learn proper alignment, and to gain the healing (full benefits) of learning the postures correctly. many teachers allow new students to do poses "however you can" but this leads to bad postural habits, which leads to injury, which means that you'll end up having to undo the bad habit and relearn the right pose--likely in my classroom anyway. LOL (at least, if you live here. ;) )

But, i also have places where i teach "very gentle" classes because i know that that audience isn't interested in the 'hard work' that i normally put students through. Still, there are still alignment things being taught--it's just that everything is *heavily* propped.

For example, i just started teaching at the senoir center, where all of my clients are over 75 yrs old and in varying degrees of fitness with lots of injuries and problem areas. the first 15 minutes is sitting in a chair doing basic stretches using ties and resistance bands. the next 15 minutes is standing postures using the chair for balance and as a primary prop. the next 15 minutes is on the floor doing various floor work stretches (back bends, forward bends, abdominal work). and the final 15 minutes is spent in reclining, restorative postures and meditation. It's not 'hard work' but it's a balanced program that they enjoy because it's 'gentle.'

so, ultimately, you don't have to be any level of fitness to start, you just have to find the right place for you to start. Which then brings us to the DVDs.

3. what good beginner dvd's are out there?

i'm going to take the assumption that because of your back and your previous experience, you're going to want two things from yoga: 1. attention to alignment so that you don't injure your back further with the hopes of actually healing your back or at the very least releaving back pain, and 2. something that is more accessable or gentle so that you can learn the basics and move into things more slowly and methodically.

Does this make sense?

I think that some of the best beginner tapes out there are the original Yoga Journal Series with Patricia Walden and Rodney Yee. These are iyengar yogins--that is, they practice a slow, methodical form that pays close attention to alignment. the tapes take their time to describe alignment. Mine originally came in a four-pack: for beginners, for flexibility, for strength, and for relaxation.

I would also recommend that you check out the link that i posted to rabid child about back pain--the tiger series. this is great for working with this area specifically.

[catgirl67]

Thanks Zoe! That was very helpful. I'm going to Amazon to check on Rodney Yee dvd's. I've researched him, and he seems really good. Thanks again. :)

[nkace]

You also have to find the right kind of yoga that suits you, there are different levels & I would suggest kripalu to start out w/ & this way you can ease your way into it. I would also try taking a class that will teach you which poses to avoid or how to modify it.

[zoebird]

welcome!

kripalu is also a good method. i know that they have a yoga video that is called "Yoga for Back Care" (i believe) that is excellent. they're not as alignment-focused as iyengar, but it's a good system/school.

[kissthesky]

I bought the Yoga for Dummies book at a used bookstore and it has I believe around 250 pages with pictures showing and explaining how to do poses and tells you the specific benefits of each pose as well as poses to avoid if you have certain conditions (esp. back problems.) It's also got a section with specific workouts (behh I forgot the word the book uses) that work on ailments, and I think there is one for the back. It's also got sections explaining the different types of yoga, yoga history, etc. etc. Very good book, i'd recommend it to anyone interested in yoga.

[Rhythm B Free]

How effective is Tai Chi compared to Yoga in terms of back relief?

Are there any good sites with diagrams for basic yoga breathing techniques?

[Rhythm B Free]

Hey, if any of you have Comcast digital cable, there are lots of yoga & tai chi programs on the ONDEMAND service. Rodney Yee is great!

[zoebird]

i cannot compare yoga and tai chi, because i do not know tai chi.

in response to the 'yoga for dummies' book regarding contra indication for back pain when doing yoga, i feel strongly that this needs to be said. it is common in western yoga practice for individuals and teachers to forgo a lot of postures that would actually be beneficial for back care (and healing back pain) because they are difficult to do properly and heavily modified. The reason that they are 'contraindicated' is not because the postures themselves will injure the back, but rather because the individual practitioner, without a teacher, is likely to strive to do the 'full pose' (the image in the picture) without 'full alignment' and therefore injure themselves.

there's also this notion in our world that if you're injured or in pain, you should 'take it easy.' in a certain sense, this is correct. if you cannot move, or if you are injured, you do need to allow time for healing via rest. But, if the pain is liveable (that is, you have the pain, but you live with it and go to work and what not), then the pain is workable.

what i mean by this is using yoga as a physical therapy model. many yoga teachers, if a student has back pain, will say 'ok, take it easy' and 'don't to this pose' and 'here, lay on this pillow.' while these things are a good idea (particularly if you don't know the student), and are also helpful for temporarily relieving back pain (may last a few hours or a day), the real, long-time healing comes from doing the poses, regaining the muscle strength and balance, which can only be done via working the muscle groups. This means that it may be important to do poses that are generally--in a book at least--contraindicated, because these will work those muscles.

i can't speak specifically about that book--i do think it is a good book. in fact, i can't speak specifically about any book, but i do know from my own practice and teaching that poses that are contraindicated can be done--safely and effectively--to help alleviate and completely rid oneself of back pain.

ok, one more vote for qualified teachers. :)

[zoebird]

yoga breathing techniques, that's the other thing that i forgot. try yogajournal.com and yimag.com and search for 'pranayama.'

[TheRogueAmongUs]

I love yoga. It helps me with my flexibility and breathing for contortion. When I'm down and not doing contortion, I do yoga to help maintain my flexibility.

[kissthesky]

I did a dumb thing...

I was doing yoga yesterday and it hit me, I wasn't using Yoga for Dummies...

I was using the Everything Yoga Book...

:dizzy: :dunce: :wall:

[astro]

I've found yoga to be extremely beneficial for me and I've only been doing it for a few months. I don't think I could get by without it now. It really helps me to offload the stress I get from my job.

[larisa0001]

I rather like doing yoga, myself. I'm a hopeless amateur at it - I only know a few poses and I probably don't do them correctly - but I like the increased flexibility. When I miss a few days, I can really feel it. Not sure if it does anything else for me, but the flexibility is enough.

I recommend Iyengar-style yoga, if you take a class - they really explain the poses and how to get them right.

[Trent Steele]

s'good for your golf game, too!

[zoebird]

there's a teacher in my area who teaches specifically to golfers. he calls his business "Whole in One" and it has a little golf flag and stuff. very cute.