yoga

[redbird]

I did a yoga class at the gym today. Well, mostly did. I walked in slightly late--or rather, the instructor was doing a gentle intro slightly before the stated starting time. The larger problem was that there was too much I couldn't handle. He was very good, having made the point early that we could rest when and as needed, but I found it frustrating, not only the pose I literally fell out of, but the ones I knew I shouldn't try because they'd hurt and not work. (I can handle strain, even pain, in my exercise--but to have it hurt and not do it seemed pointless and too much.) At one point I was blinking away tears.

I went from not liking the pose called "downward dog" (because of the amount of weight it puts on my wrists) to being relieved when he had us go into that, because at least I can. Overall, though, I think it was good for me, and I'll probably go back next Monday. (This wasn't my usual gym--it was the branch cattitude normally uses, which is convenient to porcinea's home, meaning I went straight from tea-and-cat to yoga. At one point, stroking Trouble, I told him that if he made me miss yoga, that would be okay, because stroking cats is also good for me; but he was done with the lap in plenty of time.)

Comments

[snippy]

Long before I even considered myself unhappily married (that is, the first time!) I took a yoga class weekly on Tuesday evenings. It was very hard work, and very physical, something I was not accustomed to; but every Tuesday night when it was over I had the feeling that my body was humming with energy, and humming a tune I really liked. I hope you get what you want out of it, and maybe something serendipitous, too.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

I've been doing yoga for three years now. At first, it was INCREDIBLY frustrating, because I couldn't figure out how to make my body move in the ways my instructor wanted. It's gotten much better, and I've gotten stronger, and also learned to be aware of my body in ways I wasn't before. But the progress I made was extremely gradual, and there was a long time--like more than a year--where I'd end the class exhausted, dripping with sweat, and sure to be sore to the point of being almost unable to move the next day.

I guess mostly what I'm saying is that for me it's really been worth the initial frustration, and I hope it is for you, too.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

I go to an Iyengar yoga studio. THe instructors are very good at adapting poses to the students' abilities, and have the resources to do so. FOr instance, down dog often bothers my wrists or elbows, especially if we hold it for an entended period. When it does, I use the rope wall -- basically, there are rope loops anchored to the wall, which I place at the tops of my thighs, which take part of the weight and allows me to concentrate on the form and on stretching my hamstrings.

Hmm, yoga

[greenfizzpops.livejournal.com]

Yoga is one of the excercise option my rheumatologist suggests to his patients. I found however that I couldn't do _most_ of the poses a regular workout demands... it was very frustating. I did some research and found a dvd called "yoga for weightloss" which is kind of unique because while it essentially has one workout divided into 3 sections -- you get to choose one of 4 fitness/ability levels to follow. I'm pleased to say I can do everything in the "fully modified" track. Fully modified makes use of yoga bricks and a blanket and a strap so that you get the benefit of the poses without stressing your body. I feel very accomplished when I've completed a session. Over time I have the option of changing to "partially modified" and so on through to "non-modified".

I also have another dvd called "yoga for inflexible people" which painstakingly shows you how to safely do a huge range of yoga poses using props. Haven't used it much yet though.

A friend of mine with similar health problems is planning to get a private yoga teacher, but I can't afford that.

Good luck with the yoga classes.

[green-amber.livejournal.com]

I have been doing yoga for about 15 years ; but to be honest, never found many poses physically difficult even to start with, as I am if anything, hyper flexible : this has been identified as one of the reasons I do my back in - sigh.) (I am however, crap at balances, before you hate me.) However, as I've said to others, the great strength of yoga compared to other types of fitness classes is that any dcent instructor should never NEVER push you past what you can do and should indeed be able to find alternatives or lesser versions of poses so you can still get the benefit that pose is meant to give. And at least the way I have been trained in yoga, so much of the benefit is to do with the breathing that even standing in mountain pose, breathing if you are scunnered with a difficult pose can be seen as a reasonable alternative. I would say, keep at it. Yoga is the only type of exercise I have found consistently rewarding and practical through all my back problems and is supposed to be a very good counter measure to the inflexibility that can be caused by muscle/weight training. I am very prejudiced in favour of it, but sensibly, I think.

Downward dog - you can take strain off your wrists by spreading the pose wider - so the angle between your arms and the ground is less acute. This really does help! There is also an alternative way of doing it with elbows to wrists flat on the ground ; tho I think you then have to have your legs much wider as i recall.