Yoga

[hrithikzgirl83]

I was wondering if any of you do Yoga.  I am in the process of doing some research for work and wanted to ask my fellow BollyWhaters on your views.

• Do you do Yoga?  If so, how often?
• Have you bought your a Yoga DVD? And do you use it regularly?
• If you have bought a Yoga DVD, were you satisfied with the routine or you felt that something could be added or removed?
• If you could create your own Yoga DVD, what would you DEFINITELY include?

If you guys can help me out, that would be so great.  If you have any other insight, then please do share that. Thank you so much. 

[Ranranbolly]

I took yoga over the summer. It was surprisingly relaxing. I have a hard time 'relaxing' or 'focusing' (in fact, I firmly believe I can't meditate at all.) But...Yoga was still fun. I did it every day for about a month and a half, and would gladly take it again, should the opportunity to rise. I did not purchase a dvd, because I'd prefer a live (evolving/varied) class. If I could make a dvd, though, I'd include some hyper BW music just to keep myself awake (the mantras and the chants just don't do it for me.)

[tabula rasa]

Can I just say, having hyper music while doing yoga sort of defeats the purpose. Yoga is meant to get you relaxed, SO THAT you can stay more focused. It's not the same as going for a relaxing massage, for example. THere's a dual function of release and alertness happening.

I've gone in for different kinds of yoga, some of which I find a bit unnecessarily pedantic. From what I know (which is from my mum, who's been doing it since I was five), it's a very holistic thing, and you have to follow your body's rhythms, basically. Some classes encourage that, but there are all these different 'kinds' of yoga that 'promise' different things, which is not really waht yoga is about.

The ones I've done are Vinyasa, Power Yoga, Bikram's Hot Yoga, etc. Also, the 'garden variety' Hatha Yoga in gyms. So far I've preferred Vinyasa only because that's the only one where the instructor was encouraging of everyone listening to their own bodies. It's a very internal thing. The second you go on boasts like "I did 20 SuryaNamaskars today, I think my fitness is improving", it means you just don't get it.

[chinchinchu]

Tabula, 2 other styles which are very much about listening to one's own body are Kripalu and Anusara. Also Ashtanga, while it looks very athletic, emphasizes one's breath as the "internal teacher" and is actually quite meditative. I know what you mean about the music thing -- sometimes the music can be distracting if it is too active.

I was having difficulty developing a consistent home practice until I got Cyndi Lee's book that has short daily routines. I realized that even if I have just a little bit of time on most days, that's OK. And when I have more time, I can devote more time to yoga. I also take classes, usually 2x/week. Find a teacher you like, and you will want to show up.

Also, www.yogatoday.com is great. 3 different teachers, 3 different styles, and you can view it from anywhere in the world.

[James]

The 'shastra', i.e., treatise of the physical yoga postures is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.  There are lots of translations, and I found this one quite good.  You might want to look this text up.  Your local library might have a copy.

When I became interested in yoga, I researched a bit about the different teachers available in the city, and dragged a friend who'd grown up with it along with me to different places till I found somewhere she thought was good and seemed to work for me.  This organisation worked for me, and they teach the postures in the traditional order as per the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.  You might not think that matters, but yoga, as Tabula mentioned, is a holistic practice, and that's reflected in everything you do, where every posture complements the other (if you bend forward, you must bend backwards, etc.).  That might be something to keep in mind as you evaluate the different options as many 'New Age' or very athletic types overlook this and it can cause you physical injury.  Yoga is athletic enough, in my opinion, without all these accessories (like 'hot yoga', etc.), and as Tabula mentioned, if you're looking at it from a competitive spirit, you're missing the point.  Hatha yoga is a prelude to meditational practices, afterall, and you should find that it keeps your body in good health and builds your concentration, as you learn to focus your mind on your breath whilst doing what becomes more and more challenging poses.  This is particularly true for the postures that require you to balance yourself to maintain them.

Yoga really works in an opposite way to Western exercise.  Rather than tensing muscles by lifting weights, you're instead stretching to reduce tension and holding the posture allowing gravity to work its magic in toning you up.  You'll be lean, but not necessarily built, with good endurance, etc.  Those that try to sell it as a means to get built are usually not authentic and often strike me as a part of consumer culture as opposed to a real practice.

Whichever route you take, good luck!  I wish you good health.  
ETA:

I was wondering if any of you do Yoga.  I am in the process of doing some research for work and wanted to ask my fellow BollyWhaters on your views.

• Do you do Yoga?  If so, how often?

Due to some health challenges after a car accident, not too regularly at the moment.  Will return to it as I get better, though.  I used to do it almost daily, depending on work/uni/demands on my time.  I did it so regularly mainly because it made me feel good.    I always hated traditional exercise like in a gym, this was much more enjoyable.

• Have you bought your a Yoga DVD? And do you use it regularly?

No.  I have lots of places to go in my city to learn from a person and much prefer that.  Keep in mind that when you're learning yoga, it's always good to have a teacher who sees what you're doing and can physically correct you.  It's possible to sit in a posture the wrong way and actually injure yourself, particularly if you're doing so repeatedly over time.  If you don't have any other option, or not enough cash on hand, perhaps a DVD could be useful.  I don't know enough about them to recommend or point in a particular direction, though.  Sorry.

• If you could create your own Yoga DVD, what would you DEFINITELY include?

It's just a basic component of yoga, so I'm sure everyone would include this perhaps without even thinking about it, but both the Surya Namaskar/Sun Salutations and Pranayama/breathing exercises.

The Sun Salutations are just enjoyable.  Like so much of yoga, they don't seem initially challenging at all, but particularly when you do several rounds in a row they do warm you up quite nicely for anything that follows, and are an excellent example of that complementarity I referenced earlier.

The breathing exercises are good at strengthening your lungs, which helps fighting off illnesses.  They also increase concentration.

[tabula rasa]

I've yet to go in for Ashtanga, only because I feel I haven't found the right instructor. In my area, the centre is quite rigorous in its training, and while I think I would like the spiritual focus it affords, it does look like a place that's more like 'bootcamp', ie for someone who's been doing yoga regularly, and wants an extra push.

Not to overwhelm anyone, but just a general intro to Patanjali's Yoga Sutra:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_Sutras_of_Patanjali

Should tell you that the term 'yoga' itself encompasses far more than just exercise.

[Brindavani]

I got introduced to Yoga practices by the Bihar school of yoga about 2 years ago and absolutely love it.  There is no music  and I found it fairly complete in that we worked on Pranayama (breathing), meditation, yoga nidra and asanas in every practice.  It was almost 1.5-2 hours long.  Their official site is at http://www.yogavision.net/home.htm and I believe they have teachers worldwide - http://www.yogamag.net/links.shtml

[James]

Interestingly, Brindavani, the organisation I mentioned and the one you've mentioned both claim Swami Sivananda-ji (Divine Life Society) as a guru.  Even the Chinmaya mission does.  Seems he was both a prolific writer and teacher.

[alexaha]

I first started taking yoga classes 15 years ago (Hatha, then Ashtanga) then stopped after a couple of years and took it up again (Hatha, since I found my first teacher again and know her style of practicing suits me) about 4 years ago. I hardly practice on my own, but the weekly class (1.5-2 hours) is very dear to me. It's the closest thing to a New Year resolution to try and find time (= motivate myself to not spend the little free time I get in front of my laptop) to practice at home.

[etu]

I do yoga about 3-4 times a week at home on my upstairs landing, which is the only big-enough open space in my house. We're finishing our basement and I'm going to install a full-length mirror to help get the poses right.

I had studied Hatha yoga in twice-weekly classes for a few years. At one place in Mount Laurel, NJ, I had a yoga teacher who also worked with heart patients at a hospital, and she was just perfect for me. She always insisted on only doing things that helped us and not to push ourselves to do things that might be bad for our particular health shortcomings. For example, I had an erroneous checkup that made it seem like I was on the verge of glaucoma (high eye-pressure), so she instructed me on alternative poses that would not require keeping my head upside-down for extended times. We also focused on breathing and yogic rest, etc. Occasionally, I did Kundalini at that same center, but I really missed the more physical aspects of Hatha. I never explored the spiritual and dietary aspects but think it would be interesting to have a glimpse of how it all fits together.

Since then, I moved 25 miles away and started figure skating, the latter of which ate up time I could be spending in yoga classes. So, I still do Hatha at home to keep up my flexibility, control and strength. Also, I have a few favorite poses I do every day or else I just don't feel right. There was a tiny frustration that my earlier classes didn't always cover my favorites but I can always do them at home.

I have a couple of yoga DVDs -- one that I can't find and one by Rodney Yee that I like enough use occasionally to switch up my routine. It has morning, day and evening yoga, which have different paces. Morning energizes you and evening calms you down. They are all very gentle and not exercise-like. Rodney, who leads one of the three sessions, is very nice to look at in that loincloth he wears. I looked him up and understand he's controversial because he dumped his wife for a student he later married, but for my purposes, that seems irrelevant.

We also have yoga in one of our Wii games. The game's balance board is good at telling if you are in balance but not good at telling you if you are making other posture mistakes. There are only a few poses, so I think it would be hard to hurt yourself in the ones they chose.

The Wii game is onto something, in that it provides some physical feedback like a teacher would. Also, you can pick the sequence of your exercises and skip others. It recommends things to pair to provide symmetry, too. My problem with a DVD is that you have to watch the intros over and over. With something more interactive, like videos on the Web and Wii, you're getting user control, which is perhaps a nice alternative to a class where you get great personalized instruction but don't get to choose the poses.

Why does your employer want to make a DVD? Is the end goal to make a profit? Is there a higher calling? Perhaps there are other formats like a TV show, Web video or video game that can serve the goal better. Or, perhaps the DVD can be made more like a Website with shorter segments that the user can control. It would be great if there was a more serious Yoga game for Wii and other interactive consoles.

[punkmama]

i have resolved to start a practice in the new year. i am reading an amazing book right now called "poser, my life in 23 yoga poses" by claire dederer, that has resonated with me more than any book has in a long, long, time. i highly recommend it! i am looking at a place (a chain) called sunstone yoga that offers a 10 days for 10 dollars intro deal, seems like a decent way to check it out. the studio that looks the coolest actually has NO classes that i could possibly attend with my schedule, so i will try the place that does. wish me luck, i have been struggling with chronic pain for many years and afraid and excited at the same time to try this way of dealing with it.

[etu]

i have resolved to start a practice in the new year. i am reading an amazing book right now called "poser, my life in 23 yoga poses" by claire dederer, that has resonated with me more than any book has in a long, long, time. i highly recommend it! i am looking at a place (a chain) called sunstone yoga that offers a 10 days for 10 dollars intro deal, seems like a decent way to check it out. the studio that looks the coolest actually has NO classes that i could possibly attend with my schedule, so i will try the place that does. wish me luck, i have been struggling with chronic pain for many years and afraid and excited at the same time to try this way of dealing with it.

Best of luck with your search. If this studio doesn't suit you, don't give up on the whole concept of yoga too soon. You may need to find a teacher who is more compatible with your needs and personal style. It's sort of like finding just the right therapist, dentist or mate.

I tried to find my old studio and it must have closed. Now I can never go "home" again, even though I ended up driving to my old neighborhood to take skating lessons. Whilst searching, I found this interesting example of an online yoga site that may be an inspiring example:
http://www.myyogaonline.com/

[chinchinchu]

Punkmama, you might want to look for a "therapeutic yoga" class or a yoga teacher who has a physical therapy background. Yoga studio websites usually have teacher bios so you can see the type of training and what they emphasize in your classes. But really any experienced yoga teacher should be able to suggest cautions and modifications to you if you discuss your condition with them before class. Good luck on your journey.

Whoo -- 1500 posts!! Feels rather edifying that it is in the yoga thread instead of, e.g., you know you are obsessed w/ SRK when.... Not that there's anything wrong with that! 

[bella]

Best of luck with your search. If this studio doesn't suit you, don't give up on the whole concept of yoga too soon. You may need to find a teacher who is more compatible with your needs and personal style. It's sort of like finding just the right therapist, dentist or mate.

So true.
I've been practicing yoga going on 15 years and at my menopausal stage I find Iyengar Yoga to be exactly right for me ,now.
http://www.bksiyengar.com/modules/Guruji/guru.htm
It 's focus is on body alignment.
BKS Iyengar just turned 92 and practices still.
Which brings up a point  I heard in a yoga class so long ago. People say they do yoga. It should be noted that it's called a practice as it (body/mind) is always evolving. No one should  worry about getting it "right".

[etu]

So true.
I've been practicing yoga going on 15 years and at my menopausal stage I find Iyengar Yoga to be exactly right for me ,now.
http://www.bksiyengar.com/modules/Guruji/guru.htm
It 's focus is on body alignment.
BKS Iyengar just turned 92 and practices still.
Which brings up a point  I heard in a yoga class so long ago. People say they do yoga. It should be noted that it's called a practice as it (body/mind) is always evolving. No one should  worry about getting it "right".

Good point. But there are wronger ways to practice poses, so I try to avoid those as they are not as helpful and could even hurt.

[los angeles]

Oh cool, just found this thread after posting in the fitness one.
After a period of prolonged inactivity, I've finally seriously started yoga after watching my mom do it her entire life. I'm now trying to practice it daily, whenever I can fit it in, whether it's morning or evening or mid-day or whatever.
I'm finding it very therapeutic and extremely helpful for malleability/elasticity, much of which I inadvertently lost after a knee injury from dance last year. (Plus I got really fat too.)
My mom got me some beginner DVDs with emphasis on proper form and alignment, so I've been working with those. I don't know exactly what kind of yoga it is that I'm doing, but whatever it is I am really liking it a lot.
Does anyone else here use DVDs instead of going to a class? Are there any particular ones you'd recommend?
I like the ones I have so far (just a couple) but would like to expand my yoga DVD collection so I have options for different days, moods, levels, etc

[hrithikzgirl83]

Hey los angeles,

I use DVDs all the time.  The reason being it's cheaper, I can go at my own pace and do it whenever I have time.  I just feel guilty if I have paid for yoga classes and end up not going.  So doing Yoga at home is the what works for me.  One of the best Yoga DVDs that I have and use regularly is Total Yoga: Flow Series.  There are 4 DVDs and each is a different difficulty.  Earth - Easy, Water - Medium, Fire - Advanced, Total - Between Medium and Advanced.  Water and Fire are my favorite!
http://www.amazon.com/Total-Yoga-Pack-Ganga-White/dp/B000642026/ref=pd_cp_d_1

[los angeles]

^ HG, I just sent you a PM, I'm a fan of those tapes too. I'm currently looking around for a couple others to try out as well, anything easily purchasable from Amazon would be great.
Re the above post, my mom's been practicing yoga for decades, and she kept telling me to try it, that it would help so much with mind-body health and dance and all this. Being the huge idiot I am, I never listened to her before!
Anyway, she was totally right, it's amazing, and I'm so glad I finally started.

Edited: By the way, on the Earth DVD, do you do the inversion part at the end where you place your legs on the wall? Just curious...that's the only pose/part of the Flow series I find slightly odd

[gabahd]

Westernized/Fitness yoga is perhaps my biggest pet peeve. I have nothing against mat exercices or Pilates to strenghten your body, but they should just STOP calling it yoga!

This organisation worked for me, and they teach the postures in the traditional order as per the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.  

I started with Sivananda too and also thought it was good. What I didn't appreciate as much is how they taught 'risky' postures quite early in the process. I'm not sure you can go from the most basic postures to the headstand in a matter of 2 months, so there was that feeling of striving for excellence and virtuosity. I'm very limber so I enjoyed that challenge, but at the same time, I found it absurd to hear half of the room grunt or fall down all the time. There's not much of a physical challenge in the type of yoga I practice now, but I'm fine with that because I don't need to work on my flexibility, my goals lie elsewhere now (breathing, concentration, focus, and I'm slowly getting there!). I also need to work on strength and posture, so I do Pilates above that. Each activity has its own purpose/goal.

Tabula, 2 other styles which are very much about listening to one's own body are Kripalu and Anusara. Also Ashtanga, while it looks very athletic, emphasizes one's breath as the "internal teacher" and is actually quite meditative. I know what you mean about the music thing -- sometimes the music can be distracting if it is too active.

Add Viniyoga to that list, which is the one I practice. What I like about it is that the sessions are built around 1 core posture, with an ascending and descending phase preparing the body into it, then easing it out. Each session can then serve a different purpose (to warm up in the morning, relax in the evening, open your body in the middle of a work day of sitting down, etc). It helps you focus, rather than fitting millions of unrelated postures within a session, as if browsing a catalog of asanas.

But like any type of yoga, you need a good teacher!

[etu]

Here's an interesting article in The New York Times about how yoga can be harmful.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html

I read the first page, and found no surprises, as even here we have said that you need to find a teacher who will work within your limitations and interests.

However, I'm enjoying reading the comments. It's interesting to puzzle together the thoughts behind the physical aspects of yoga, which I have not done as I'm an on-again off-again student. The concept being that the stretches and poses (asansas) are intended to get you into shape for meditating for long periods of time. Also, that both yoga and meditating are meant to help you panic less and be more calm about the stresses of life.

[filmcrazy]

Westernized/Fitness yoga is perhaps my biggest pet peeve. I have nothing against mat exercises or Pilates to strenghten your body, but they should just STOP calling it yoga!

I have not heard of these being referred to as yoga. I don't see the problem as long as they actually help people become more healthy. Some postures do seem like modified yoga poses though.

I find certain types of Yoga like Ashtanga really difficult to do. Honestly speaking, they don't seem to be for people who are not that flexible or athletic. I also don't like the sequential approach and people who practice it take it too seriously. The joy in just practicing is overtaken by how good you are at becoming a pretzel. The most annoying attribute is an underlying sense of competition about how far people can push themselves and be in pain to do a particular posture. How does that matter as long as you are trying to improve yourself? It made me self-conscious and uncomfortable. Anyway, these are just my observations. I prefer simpler selection of postures that are less time consuming 'cause it actually helps consistency and is beneficial in the long run