Yoga

[cold_cash]

Who does/has done it?

What's so great about it?

[TheBlueMonster]

took it as a class for a semester. It's fantastic. I didn't love the meditation parts (though they were relaxing) but the poses were absolutely amazing for stretching my body. It made my back feel great and my hamstrings (super tight from years of soccer and biking) felt awesome.

[siccjay]

I thought the title said "Yoda" I read the post and thought WTF?!?!

[MikeNaked]

[ QUOTE ]
took it as a class for a semester. It's fantastic. I didn't love the meditation parts (though they were relaxing) but the poses were absolutely amazing for stretching my body. It made my back feel great and my hamstrings (super tight from years of soccer and biking) felt awesome.

[/ QUOTE ]

I second all of that. Also, the breathing and concentration required helped me focus and clear my mind of clutter. I have a friend who's a online pro and he claims it really helped out his tilt problem. He goes 5 or so times a week now.

[cold_cash]

Do you guys think I could do it myself and get anything out of it? I mean, reading a book or two as opposed to going to an actual class?

[TheBlueMonster]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you guys think I could do it myself and get anything out of it? I mean, reading a book or two as opposed to going to an actual class?

[/ QUOTE ]
For physical activities like this it's smarter to have an instructor. Otherwise you might hurt yourself. A lot of poses can hurt you if not done properly.

[Dan Rutter]

I took a class in it two semesters ago. I liked it, it was interesting, and helped my flexiblitity. I have incorporated some of the movements, or stretches into warmup routines before I run, or workout. Going through the full routine in the class is a lot more demanding than I expected it to be. It is a pretty good workout in itself.

[mslif]

I used to take hot yoga classes (Bikram Yoga) and I loved them (I do not have the time anymore). You practice 26 poses twice in a room usually heated to about 100 degrees and the class last about 2 hours.
It is a great way to relax and tone your body.

[TheBlueMonster]

take some yoga classes. You'll like it.

[nothumb]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you guys think I could do it myself and get anything out of it? I mean, reading a book or two as opposed to going to an actual class?

[/ QUOTE ]

If you learn a particular sequence with an instructor and get comfortable with it you can absolutely do it yourself.

When I was in theater classes in college we had a warmup called "The Cat," it was pretty much all yoga-based with some other random stretches thrown in. You could do it slowly and it was very relaxing, taking about 15 minutes... or you could do it in 5 for a brisk workout to start the day.

Anyway, I did it on my own at least once a day even after I stopped taking acting classes... unfotunately I don't remember it now but it can be done. Even something as simple as the Sun Salutations (a sequence of 7 or 8 poses) can be good for you and is easy to learn.

I would recommend taking a class, and getting a sort of daily warmup routine. What is great about a routine like this is, as I said, you can push it hard and do some real stretching and exercise, tone your body, even build muscle, or you can do it slowly and thoroughly and just get warmed up and relaxed and feel good.

NT

[Blarg]

It can be great, but the first thing to know about it is that there are very different kinds of it. Some focus a lot on meditation, some do almost no meditation, some do it in really hot temperatures, some do...well, it just varies a ton. So that means that if you don't like one class you go to, it doesn't mean that yoga is not necessarily to you. It's kind of like, maybe you don't like vanilla ice cream much, but that doesn't mean ice cream sucks.

Also, it takes time. Both the physical exercises and meditation take time to give benefits. That can be almost excruciating to the Western mind set, which is frankly lazy as hell and also wants immediate results. That chases a lot of people out of meditation before they've given it any kind of a fair chance, and they lose a lot of benefits. The physical side of yoga produces results more quickly and tangibly than meditation usually will, but still, it takes time. And it isn't always comfy. That double whammy again can hit hard and chase people away.

But you can get a lot out of it, especially if you put a lot into it. In terms of time, not money! You don't get more yoga for more dollars; you just have to stick it out, once you've found a competent teacher.

If I had to choose one physical trait to take with me into old age, among strength, endurance, speed, and flexibility, I would choose flexibility every time. A flexible body is one which finds balance easier, injury more unlikely, and falling down more unlikely too. It's one that doesn't feel sore and knotted up as often, or have movement restricted. Seeing how much movement typically gets restricted with age, it couldn't hurt to have a lot of it to come down from, rather than being like the typical American who gets stiff and starts complaining about his aching back even in his 20's or 30's.

A tense, inflexible body leads to emotional hang-ups, too. Ever have a good massage that feels like it's unknotting tightness and problems in your heart or soul as well as your muscles? The body reflects and reinforces the mind, and a supple, comfortable, open body makes it easier to have a less tense, kinked up, and screwy mind.

I'd highly recommend yoga to anyone, although I'd advise them to be aware of the hucksters and people who want groupies and such. Something like Hatha yoga, which concentrates on the physical, would probably be ideal for most Americans. If you want to get into the more mystical or esoteric stuff, great. But there's a solid core of day to day practical health to yoga that can pay off in much improved health, if you want it, and you don't have to get any more into the meditation or spiritual sides or types of yoga than you want to.

[cold_cash]

Wow... thanks for all the great responses you guys.

Blarg, do you think I could get the physical rewards on my own through books? I'm not so much interested in the spiritual side of it, though I'm not necessarily opposed to it, either.

There aren't any local classes around here that I know of, and I doubt I would be comfy enough to go to one anyway.

I'd kinda like to do it at my own pace and in private.

[Blarg]

Yes, you could get a great start off books, and as long as you pace yourself and stay safe, you could do great without ever taking a class.

There are also cheap DVD's out there that either show you the postures, or are "do it while I do it" programs you can repeat again and again, or some combo of the two. Amazon.com has a lot of that stuff, if you do a search under yoga. Just reading the stuff you find in the search is kind of interesting and will start your education going.

If you're an early riser, some PBS channels, and I guess probably some cable channels too, have yoga programs in the early, early morning. You might want to tape some of them, even if you don't get up early enough to see them. Some are strictly senior citizen fare, but some are more for people a little more healthy and vigorous. There's one I used to watch as a kid and follow along to that was called Lilias, Yoga, and You. I saw the same lady on t.v. just a few weeks ago, day after day, but don't know if her show still goes by the same name. She's good though; good personality, lots of basics anyone can do, etc.

Just remember you don't do yoga "better" by forcing it or rushing it, or cursing the gods and demanding results. Try to relax and breathe smoothly, and give things the time they need. Loosening up and lengthening the muscles is pretty good for you, but it's not the kind of thing you can force.

And do it on a good surface, wearing clothes that let you move around without having your skin catching on the floor, etc. Loose, stretchy cotton sweatpants are great, and a t-shirt. If your feet are catching on the floor when you change position too much, maybe some socks, if they don't get you too slippery.

Anyway, take it easy and you're guaranteed to get there. And probably wind up enjoying it. I find I feel like I get a flood of endorphins stretching, and relaxing enough to really stretch. I can feel really, really good afterwards. There's something about being that deeply relaxed, yet still alert and awake, that's just great for the soul. And if you're smart and perceptive enough, you could find opportunities to try to apply that relaxation and smooth, even breathing elsewhere in life, to get some nice carryover into broader realms from what might seem at first just to be a simple exercise.