Yoga ...

[Epigania]

So, I went to my first ever Yoga class today.

Muscles I haven't used since I was 13 were used today.   I was so embarrassed by how out of shape I was.   The "Downward Dog" pose pretty much destroyed me for the rest of the class, and the instructor kept going into it.

Any tips on things I can do at home so I'm not looking such an out of shape Transsexual in those classes?

[Shang]

You can do stretches at home and if you have the Wii, one of the Wii Fit games comes with a yoga game so you can practice at home.

[Epigania]

Hmm .. I forgot about my Wii Fit.

Seriously ... Downward Dog ... Evil ...

[Shang]

Downward Dog is evil.  It gives me lots of trouble. XD  When I first did the yoga I think I about died because I didn't know I had so many muscles.

[insideontheoutside]

That is a difficult one to stay IN for any length of time if you're not used to it. If it's a beginning yoga class though, the instructor should be accommodating to new and beginning students. When something seems "too difficult" off the bat a lot of people have a tendency to not want to continue. There are some great long term benefits to doing yoga. I think that one is technically an inverted pose too and you should build up to those, not just jump right in. An alternative until you can build up to it might be child's pose. How do you build up to it? Well, I think the arms are what take most of the strain in that post initially - until you find a balance between what the legs and arms are doing. So maybe doing some light arm exercises and stretches and then getting into the pose for only as long as you can hold it. The trying it again the next day and maybe being able to hold it a little longer. Good luck with it!

[Epigania]

That is a difficult one to stay IN for any length of time if you're not used to it. If it's a beginning yoga class though, the instructor should be accommodating to new and beginning students. When something seems "too difficult" off the bat a lot of people have a tendency to not want to continue. There are some great long term benefits to doing yoga. I think that one is technically an inverted pose too and you should build up to those, not just jump right in. An alternative until you can build up to it might be child's pose. How do you build up to it? Well, I think the arms are what take most of the strain in that post initially - until you find a balance between what the legs and arms are doing. So maybe doing some light arm exercises and stretches and then getting into the pose for only as long as you can hold it. The trying it again the next day and maybe being able to hold it a little longer. Good luck with it!

Great advice .... This was a beginning class and she gave me some alternatives, but I was the only one dying on those poses ... It was a good workout, though ... I think I need to figure out how to go to the class without being embarrassed about being so out of shape.    I think it's a sign that my chakra's are that far gone ..

[insideontheoutside]

Great advice .... This was a beginning class and she gave me some alternatives, but I was the only one dying on those poses ... It was a good workout, though ... I think I need to figure out how to go to the class without being embarrassed about being so out of shape.    I think it's a sign that my chakra's are that far gone ..

The poses aren't that hard to remember once you do them several times. You can always practice more at home to get better at them too.

[JennaLee]

hey yoga!  I started this year too!

Downward dog also gave me problems.  There is a short yoga series called sun salutations or Surya Namaskar.  There are three basic sequences (A, B, and C) and a lot of instructors modify it a bit.  I started doing a sun salutaion or two every morning and every evening.  After a week or two I could stay up with the class.

type B
arms over head
forward fold
right foot back
plank
cobra
downward dog
left foot back
half way up
forward fold
arms over head

I still have trouble with some of the balance poses and some of the positions I will never be able to get into.  But hey, If I could do it all I wouldn't need it?!

Good luck with the yoga, I'm really enjoying it.

jacy

[Epigania]

I was expecting to be in a bunch of pain this morning.   But in reality, this morning was one of the first times in years I didn't wake up to my back popping and cracking.   

I'm thinking I should definitely stick it out.   I got a similar workout when I used to do Judo, and back in those days I had like a 1% body fat measurement.   (Now it's uhm ... much higher.)