Yoga & Pilates

belfastgirl23

In a hurry right now but definitely interested - count me in just posting so I'm subscribed to the thread.

adelight

I love vinyasa yoga, i find the flow makes it really easy to remember long sequences from classes or youtube. A half hour sequence comes really naturally and I do the whole thing with my eyes closed. That sounds really poncy but I just naturally started to close my eyes when breathing into those really deep stretches!

I'm trying to do really slow yoga and meditate more often but I like pushing myself and sweating a bit

Does anyone have a favourite dvd, site, book or youtube channel? I love sadienardini, she's got such a soothing voice and does brilliant videos.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I used to love the plain and simple Sun Salutation. Not done that in classes so far - if they don't do it, I might start having to do it at home (especially with living in my nice house with hard flooring and lots of space compared to the old poky flat) on the other days.


Think my favourite asanas are the ones that open up the hips or the shoulders.



Do enjoy mindfullness of breathing meditation as well, but the sessions they offer start just after the yoga does; the temple room overlooks a tiny walled garden and the sun shines through the windows around midday, so as the sessions finish, you are bathed in sunlight and warmth.

I never watched any DVDs (although I might have a look on YouTube now), but I used to watch/particpate with a programme called Yoga TV (an Aussie programme) on cable at first Sparrow Fart O'Clock every morning. That was a variant called Chi yoga, but heavily based upon Kundalini.



Have spent out a bit of money I didn't intend to this evening - I decided I needed a firm control means of ensuing nothing drops out during a shoulder stand - and whilst I was in Tesco, got a new vest top (and a new swimming costume). Suppose I had better depelt the underarms for the morning!

clairibel

I do Bikram Yoga also now known as hot yoga done in heated rooms. I have followed this sequence on and off since the 90's which i discovered in a Raquel Welch book my mum had, not sure why i let it slip because it works. I finally bought my own copy from ebay couple of years ago.

Raquel basically stole bikrams sequence and he actually sued her, but i prefer her book, very detailed and encouraging.

Bikram health benefits

I was diagnosed with ME 9 years ago but not totally convinced thats what it is, i think its a b12 deficiency of which i'm treating and feeling much better, but the yoga kills my stress and i am a stresshead and believe this is a lot to why i'm out of sorts. But the yoga is helping me fight back.

Raquels Bible sorry book

Youtube link

Youtube is 80's vibe lol. This is the whole sequence but she takes long to do it, I manage it in about 40mins.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Off in a bit for the Saturday morning class. It's the 90 minute, somewhat more intense one

belfastgirl23

OK back now and have managed to read the whole thread really interesting to hear where people are coming from on this.

I decided to take up yoga in January - there was a local class on a Friday evening and I thought it would be a nice gentle way to de-stress into the weekend. I know you are probably all chortling by now and indeed I did realise my mistake in the first class, it's definitely de-stressing but it's quite strong. But my only experience before had been a lunchtime yoga class and doing a DVD at home and this class is vinyasa which is a lot more intense. I don't really sweat much but I am definitely aware of being stiff the next day.

My class does focus quite a bit on mindfulness - setting your intention before you start, breathing in a particular way through the movements. At first I wasn't sure about the mindfulness thing - I would normally dismiss that kind of thing as a load of rubbish but somehow this is making total sense to me. The breathing I'm not so good at, but hopefully I'll get better. And the discussion above about holding stomach muscles etc, she does keep saying that but I don't think I do it, so I definitely need to work on that next time. I'm dead impressed Jojo that you're going three times a week. My place does offer a second class on a Tuesday night but I know I would have no chance of my Wed morning gym session if I did that - I might give it a go at some point but not just yet.

I love the idea of doing the class in a walled garden I guess I could do some stuff in our back yard when it heats up enough, that could be really blissful!!

Thanks for starting the thread, it's great to have things to think about on this. There's no question to me that it will have health benefits.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Went to GP yesterday. I registered recently, so they took my height and weight.


I'm over an inch taller than previously measured, and the odds of my entering a growth spurt at my age are slightly limited


Off to today's class in a minute. No inversions today, though - it's the day and a half that I turn into a firebreathing dragon if anyone dares to ask what's for tea!

lostinrates

Jojo, bless you for starting this. This evening i feel a little bit weepy and a little bit more human.

After due reflexion i downloaded a free yoga app, and managed about fifteen mins of the first real moement it feels like i have done for years....thats not quite how it is, i have done some tai chi based gentle stretching, but its not my 'home' and i do not love tai chi, and ofcourse, when mobility is impacted starting a new exercise you never really have the memory of how it should feel.


Well, tonight i moved a little. I have some problmes with some movements. I have had to make some adaptations to sun salutation, instead of moving through plank to cobra i have to put my knees down, i cannot keep my knees together while beding either. Buit i did a good feeling approximation. the app goes very swiftly through the sun salutaions which i find a bit odd, but perhaps good while i am remembering how to move, because i cannot hold anything too long.

I know to those who are fit and avtive fifteen minutes of yoga with funny adaptations must seem shallow, but you cannot imagine how wonderful it feels. I stopped rather than continue to test endurance and balance and when i got a bit of a low blood pressure head, but by heck, it feels great!! I am surprised how mentaly in the zone i got, and how emotional.....it normally takes me a while, but it felt superb,


I admire you guys who work in heat and sweat! I would keel over no doubt!


I feel so strong and energised......did it used to feel this good when i could actually do the poses well, or is the practice now more uplifting that i really need it? I don't know, but i can hardly wait to do more tomorrow. I am going to go for the full twenty mionutes short practice tomorrow i hope! (that should sound pathetic, but to me it feels joyful!)

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Lovely to hear you feel better for doing it, LIR.

I went there today with stomach cramps, backache, my hips felt wonky and my neck and head hurt. TOTM is such a joy :cool:

To give a rough idea of what sort of things we do, I've left out the odd Tadasana/Tree or child pose, but today, we;


Started off with Viparita Karani/Legs up the wall, Supta Padangusthasana/Reclining Big Toe Pose, then Parighasana/Gate Pose, Utthita Parsvakonasana/Extended Side Angle pose (that was hard), Prasarita Padottanasana/Wide legged forward bend, Downward facing dog, one where we started off like Supta Baddha Konasana/Reclining Bound angle pose but used a strap round the sacrum and ankles to support the back whilst we laid back with a blanket covered block under the thoracic spine (click click click click) and then finished off with Dandasana/Staff Pose before Sivandasana.


I didn't bend far into some of them, as I can't, plain and simple. Some I could do - but I was doing Dandasana because I just don't forward bend from sitting yet. And when doing the really hard one, I had to come out of it, sit and knuckle the soles of my feet because, with severe over pronation and a tendency towards plantar fasciitis, it was just too painful to sustain the full length of the pose. Oh, I don't jump into warrior II from tadasana, either - I step into it.


The period pain stopped after about 3 poses, the neck pain (didn't look up/move away from keeping neck straight with body) and headache lasted a bit longer, but were gone after a few more. Seeing as it's Day 1/28, I should by all rights feel pretty ick. But I'm feeling fine.

My legs were a bit wobbly afterwards, but I walked home and had a healthy lunch (mushroom, noodles, tofu, hoisin sauce, red pepper, carrot and sesame) as I didn't 'need' any junk. Not had any tea or coffee today, either.



If I remember rightly, it actually feels better the more you do it.

ElleR

Hello, this is a good thread, I'm subscribing.

I've never done yoga before but have been doing pilates on and off for the last few years a mixture of a dvd (the Darcy Bussell one) and classes. Unfortunately I couldn't attend the classes anymore and I completely lost interest in the dvd...

So time to start again I think! Sold my dvd and bought one of the 10 mins one. So far so good, just trying to find good days to do it to get in the routine. But not sure how effective it will be in the long run. She does squeeze a lot in but it's never going to be the full range. I think I should hunt for another class. Some of them are bloomin expensive though!