Anyone for Yoga?

ShoestringJane

I have just sunk into a blissful and guilt free state of relaxed slobbery on the sofa having spent an hour doing some yoga. At home, for free, no equipment needed apart from my mat and a cushion. It strikes me that this is fantastic exercise for the moneysaver. It is non competitive, you can do it more or less anywhere, it is brilliant for sorting out aches, pains and the stresses and strains of life and you don't need any fancy and expensive equipment. I would recommend attending a yoga class somewhere, at least to start with (check out bwy.org.uk for properly qualified teachers) but classes don't tend to be too expensive - around about £5 or £6 for one and a half hours. Money well spent!! Or you could get some good beginners books for free from the library. I would be generally wary of trying the You Tube videos on yoga unless you are already very fit and flexible, as in my experience they tend to be a performance by beautiful young things with the body of a gymnast, and are more likely to make you feel inadequate and give you injuries than have you floating on a cloud
I would say all this as I am a trained yoga teacher, but I reckon you need do no more than yoga a few times a week combined with some decent walks (also free) to be as fit as you will ever need to be. Anyone else into yoga?

jenniewb

Yes but I tend to practice in a class because I look for someone to correct my alignment (favorites are Iyengar- where I can find it! and Restorative or Yin (I know they're not the same thing!))


I do bits by myself but generally use it to warm up before the gym (it helps to fix my posture and then the rest of my gym stuff feels easier). I have a few old injuries and issues so need to exercise but it can be a tad gruelling so I try to make it easier for myself! Yoga helps. I think my neighbours would want to kill me if I started practicing at home though as the walls and floors and ceilings are paper thin!

teddysmum

I used to love yoga, but can no longer do it because of problems with my spine. I too went to shared classes as it was a social occasion, too. (Coffee and chat in the leisure centre's café, afterwards)