Yoga queens?

[mightyh]

Hello yoga queens -

I'm hoping to join your ranks some day. I just purchased the Yoga Zone Beginners set of tapes and am enjoying learning the poses so far.

I do have a couple of questions. I never saw the infamous Oprah episode, so excuse me if I missed the answer there. What ALL do you feel yoga has done for you? And how long did it take to notice it? I read the past threads on this and "got" that you felt better in general. Do you think that was from yoga only or were you able to do more, say, at the gym because yoga helped in some way? Did you notice any other benefits--sleeping better, less likely to get sick, etc? I know I may be stretching a bit for some, but isn't yoga supposed to be a mind-body thing which to me means it might have those possibilities?

Second, I've been doing yoga at night after my 16 mo. old son goes to bed from 8 to 9pm. I find that my muscles are so excited to have been stretched out and limbered that I have a hard time falling asleep at 10:30 cause they still just want to keep being stretched... Is this just cause I'm a beginner? Will I get used to it and be able to do it at night? Or is yoga something I need to do several hours before bedtime? I thought it was just cardio exercise, but I could be mistaken.

Thanks for your insight!

[SusanT]

I wouldn't say that I'm a yoga "queen" but I've been practicing yoga since January and just started going to a more advanced class. I would encourage you to add a few classes to your practice. The attention of a good teacher helps refine your poses and keeps you from hurting yourself.

Yoga has changed my sense of balance (physically) and helped me with some lower back problems. And besides that it's just fun! It reminds you of what the body with discipline and focus is capable of.

I think Oprah means well but she tends to hyperbole everything on her show as a "life changing experience." (I was practising yoga before the infamous Oprah show, as you call it) Yoga is very subtle and I think the change comes gradually. I think sometimes people expect change immediately and are dissapointed when it's not an instant fix. My instructor has been practicing yoga for 15 years and describes herself as a fellow student. She describes yoga as a journey not a destination.

As for your inability to sleep after doing yoga, do you end your practice with a relaxation session doing child's pose or corpse pose? This is my favorite part of the class and I always feel very relaxed and have no trouble sleeping.

Enjoy your yoga practice!

[KValley]

Heidi,

You've read the previous Yoga Queen posts, so I won't completely rehash my yoga testimonial previously given! Indulge me, however, as I play around with the "list" function to summarize!

In the two years I have been practicing yoga, I can attribute the following benefits to regular practice:

Substantial alleviation of lower back problems and knee problems
Great posture
Deeper sleep- easier to fall and remain asleep
Increased confidence
Greater patience
Alleviation of worst manifestations of claustrophobia
Increased strength
Increased flexibility
Increased stamina
Deeper sense of balance- in a holistic sense, not just physical- my life is more balanced.
I so agree with Susan- it is a journey (see my signature quote!!) which challenges your body and mind to grow, to develop, to listen.

And I agree about making certain to end each session with corpse or child's pose for several minutes to enter into deep relaxation (although I admit- I do not do a relaxation pose if I practice during the day- particularly the sessions I do after a run). Sometimes during corpse I drift off or find tears running down my cheeks, I am so relaxed.

Also, save a more intense form like Ashtanga or Iynegar, which involve a lot of movement and can work up quite a sweat, or a daytime practice- use a yin (relaxation) practice for the evenings.

For information on yin yoga, check out the latest issue of Yoga Journal and an article by Paul Grilley for information about yin yoga- which focuses on relaxation and holding stretching poses for minutes on end.

In short, I love it!

namaste,

Julie

[gabbyh]

Julie,
You've certainly motivated me to put Rodney in the DVD player this AM...just wondering where I can get my hands on the Yoga Journal? Do you have a link to subscribe?
Thanks for your great (as usual :D ) informative post!

[daner94]

I too have been doing yoga since January.

I leave work feeling all hunched over and my right shoulder is hurting badly from sitting on the computer all day, with my right hand on the mouse. When class is over I find I can sit up straight painlessly, and my shoulder feels great. The stretching is so wonderful.

I also take deeper breaths during the day. You know we only take in about half the oxygen we need on a daily basis!

Taking yoga also inspired me to stop smoking for 6 weeks which was great, although unfortunately I picked it up again. I need to find that place inside that will give me strength to do it again.

Incidentally, my Dad came to visit this weekend. He not only bought me a new VCR-- so I can finally tape the "Inhale" show on Oxygen that is on at 6 am, but I was teaching him some yoga stretches (he runs 15-20 miles a week) and his flexibility was pretty bad. I was showing him Warrior and also triangle pose, and he was discouraged at his level of flexibility but he promised to keep trying. He was also very impressed at what I could do! :)

[KValley]

Gabby,

YJ's site is www.yogajournal.com, but it's down- there's a note saying the site is undergoing reconstruction.

If you can't find it at a newsstand or in a bookstore, a natural foods store might carry a copy.

They've really revamped their editorial style; it's no longer for yoga gurus (hah), but for lay people like me, who love to practice and learn, but aren't hardcore into training or following a lifestyle or particular dogma. It's much more accessible and relevant.

Dana, I am so wishing for your strength of heart and mind to quit smoking- just know that we are here to support you and cheer you on!

Julie

[mightyh]

Thank you all so much for your insight. It sounds like something I should really want to stick with--so many positive results.

Although it's not why I started yoga, I am having trouble with sleep lately--specifically waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back asleep. Maybe this will help.

Also, I am ending my sessions with corpse pose and a relaxation technique, but it's entirely possible I am not letting go enough yet. I'm hoping that, with time, I won't be as keyed up muscularly :) after my sessions. I'll also look into yin yoga.... and maybe Yoga Journal, after Julie's wonderful review.

:p

[BlueMoose]

I hope nobody minds if I join your group here! :) I just finished doing one of my yoga tapes for the first time in ages and I feel really great. I have been unbelievably stiff and tight since I had my baby, and I just haven't been able to find the time. Now I've decided I'm going to MAKE my DH take the kids for an hour 2x per week so I can do a tape. I need to do this, and he can "sacrifice" himself for two hours a week! (You'd think I was asking him to take the kids while I go out on a date or something)! I hope I can keep this up for my own well-being. Maybe this winter I can even start taking a class!

Chrisi :)

[BeckyM]

I've been doing yoga since mid-April, and I have definitely noticed some benefits. They include:

increased flexibility (especially my hamstrings, which I had injured, and which had been REALLY tight)
paying more attention to how my body feels and what it needs
better balance (like Julie mentioned -- both physically and in my life)


I definitely believe yoga is a beneficial activity, and I know I have only begun to tap into the rewards. Good luck!

Becky

[Leslie w]

I know Rodney Yee has a pm yoga session for late evening stretching and relaxation. The Yoga Zone website carries it.

For me yoga is a way of life that I don't intend on giving up. I manage to get in 3 - 4 workouts a week. For a while I was supplementing it with weight training and pilates however I've fallen out of those workouts recently. There's only so many hours in the day and my time is limited. However I always make the time for yoga. The flexibility and strength that I've developed in my yoga practice has made all the difference. Whether I put in a 15 min. workout or a hour workout I feel wonderful - energized and ready to take on the day. And my friends and family have noticed the change. The best part about it is that I don't feel like it's a chore that I have to get over with. THis is something I look forward to.