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The yoga thread

Caladan

Agnostic Pantheist
So!

Do you practice it? which type? how seriously do you take it? and what are the short term and long term results?

I'll start.
I practice Hatha yoga and Kundalini yoga, ideally 6 hours a week.
the feeling I get when finishing a class is energetic and focused, normally when I finish a class I am physically driven to do more exercise and I go to the gym for 45 minutes of additional cardio work (running and stationary rowing).
with an exception of one class during which I drop sweat all over my mattress and call it an evening.
 

Songbird

She rules her life like a bird in flight
Yoga!

I've done it on and off since I was a teen, and I've never tried Bikram. I started with Hatha and Vinyasa, then some integrated and Iyengar styles. Most of the classes I've attended integrated different styles or alternated from one week to the next, and I've never picked one area to study for any length of time. My favorite video instructor is Baron Baptiste, mostly cuz he cracks me up every time he says "Find your eeeequanimity."

I really love it. I feel relaxed and focused afterward. It was my crosstraining when I marathon trained, and I don't get tired of it. And it's been my chiropractic replacement. I've considered teaching it....
 

MysticSang'ha

Big Squishy Hugger
Premium Member
I started at 8 years old in some variations of Sivananda Yoga, did some Iyengar for a year or so, and since 1998 or so I've been practicing Astanga Yoga and loving it!

Short term results: my alignment and my core is strengthened again; I feel more centered, calm, and I have a sense of renewal. On a subtler note, I feel like I went through an acute detox.

Long term results: I notice when I haven't practiced in over a week. I'm more manic, depressed, and self-absorbed. Physically I feel sick, tired, and stiff.

I can't imagine life without yoga. Besides dance, it has been the biggest constant in my life and a consistent source of peace, joy, and a sense of what a work ethic looks like and what it produces.
 
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Songbird

She rules her life like a bird in flight
Oh, I forgot to answer the results question. My reply is pretty similar to Mystic's.

Running and yoga are my two long-term exercises, and short-term they dissipate my anxiety, increase my strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance. Long-term my cholesterol and blood pressure have lowered, and I hope my bone mass is affected. Osteoporosis runs in the family.
 

beenie

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
I wish to introduce yoga into my regime. So far I'm in martial arts and running; I could use yoga as well for balance too. I haven't decided which kind yet, time weill tell.
 

Alex_G

Enlightner of the Senses
Tried some yoga not that long ago.

short term effects: resembling a 90 year old war veteran walking around the house for a couple of days after
long term effects: to be confirmed :p but i imagine it involves more bendiness
 

SageTree

Spiritual Friend
Premium Member
I've been engaged in the practice of Hatha Yoga for about the last 10 years.

It's something I do for an extended period of time once a week, but to manage to do about 10-15 minutes of asanas as part of my evening meditations and sometimes AS the evening meditation, this has been nearly without fail. And in the morning I usually do several floor stretches.

Short term: I feel it deepens my sitting meditation as my mind is already more still. I feel more natural... or not bound up... fluid... energy perhaps... call it what you will, but I just feel more 'able and aware'. I also think my digestion is better the more regular I do it.

Long term: I've limbered up a lot in my life because of it and have worked out some injuries that used to give me a lot more pain regularly. My balance is better. Over all my quality of meditation has deepened, partly because of bodily awareness, deeper sensing of breath and it's movement in the body.

I notice not doing asanas more than I miss a proper sitting meditation, when pressed to choose.
 

Two-bit guru

Active Member
My yoga teacher has said one's practice should begin with physical yoga, then the breathing (like kapalbhati), then the meditation. Of late I begin with meditation, then breathing, more meditation, then fairly low-key hatha yoga, then more meditation. The meditations do seem to be deeper after the yoga ...
 

MysticSang'ha

Big Squishy Hugger
Premium Member
My yoga teacher has said one's practice should begin with physical yoga, then the breathing (like kapalbhati), then the meditation. Of late I begin with meditation, then breathing, more meditation, then fairly low-key hatha yoga, then more meditation. The meditations do seem to be deeper after the yoga ...

I would have to agree with your teacher. I prefer to do the asanas first followed by pranayama, and then meditation.
 

SageTree

Spiritual Friend
Premium Member
Yea... I've seen sitting meditation before asanas, with pranayama between the two...

I find that pranayama, asanas and then meditation is the best combo for me.
 

Caladan

Agnostic Pantheist
Yoga!

I've done it on and off since I was a teen, and I've never tried Bikram. I started with Hatha and Vinyasa, then some integrated and Iyengar styles. Most of the classes I've attended integrated different styles or alternated from one week to the next, and I've never picked one area to study for any length of time. My favorite video instructor is Baron Baptiste, mostly cuz he cracks me up every time he says "Find your eeeequanimity."

I really love it. I feel relaxed and focused afterward. It was my crosstraining when I marathon trained, and I don't get tired of it. And it's been my chiropractic replacement. I've considered teaching it....
The Yoga I practice is also integrated, but there seem to be an emphasise on Hatha Yoga with a couple of teachers and Kunalini Yoga with another teacher. all in all I practice with 3 different teachers and they all bring in their own vision and practice of yoga.
 

Caladan

Agnostic Pantheist
I started at 8 years old in some variations of Sivananda Yoga, did some Iyengar for a year or so, and since 1998 or so I've been practicing Astanga Yoga and loving it!

Short term results: my alignment and my core is strengthened again; I feel more centered, calm, and I have a sense of renewal. On a subtler note, I feel like I went through an acute detox.

Long term results: I notice when I haven't practiced in over a week. I'm more manic, depressed, and self-absorbed. Physically I feel sick, tired, and stiff.

I can't imagine life without yoga. Besides dance, it has been the biggest constant in my life and a consistent source of peace, joy, and a sense of what a work ethic looks like and what it produces.
I can understand that. its just feels that in regular practice of yoga you cover essential exercise and physical challenge, including flexibility and endurance. the fact that yoga can be very diverse in its poses and techniques is a great indictment to pursuit it.
 

Spear Hunter

New Member
I have been doing yoga lately. I have noticed my balance has gotten better! Any tips though on breathing technique? I find myself at times hurrying through the pose and not taking what feels like proper breaths.
 
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