Yoga

[Simone]

Do any other fishys practice YOGA? It is wonderful and gentle to the body (if taught correctly) and I see it as "prayer in motion." It is calming, grounding, and respectful tp the body. I highly recommend it and would love to talk more about it.:sun

[snookums]

Hi Simone, I started Hatha Yoga about a year ago, and have re-started doing it regularly. I find it to be helpful for anxiety (especially the breathing exercises :cool) and also for getting in touch with my body/body awareness. I had to go to a few classes before I found an instructor that I really liked.

Have you tried types of yoga other than hatha? What is your experience with them?

:love snookums :sly

[doggie]

:hugonSimone:hugoff I started Kundalini yoga a few years ago but had to give up most of that style as the asanas and pranayamas were too vigorous for my joints and asthma....I now do some of the basic yoga postures, meditation :sleepy and chi exercises :robot.....without them I feel much farther away from my spiritual centre.....:angel :love :dog

[Simone]

:hugon Snookums :hugoff

Hatha Yoga is the Psychophysical Yoga. It is the Yoga that deals with the connection between the mind and the body and their respective balance. Therefore, all of the asana, pranayama, and pratyahara fall under the umbrella of Hatha Yoga
There are indeed different styles of Hatha Yoga and my preference is Iyengar Yoga. I strongly recommend it, as the teachers are usually well-trained and knowledgable (less chance of injury.)

:hugon Doggie :hugoff

Never do anything that hurts or feels bad. Yoga should always be gentle and respectful of the body, even in its advanced practices.:butterfly

Love to all,

[purple_tao]

Howdy All :peep

I do Hatha Yoga. I do it in the morning for an hour along with my meditation.

I do it for mental/spiritual purposes to help clear my mind and bring myself closer to personal happiness and peace. And for the physical reasons: I do weight training and yoga helps keep my muscles stretched out; not so bulky.

Yoga and meditation are the two times I feel closest to my Creator.

:peace
:love

[Trickster]

:peace:hugonSIMONE:hugoff:peace

i have been practicing yoga for a few years, and i notice that it has improved: :starsmy flexibility :starsmy SLEEP
:stars my BREATHING
:starsmy digestion and a slew of other things!:winky

it is very beneficial to get a book or two, and take a few classes so that you know that you are doing the poses correctly......you can do more harm than good if you are doing a pose incorrectly!

:starsgood luck with everything!!!...and blessed be....

:flower*hEAtHeR*:flower

[Simone]

:flower"Yogas citta vrtti nirodhah":flower
:flower :flower
:flower

[God's Princess]

I've found yoga to be a healthy way of re-connecting with my body instead of fighting against it.

[Simone]

Yoga stills the fluctuations of the mind. :flower
:flower:flower
:flower

[farmgirl]

Dear Simone,

I have recently begun to pay attention to the messages the universe sends my way. This is the third time in as many days that Yoga has come up for me as a positive, calming, centering practice. I have tried to do Yoga from video tapes, but I think that I will try to find an instructor and attend some classes.

I just wanted to thank you for starting this thread, and to thank all those who responded - I think I've been recruited!

-Laura

[Simone]

:stars :stars Laura, :stars
:stars :stars
:stars

I'm so happy that you are giving youself the gift:gift of Yoga. Try to find a caring and knowledgeable teacher and always be gentle with yourself. (Everytime you find yourself comparing, remember thatis not Yoga.)

Thank you for your sweet message.

:flower

[JenniferO]

i :love yoga!!! so peaceful and centering! it makes me feel so good

[DarcyBusana]

WOW!!!i didn't know it was so good! i'm going on vacation in a few weeks and my shrink said it might be a good idea to go to block buster and rent some yoga tapes and do it while i'm gone and stuff... and now i really will! thanx for all the info guys!

[emma lucy]

:hugon Simone :hugoff

I used to do a lot of yoga and meditation, though not so much recently. I am aware of its benefits.
I quite fancy the :idea of Tai Chi. Does anyone else do that?

[purple_tao]

:fishy.......

The ancient art of tai chi (also know as tai chi chuan) is based in the even more ancient art of chi kung, consisting of combat movements that maximize the flow of energy (chi) in the body. Today it is widely practiced around the world for its health benefits rather than a martial art

I have a tai chi video that I sometimes do my workout to. It really teaches you movement of your body and awareness. It's hard the first few times. Looks easy but it really is physically demanding :supergrin !! But, like yoga, I like the way it puts me in touch with my physical being.

:peace
:love

[Simone]

See the thread Yoga: the yamas

:flower

[farmgirl]

Simone,

In an effort to move into this gently, I picked up am yoga and pm yoga yesterday. I chose them because they are not as long as some of the other tapes I have, so I know I can fit them in every day. Once I'm a little more experienced, I'm sure I'll find ways to do even more.

I did am yoga this morning, and felt really good afterward. Thank you for your encouragement, and I hope you're doing well! I'm off to do the pm yoga now!

Thanks so much . . .
-Laura

[comet]

:hugon Simone :hugoff

I have tried Yoga quite a few times and I like the idea of it, particularly the holistic emphasis.

However, I have two problems. One is that I am really stiff - no where near to touching my toes. So the postures hurt or I feel stupid.

The other is that I often feel really sad when doing Yoga, like in touch with a lot of pain. This seems to happen when I am stretching.

I have not been for a while.

If I do go regularly will my flexibility really improve and do you have any ideas on the pain and tears that come from yoga for me?

Would really appreciate your advice on this, or any other fishy who can help!

:love Comet :stars

[purple_tao]

:sun Comet :sun

Yes, with regular stretching, you'll find you'll gain more flexibility. Your muscles are tight because you aren't stretching them. But do yoga gently and don't rush it. Be kind to your physical self.

Because yoga is both physical AND mental, you bet you're tapping in to your inside (mental/spiritual) self. And it can be scary, or painful, you could laugh.....or cry...... All of these emotions are wonderful!! You're just learning about yourself! I sometimes (still) get flooded by unknown emotions while doing my yoga. I don't try to analyze it, I just continue to stay in my pose and let the emotions soothe themselves away. Sounds dorky, but it works.........for me, at least. I don't think there's anything wrong with TRYING to figure out where the pain is coming from. You are talking about mental pain, right? Not physical pain...... if it's physical, then you're working TOO hard. Do you also meditate? You might want to try that, also. Get to REALLY KNOW COMET!!

:clover
:peace

[VerboseMermaid]

I just bought a book on Yoga yesterday, as I've always been interested in it. In the past I've done my own form of it, but I thought it would be nice to have an actual guide to it.

[SweetBerry]

I :love ypga. It is so relaxing and it gives me a chance to think.

[MentalElemental]

I started taking a yoga class at the beginning of the summer and went twice a week for about a month and a half. I had to stop because I ran into financial troubles but, believe me, I will start up classes again as soon as I'm able (I've tried doing it at home but I do much better with the guidance of an instructor).

I was amazed at how much it soothed and relaxed me. I'm not a person easily soothed or relaxed.

I also felt much better about my mental, spiritual and physical selves when I was practicing.

I miss it something awful!