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Anyone wanna yoga??
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I totally agree, Ninja. The right teacher can make all the difference. The studio I practice at is called yogahOMe and, corny as it sounds, going there does feel like going to a home, a safe, welcoming, comforting place. I never felt that way about the yoga classes I've taken at regular gyms before, those were far more about physical fitness. The teachers spent a lot of time talking about the muscles we were working rather than the poses, the breath, or mindfulness of any kind. There was a difference in language – "Contract your abs" vs. "Hollow your belly" (as Rodney Yee says on one of the DVDs I have from him). I'm glad you've found a practice and a teacher that you like!
One thing that fascinates me is that the difference between when I do a handstand/headstand/elbowstand for POLE, and when I do one for YOGA. Same move, but I experience it totally differently based on the context.
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Well Pankake its funny because when I said that about directing flow of energy, I almost typed "Is that like, direct your attention here?" but I deleted it because I don't know what I'm talking about, just learning. Its really hard to breathe into things for me sometimes, like, how are these people working so hard and breathing so sloooowwwwwly lol. The flow yoga is the type of class I've tried before. I did NOT like it. And I didn't really feel the energy shifting until the end when we just laid out for a bit and everyone else was all calm and comfortable, I wanted to run away, it was so weird hearing everyone around me breathing, closing my eyes around other people, all of it. It was like a bad trip. I think I may want to try the more breathy posey Yoga…. I also felt a bit silly because they said the Yoga classes were open to all levels, it seemed everyone in there knew the routine, what was coming next. By time I figured out what I was supposed to be doing, people were onto the next pose. Also, I stick to the mats, I feel I can't flow into a lunge when my foot is all squickling and scrunching the mat, but no one else seems to have this issue. To combat it, I ask to go matless. Some teachers are like "whatever suits you" and others are rather insistant that I use a mat.
I've tried to get the hubster to do an acroyoga class with me. We practice at home based on things we've seen, but I'm a bit intimidated by a class if he's going to be shying behind me the whole time.
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Dwiizie think of yoga like pole. Vinyasa class is like a routine, or a series of combos. There are a few established combos that everyone knows and does over and over (often called "taking your vinyasa") but the others are sequences that instructor calls out on the fly. There is order and sense to it but it takes a long time to really understand.
Jumping right into an all-levels vinyasa class is like jumping into an intermediate pole class. There's no way you'll do the combos right if you haven't mastered the individual moves first. Taking a slower form of yoga, where you can really learn the finer points of the specific asanas, would be a great start. Once you understand the individual postures, the flow will make a lot more sense.
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Also, ashtanga yoga is the exact same sequence, done in the exact same order, every time, without music. So people who do ashtanga end up memorizing the flow and know exactly what's next. Ashtanga is often seen as a more serious practice because it's so rigid. One of my instructors was an ashtanga practitioner for over a decade but as a teacher she prefers having more freedom.​ Vinyasa/flow yoga is more open ended, the instructors have more free reign to design their own sequences as they see fit and to target specific objectives. That also means you have to pay attention and may screw up and be a few poses behind at times (I do that all the time!) No one cares, seriously, so don't worry. If they do, you've gone to a snobby school and they suck and don't deserve your money (IMHO).
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I need a slow Yoga, the basics class. They seem to offer a LOT of all levels Yoga classes , I guess to reach a broader audience. I'm only sure of 2 studios in the area and they both rotate the same instructors between them it seems.
They do that "all levels" thing with hooping classes too, and I feel bad for the person that comes to a workshop and they've never spun a hoop in their life, and everyone else is learning more advanced concepts. And everyone says "Its ok, if this is beyond you, keep practicing this other thing" but the person just paid workshop prices to learn how to hoop, and they barely took away what they came for. They could find that free in several parks any given weekend on a nice day, we have a LOT of people who teach hoop for free or tips. I really like the Yoga people because they visit schools teaching kids Yoga, and they allow you to pay what you can for a class, some people overpay, some under pay, I try to put in whats "recommended". I will revisit it one day when I see a class that looks like its a "Yoga for dummies" class lol
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Look for a studio that has a new student intro series. Or, if that's not available, consider booking a private or semi-private session with one of the instructors as an intensive. It might be expensive, but it might work out to be the cost of several group classes and you will get so much out of it.
I was just talking to my instructor a couple weeks ago about this beginner problem in yoga. For a long time, my studio had all-levels classes every day of the week, and one designated beginner class on one evening each week. It was always very full and attracted lots of students, but every week there were brand new people coming in. There's a lot to cover before you're ready for an all-levels class. So my instructor kept having to start over from the very beginning each time to accommodate the brand-newbies. The people who'd been coming to the beginner class for weeks got bored and eventually left without ever making it into an all-level class. So now she's changed it to be a 4-week beginner series. You sign up for 4 classes in advance, and each one covers roughly 1/4 of what you need to know. Of course people complain about that, what if I have to miss one, etc etc but they can always book a private session to get caught up. I guess I'm sympathetic to the studio owner side of things.
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Thats exactly the type of model I'm looking for. I'm going to go check out their schedules to see what they've got going on…..
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So theres a Yoga Nidra (what is that?) Yin and Yang (Again…?) Tai Chi (I actually know what that is, but its not Yoga is it?) Hatha Yoga. Yoga for the People which is the free class that’s hard for me to follow. Mixed level Vinyasa. Feel Good Friday Night Flow. Gentle Yoga for Everyone (Would that be good for me?) Acro 101 which is the one I want to go to with Adam. Workshop, finding balance. That’s this month’s schedule….
The other Yoga studio I know of (that’s not Hot Yoga) has level 1 which is all levels, level 2 mixed and level 3 expansion. You buy a weeks session, 13 weeks, enrollment for spring ended the last day of March. They have “get moving” Core Flow, On the Go Flow, Vinyasa Flow, Yogaworks Flow. “Slow down” Deep release, gentle, restoratives and pranayama. “integrate and harmonize” hatha iyengar “specialties” laughayoga sustainable vinyasa. I can’t tell one thing from another.
Neither seem to offer private or semi private instruction. *head spinning*
When I try to ask questions about where I fit in (they do this in belly dance too) they just say “Come try a few and see where you fit in” I live out in the boonies. Its over an hour to both these studios, and I don’t really have the money to go class sampling right now. I eventually decided on a fusion bellydance series, I like it, but its not what I wanted to learn. I guess Tribal and Oriental would be the next I have to try. I really just want to figure out which is the type I’ve seen that I like and want to emulate. Lots of breaks, isolated movements, belly rolls, balancing things on the head. I LOVE the belly rolls and precise hip/chest lifts and drops. The fushion class is just slithery and graceful, it reminds me of how I dance naturally.
I’m so glad you Veeners know just about everything 😀
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There's a difference between instructional yoga classes and guided yoga classes – and sadly, they're often not even labeled that way, but you'll definitely get a sense for what kind of class you're in once you're there.
One thing you have to realize about an all-levels class is that, guess what, all levels will be there, so hell yeah there will be people who are WAY farther along in their yoga journey than you are. Just like in pole – you must resist the urge to compare yourself to them. What happens in yoga is between you and your mat, not you and your peers. I do feel for you, though. There are some girls in my Intermediate pole class who are way more advanced than I am and sometimes I'm like "What are you even doing here? What am *I* even doing here?"
I would suggest getting there early and talking to the teacher before the class, saying that you're pretty new to yoga and haven't taken many classes yet, and don't have all the poses memorized. They will then know to give you additional instruction instead of just naming off the poses. And they may even say that this is not the class for you. And you probably don't want a teacher who only names the poses in Sanskrit, either. (I've always found that to be just a touch show-offy.) I've learned many of the Sanskrit names for poses but still like it when the teacher says "Triangle Pose" instead of "Trikonasana."
And yeah, if you can find some classes that are specifically Beginner or Fundamentals, go for those first over an all-levels class if being around the more advanced practitioners makes you nervous.
That scared run-away feeling you describe is what happened when I took my first Bikram yoga class. Bikram is a VERY intense style of Ashtanga yoga, done in a 100-degree-plus room. It's almost more like military drills than a "class" by the general definition. And OMG, worst yoga experience of my life. I spent most of the class in Child's Pose because I was literally and physically panicking. I couldn't deal with the heat (I was just getting over a head cold, probably not the best time to try Bikram) or the intensity or my own sweat making it impossible to do pretty much anything. It's a 90 minute class and I wanted to run away after the first 15 minutes. I don't think you could pay me to go to another Bikram class at this point. And that's OK! You don't have to love every style of yoga.
And I wouldn't expect you to "feel the energy" the first time in every class, you have to feel comfortable in the class before that will come through for you, and that takes some practice and acclimation. As for your foot sticking to the mat and preventing you from flowing – It's totally fine to make mini adjustments as you go, to reposition your foot before you sink into the lunge – even OK to fall over in tree pose! No one expects you to get it right every time or to perfectly and effortlessly flow from move to move, you're not getting dinged any points for having to fix yourself.
I actually have the opposite problem of slipping off my mat and I have started using Tite Grip on my hands and feet to help with that. I'm starting up a Hot Yoga series in May – not Bikram, just vinyasa style in a heated room – and think I will be using Tite Grip a lot just to keep me on my mat. 🙂
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@Pankake Funny you mention English vs. Sanskrit. Yoga suffers from a similar problem as pole in that not everyone agrees on the common English names for poses. Of course everybody knows what Triangle Pose is, but I've tried to discuss arm balances with people and they have no idea what I'm talking about unless I use the Sanskrit name. I have taken a class taught by an instructor from Australia once and she used some different names… I was so confused. At least the Sanskrit names are (usually) pretty universal. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif
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So theres a Yoga Nidra (what is that?) Yin and Yang (Again…?) Tai Chi (I actually know what that is, but its not Yoga is it?) Hatha Yoga. Yoga for the People which is the free class that’s hard for me to follow. Mixed level Vinyasa. Feel Good Friday Night Flow. Gentle Yoga for Everyone (Would that be good for me?) Acro 101 which is the one I want to go to with Adam. Workshop, finding balance. That’s this month’s schedule….
Not sure about Nidra, you'd have to ask the instructor. Yin yoga is restorative, gentle, "feminine" yoga – you hold the poses a long time and you don't push yourself too hard. Yang is the opposite, active, strong, "masculine" yoga, where you do push and work harder. A Yin & Yang class probably has a good mix of both (sounds like a class I'd enjoy, actually!) But out of all those listed, I suggest Hatha Yoga, that's pretty basic and will get you acquainted with all the poses so you can start memorizing them and maybe be able to follow along easier with a Vinyasa style class. Vinyasa is intense for the beginner, but a lot of fun when you know what you're doing. Gentle Yoga for Everyone would probably be another good choice.
The other Yoga studio I know of (that’s not Hot Yoga) has level 1 which is all levels, level 2 mixed and level 3 expansion. You buy a weeks session, 13 weeks, enrollment for spring ended the last day of March. They have “get moving” Core Flow, On the Go Flow, Vinyasa Flow, Yogaworks Flow. “Slow down” Deep release, gentle, restoratives and pranayama. “integrate and harmonize” hatha iyengar “specialties” laughayoga sustainable vinyasa. I can’t tell one thing from another.
Out of these, go for Hatha Iyengar – Iyengar is a very adaptable style of yoga, developed to help people who physically couldn't do the more intense Ashtanga style. Lots of modifications, variations, and use of props to help you. Anything with "Flow" in the title, think of it like cardio + yoga, there's going to be a lot of moving between poses and probably not a lot of instruction. Pranayama = breathing meditation, probably a very un-intense class. Some people find this kind of yoga boring (but hey, I find Zumba excruciating, so whatevs).
Laughter yoga, I'm surprised to see that on there! That's a pretty obscure practice. And, to me, kinda weird. From what I've seen, it's a bunch of people gathered together to just laugh and laugh, at nothing in particular, to get all the feel-good effects of laughter. Personally I don't think I could take that kind of yoga seriously (and yes I see the irony in saying so). I'd be laughing AT it, not WITH it.
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Ninja that's a good point. One of my favorite poses is "Supta baddha konasana" which literally translates to Reclined Bound Angle Pose but I have heard it called Reclined Butterfly, Goddess Pose, and the most common is Cobbler's Pose. (But seriously, I could stay in that pose all day.)
Like I said, I like the Sanskrit names, they're fun to say and I know exactly what they mean (at least, the ones I've memorized). But I get a little irritated when a teacher uses nothing but the Sanskrit names because it does strike me as show-offy. Maybe because I feel like *I* am showing off when I use Sanskrit? LOL. My favorite teachers are those who say both names – that's how I learned them in the first place! I can see the benefit in having the universal Sanskrit names in addition to the English names – like "inside leg hang" vs. "Scorpio."
(My studio doesn't use the Gemini/Scorpio names and I'm constantly catching myself saying "Oh yeah you can get into that from a Gem…outside leg hang.")
Maybe we should get pole move names translated into Sanskrit? LOL!
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I use a mixture, mostly whatever is easier for me to say. I think "surya namaskar" flows very nicely off the tongue, more so than "sun salutation." But it's a lot easier to say "down dog" instead of "adho muhka svanasana." https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif
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Yes, I like surya namaskar for sure, and there's one for the moon too that I can't remember but I like it as well. I got a Shiva Rhea DVD recently that has "Agni (an-yee) Namaskar" which is Fire Salutations. It is exactly as tough as it sounds!
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Laughter Yoga is hilarious. Its uncomfortable and embarassing, but thats actually something I can do. We used to do it long before I knew it was Yoga. I've done it with meditation, hypnosis even. I actually had my coworkers in fits of laugher after they questioned what it was and I was like well… you just kinduh start laughing… and then you keep laughing… then other people make you laugh… and then I demonstrated a big HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! and Tem started giggling and other coworkers were laughing at us and I was like yup, thats the laugh part of it all. Tem really liked it. He's from Ethiopia and was fully intrigued.
The Bikram thing sounds miserable and scary, my friends mother suggested it, and I said oooohhhh no not for me, at least not now!!!
Pranayama actually sounds like nice thing to do, but I doubt I would enjoy that in a group setting. I LOVE Zumba, its one of the best group things I've ever done. Did NOT like pilates/barre fitness because I thought it was going to be more ballet and less pilates. I love love love Jazzercise and Core Rhythms.
*googling triangle pose* lol
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