Yoga

[Elisabeth_M]

Dear Beginner Yoga video,

You and I have different definitions of "beginner".

Sincerely,

A Very Inflexible Calligrapher

[Scarlet Blue]

I used to do Wii-Fit Yoga - definitely beginner level, but it does loosen me up 

[schin]

Thanks to Erica I've been going to a studio for a few months now.. you definitely will see improvement if you keep at it! So keep at it!!

[Elisabeth_M]

Also not helpful:  my five year old daughter next to me, mostly keeping up with the video and saying things like, "Mommy, keep up," and, "You're not supposed to be just laying on the mat," and, "Your hands are supposed to be touching the ground," (that one while simultaneously saying I'm supposed to be keeping my knees straight as I stand there, bent in half, wondering again why I'm doing this thing).

[TeganL]

Dear Beginner Yoga video,

You and I have different definitions of "beginner".

Sincerely,

A Very Inflexible Calligrapher

@Elisabeth_M, I completely agree! I tried a class once and failed miserably, so I looked at some videos to follow and started thinking maybe yoga wasn't for people as inflexible as me. Then one day I thought to myself "BOOKS! The answer is books!" I went to the library and found a beginners Yoga book which also had alternative postures/moves for people who are not yet flexible enough to do the "beginner" moves! It's called "The Easy Yoga Workbook: A complete yoga class in a book" By Tara Fraser. I highly recommend it 

[ChristenAllocco]

Oh no! I LOVE yoga and find that it helps so much, especially after a long day of writing. Have you tried Yoga with Adriene's beginner yoga videos on Youtube? She has a bunch of different videos that take you through the fundamentals. Plus, she encourages you to do what's best for your body, so if you need to go into child's pose, go into child's pose! I highly recommend . And hopefully she's not the person in the video you watched!

[Estefa]

I think there are sadly many not exactly super qualified yoga teachers out there. Anyone who says you should touch the ground with the hands (that's while bending forwards, I guess? – Utanasana), while keeping your knees straight – if you have no practice with anything stretchy, you are at risk of hurting yourself. These things grow slowly. And don't move too fast.

I am also looking for video / audio lessons, because I can't go to classes at the moment, and there are tons of crappy videos on apps and on youtube! I am curious if you find something for you. For absolute beginners I think a class is better than a book or video, but than a bad teacher in real live also can be hurtful.

I think a good teacher should tell you to listen to your own body, to go at your own pace, (s)he should point out the importance of matching your breathing with the different movements and so on.

And as a mother of three who also tried to exercice with her kids around … it didn't work for me. But I was lucky insofar as when they were small I could go to a class once a week in the evening while my husband looked after them, and then at home I would practice only when the were taking a nap.

Wishing you success!! I think in the end the label of what you practice is not so important – the important thing is that it is right of you!

[Raayynuh]

Oh no! I LOVE yoga and find that it helps so much, especially after a long day of writing. Have you tried Yoga with Adriene's beginner yoga videos on Youtube? She has a bunch of different videos that take you through the fundamentals. Plus, she encourages you to do what's best for your body, so if you need to go into child's pose, go into child's pose! I highly recommend . And hopefully she's not the person in the video you watched!

I second this! I LOVE Adrienne. I did her videos for a couple months before going to a "real" yoga class in person. Having the foundation from her videos helped me a great deal. I thankfully also had a great yoga teacher in my area teaching a true beginners class and with her guidance, I can now do "normal" yoga classes.

[Katie Leavens]

I third Adiene's videos. They are awesome no matter your level. I didn't see a link so thought I would add it here: Yoga with Adriene  https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene

[Elisabeth_M]

@ChristenAllocco , @Raayynuh and @Katie Leavens :  Definitely going to check out Yoga with Adriene.  Thanks for the recommendation!

@Estefa  My daughter was the one trying to get me to lay my hands flat on the ground since that's what the woman in the video was doing.  I ignored her.    But, it would have been nice to know if it was more important to have my legs straight or my hands on the ground since I could only do one or the other.  Sadly, Cate doesn't take naps anymore.  My satisfaction as a stay at home mom decreased sharply the day Cate decided she wasn't napping anymore.

@ChristenAllocco I couldn't even make myself go to child's pose at one point.  Is there a pose name for laying flat on your stomach with your arms stretched above your head?  That's where I was.  It felt good, though.   

[Erica McPhee]

I like Adriene's videos too, but after taking in person classes, I found even her videos a bit more advanced than I like.

I have the Gaiam "Yoga Studio" app. It was $4.99 and worth every single penny. They have all kinds of different programs to use. Beginner Essentials (10 classes) Beginner Combination, Beginner Flexibility, Intermediate, Quick Yoga Fix (10 classes), Deep Relaxation, etc. Routines from 10 minutes to 60 minutes. And best of all, you can create your own routines using whichever poses you like. It's truly amazing. It then puts the videos together into one segment.

There is a short clip video for every single pose which was so helpful to make sure I was doing it right. They also have blocks of posts like the Sun Salutation. You can favorite the poses you like and then use them to create your own custom classes. You can even post a schedule for yourself. It's pretty amazing.

Yeah, doing yoga with my youngest - not a good idea since she has low muscle tone and looks like this while I struggle to touch the ground with my finger tips! LOL! 

[ChristenAllocco]

@ChristenAllocco I couldn't even make myself go to child's pose at one point.  Is there a pose name for laying flat on your stomach with your arms stretched above your head?  That's where I was.  It felt good, though. 

Oh, that's my favorite pose! Particularly when I'm covered in blankets and lying on my bed!

[Estefa]

@Estefa  My daughter was the one trying to get me to lay my hands flat on the ground since that's what the woman in the video was doing.  I ignored her.    But, it would have been nice to know if it was more important to have my legs straight or my hands on the ground since I could only do one or the other.  Sadly, Cate doesn't take naps anymore.  My satisfaction as a stay at home mom decreased sharply the day Cate decided she wasn't napping anymore.

Sorry, I saw your comment just now @Elisabeth_M ! Also sorry for misunderstanding. Still I think the teacher failed in explaining what was important when you start doing such exercises .

My oldest kid also stopped taking naps around age 2 … so you can guess how happy I was when I could take my evening class.

I hope you found a way to practice. Maybe in the evening when your kids are in bed? Or taking a baby sitter who takes her to the playground for one or two hours? I used to do that when my twins were small. It was a luxury but very much needed.

[Cyril Jayant]

Yoga is just like Gymnastic. Have to do it regularly until you get in to the right posture.
Before like everything else you have to do a body warm-up. Then go into the body positions. If you do extra body toning exercises then you'll find easy to do yoga and you have a flexible body. If yo can maintain this flexibility all your yoga posturs togerter wii be perfect day by day. The best way to learn is from attending a class and then learn through good books that's is how I learned it I am mot a very serious yoga pactitioner. But I like to keep to a level so it helps my mind and body to work togerter.