Yoga for a noob.

[Mechanic]

I’ve looked into this casually for a few years and have a kind of daily routine, but no serious effort into the actual practice of yoga.
I’ve bought a few beginners books and searched in my local for a yoga class that if felt comfortable with.
For those of you who seriously practice, how did you start and maintain your practice?
Just for information sake I am a slacker. My job was a diesel mechanic and then a light rail mechanic. I’d walk 10 to 15 miles a day doing repairs and trouble shooting. No serious exercise program but was physically fit. 3 years ago I was forced to medically retire due to a liver transplant plant. And any activity has gone in the trash heap. My abbs are ruined from the surgery. But I’m walking daily, but only for a mile or so.
I’m open for suggestions on how to start.

 

[Tyuk]

I got into regular yoga at the beginning of the year after discovering I couldn’t cross my legs properly. YouTube ‘Yoga with Adriene’; she has year’s of instructional videos and has exercises for all different skill levels. Caveat: short video=core 99% of the time.

 

[imwjl]

@Mechanic I learned some good moves from online tutorials and the lessons you get with our Apple family subscription. You might want something more formal but it was enough guided to get some insights and help me with some age and injury related matters.

Running won't work for me anymore but in addition to exercise including some yoga I can still ride a bike and swim and find both enjoyable so you might want to consider them if like me you are not a go to gym or classes type.

Best of luck and best wishes regardless!

 

[bgmacaw]

You should consult a yogi...

But, seriously, I prefer Tai Chi and Qigong over yoga.

 

[JL_LI]

I used to work out regularly but fell out of it as things started to hurt. Then my doc found some things he didn’t like and sent me to a cardiologist who sent me to Mount Sinai for stents. My cardiologist then sent me to cardiac rehab and I’m now back in a gym three days a week. I finish rehab in June and will have to find a gym to continue. The nurses are great. I don’t think I’ll be able to find a gym with nurses watching over me but maybe one with s trainer on duty. How does this apply to you? It’s simple. You have to start somewhere. So find a yoga class and start. Find what you like and what you don’t like. Then find another class. Avoid long term commitments until you’re sure you’re in the right place. Unlike in a fitness gym, you won’t have knuckleheads to deal with but you’ll have instructors. Take a meditation class to learn how to put them out of your mind. All you have to do is start.

 

[soundchaser59]

I'm wondering if there is such a thing as yoga for weight loss.

 

[basher]

I was into bodyweight training and calisthenics for a while, and a friend invited me to do 108 sun salutations with her and about 200 other people in Malcolm X Park one rainy afternoon in August, and I was hooked. I met my teacher about a month after that, and now almost ten years later Mrs. Basher and I are still studying with her.

Finding a really good teacher will help you get the most out of the practice. Like JL_LI says, just dive in and try a class or ten and see what rings your bells. And I strongly second the recommendation for Yoga with Adriene. She's a great teacher with loads of free content.

 

[ChicknPickn]

Be wary of female instructors. They are merciless.

 

[JL_LI]

All yoga classes are weight loss classes for men. You don’t stand a chance with the women in yoga pants if you bulge out over the top of yours.

 

[Toadtele]

I was fortunate enough to be hooked up with free classes including one on one tutorials when I first began yoga.
There is a lot of great information online but in my experience, it is important to work with a professional at first. I have been doing yoga for almost 15 years and still try to make a point of getting in front of a qualified instructor every year or so. To check my form.

 

[ChicknPickn]

I was fortunate enough to be hooked up with free classes including one on one tutorials when I first began yoga.
There is a lot of great information online but in my experience, it is important to work with a professional at first. I have been doing yoga for almost 15 years and still try to make a point of getting in front of a qualified instructor every year or so. To check my form.

You have my respect. Thumbs up.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

All yoga classes are weight loss classes for men. You don’t stand a chance with the women in yoga pants if you bulge out over the top of yours.

And don't stare.

 

[Deeve]

Having driven a desk for 30 years before taking my first yoga class, I was what you might call "flexibility challenged"
What helped me was to have realistic expectations for myself, and a supportive instructor/class.
Flexibility and balance have improved with regular attendance, as well as walking in to the office when I don't have to drive.
Some light lifting has been introduced w/ a trainer's help (I simply LOVE my gym - it's like a sanctuary for all of our damaged bodies) and chronic back pain has been reduced from a "7" to a "4 or 5".
If you find a place that fits - STAY.
If the place doesn't fit - Try somewhere else.
How many of us are still in our first Band?

Peace (Namaste) - Deeve

 

[superjam144]

I’ve looked into this casually for a few years and have a kind of daily routine, but no serious effort into the actual practice of yoga.
I’ve bought a few beginners books and searched in my local for a yoga class that if felt comfortable with.
For those of you who seriously practice, how did you start and maintain your practice?
Just for information sake I am a slacker. My job was a diesel mechanic and then a light rail mechanic. I’d walk 10 to 15 miles a day doing repairs and trouble shooting. No serious exercise program but was physically fit. 3 years ago I was forced to medically retire due to a liver transplant plant. And any activity has gone in the trash heap. My abbs are ruined from the surgery. But I’m walking daily, but only for a mile or so.
I’m open for suggestions on how to start.

I physically can't do even the simplest poses... But I do meditate for relaxation and the euphoria it brings.

Yoga was developed to facilitate meditation originally, but now it is used in many ways. Strength training using yoga poses is no joke. Considering you are looking to get fit, it's probably a strength class you might look into....

I took a health class in college as an elective and I can totally see how doing those poses could completely change your body physically.

As far as working out is concerned, I don't do much anymore because I get paid to exert myself every day in construction. But if I work out I tend to do a basic routine similar to the prisoner Charles Bronson from the UK. Pushups situps lawnmowers curls forearms with a few dumbbells.

Any simple circuit routine targeting muscle groups works wonders if done 3x a week. Gyms are worthwhile, and become sanctuaries for physical well being.

I saw a teacher at my community college, who looked like an average suburban dad max out machines like superman. My friend who was a bodybuilding enthusiast was completely floored.

A little bit goes a long way, just reach your limit and do one or two more reps, you will be like iron man if you make it a habit.

But yeah I think yoga is a workout regimen now. I personally never saw into the philosophical extravagance associated with it anyway.

Some people swear by stretching and light calesthenics to tone and tighten without getting huge or super muscular. It's probably more practical to be lean and mean like a marine.

Jogging, if doable is probably the greatest thing out there for health. My dad's joints are shot so he hikes a trail that isn't to grueling, he lost like 50 lbs with diet adjustment.

Good luck man.

 

[AcresWild]

the Theosophists were a strange 19th century Russian esoteric movement that mixed hebraic, vedic, slavic folk religion, among other things--here is part of an 1886 Theosophist book that talks about yoga in a manner that provides an interesting contrast to the sort of household yoga of today

also, there is book of runic gymnastics , an interesting method of 'germanic' yoga 'recorded' by a fellow named Marby, no english translation exists that I know of, but this website describes the methods therein. Sure enough Marby was jailed by the Third Reich for over 2 years during WWII, probably for being a darn yoga hippie

Yoga isn't BS, but listen to your body closer than you listen to your instructor, tread lightly into new territory as to avoid injury

 

[985plowboy]

I love yoga.
I used go to the class that was low key beginners level.
It was usually just me and about a dozen sweet elderly ladies.
I’m proud to say I never once farted in yoga class.
I will also tell you I may have been the only one who didn’t.
It’s hard to focus on your breathing when you are doing your best not to laugh.

 

[pypa]

Joining a class is best. Many studios have an intro pack you can buy that won’t break the bank. Like music, you will benefit from some initial coaching.

There are a few good YouTube resources. Yoga by Adriene, fightmaster yoga, and Candace Cabrera are a few I’ve used. Nice thing about these is that they have videos for all levels and all durations.

You do want to combine the online with some coaching though. Yoga is more about strength than flexibility. The strength comes from isometric holds and engaging several muscles in each pose. You can’t see that on the videos; someone has to show it to you and more critically , has to observe you doing it. The movements are more complex than weight training or physical therapy.

Don’t be intimidated, though. The online resources will get you very far. Mainstream yoga here is usually centered around “vinyasa” or a “flow” which is a great all around movement. Search out those terms.

When doing online yoga, it helps to stream it on a large screen so you can watch while you are bent over and on the ground, etc. you want a video instructor who explains the movements, and doesn’t go too fast.

The trick is the breathing!

 

[markal]

I started in classes but was already really fit at the time. These days I often use videos from “Yoga with Adrienne” on YouTube. She has a wide range of classes, all free.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

@Mechanic, you must be up to "Destroyer Of The Universe" by now!

 

[Harry Styron]

I’ve done “chair yoga,” which is a good way to start, with a folding chair on or beside the mat which is used for balance and to create less strenuous poses.