Too fat for yoga?

Similar OP, and I started at home using YT videos. Yoga with Adrienne is fab, free and she does bite size guides on how to get into some of the most used positions. There are others as well on YT, just have a scroll. By the time I then paid for a class I felt a bit more confident.

Some beginners classes are not for beginners and that's on the teacher. Maybe try another class as yoga is suited for everyone. Hatha will be slower, yin very chilled. if you go to vinyasa or ashtanga then it's a workout and fast.
to help your body I'd suggest double matting, lay one mat on top of another. If that's not possible with the amount of mats at the studio. Take a blanket. Fold it up and place under the knees for any kneeling/on all fours variations. Have a yoga brick to sit on for seated postures as that will be kinder to hips and knees. You need your knees below your hips for comfort when seated. A good hatha/scravelli/iyengar yoga class will have lots of props to help aid you and teach you how to use them properly.

I think of you are used to cardio, yoga can be a shock. Especially as it is often characterises as "easy" and it defintiely isn't. You will be accessing and using muscles you haven't used and thought about. Also it can be vert humbling, most exercose classes are all about how you will get there if you try harder - with yoga you will get to know your body, all bodies are different and some poses are not available to you no matter how slim and fit you are, but only practice will allow you to learn that.

Your instructor should have made it clear that child's pose is always available to you through out the class, no need to be embarrassed if yiu need a rest. I have been in classes where people have spent a lot of the class just in child's pose.

I have been practicing yoga for years and there are atill classes where I sweat buckets or wake up thw next day aching all over.

Finally as others have said try a few classes as there are different styles of yoga and you need to find the right one for you. Vinyasa is popular as it is more dynamic but it may be too much for you right now something like Yin yoga might be better to start with.

But do persevere, no one is too fat for yoga and it should not be the preserve of the very skinny and very fit. The benefits for your physical and mental health are amazing.

I sweat loads in some yoga classes! Don't worry about that at all.

Like others, I think that the difficulties you had were all to do with being a first-timer, not weight.

A few things might have made your difficulties worse. Firstly the instructor - was s/he pitching it too hard for a beginner-friendly class? Did he/she make it absolutely plain that every one should work with self-compassion, at the level they happen to be, and listen to their body if some things were too hard?

Often they say something like "Anytime you need a rest, go into child's pose." You should feel confident in asking for advice about these sorts of options.

Also, you may have made things too hard on yourself. Perhaps you were pushing yourself too hard, or perhaps your nerves tightened and stressed your body. They often say to use your breath as a guide: If you are holding yyour breathe at any point, or your breathing is stressed, it's time to scale back your effort a bit.

Yoga isn't about a destination (getting into the correct positions). It's about the journey -- learning to introspect your body and take it to the comfortable edges of its accustomed movements (or, rather, a teensy tiny shade beyond that point).

I'm going to take a slightly different view to lots of people here. When my fitness was through the floor I tried a "yoga for chronic fatigue" video. It was awful for me. Turns out I had medical conditions that made kneeling down agony and no amount of repetition was going to change that. Also my body is fat and whilst the amazing Tiffany Crow on Instagram shows how yoga can be for everyone with lots of modifications using blocks and other equipment, I've never met a yoga teacher in real life who offered anything like that, not at hot yoga or Vinyasa classes even when it would be most helpful. So it is not that yoga isn't for you. It's more than you might need a level of instruction and modification that you aren't getting. In the end I started with Tai Chi Chuan, which requires no fitness, and built up from there. I also love Pilates.
Of course yes, new things can feel hard, keep going and it will get easier. All you have to do is turn up, anything else is extra.

I’m not a yoga person but another vote for looking up Jessamyn Stanley, she’s an inspiration

i'm not overweight but my first class was exactly like this. but you might want to try other instructors. mine is always very clear at the start and throughout that this is your practice and your time, whatever that needs to look like for you. she gives lots of variations. i've had a few times when I've gone and after the first 20 minutes, I've just done childs pose for the rest of the class or very simple poses due to injury or just mental issues.

Where was the yoga class?
Where I go it's very about listening to your body, being aware of what you are capable of, being aware of where your energy levels are etc. She shows variations and provides cushions and bolsters for extra support. It's all very caring and gentle.
There would be no judgment if anyone stopped and had a rest, which I have done. Most of us wouldn't even notice because we are often encouraged to close our eyes and focus on our own experience. Learning to be comfortable and relax in your body is a big part of it.

Gym yoga is very different and that sounds more like you're describing.

Have a look on Instagram at Wonkee club. Yoga for Every size shape ability etc. Run by a big lad whose insta is 'scottee is fat'. Its online, monthly sub and has a ton of content plus live classes. It may get you in the swing of practising without the pressure of a class. Good luck stick with it!

No one is too big for yoga. Persevere. Enjoy your journey.

I was size 22 when I started yoga around a decade ago. I'm now size 18. I went back to a class this week for the first time in a few weeks after an injury (not a yoga one) - I found it harder than usual even with modifications as I'm still healing, and i have lost a bit of strength and flexibility. It takes time to build up.

Definitely worth persevering. Listen to to your body. You won't be able to do everything- there are some poses where your stomach will get in the way, and there are others you will need to build flexibility for. My yoga teacher once showed us x-rays of different pelvises to point out that some people would be limited in how far they might stretch out a leg, because bones will get in the way.

We're often asked to set an intention at the start of class. Mine has been "survive to the end" more than once...

Also look up Jessamyn Stanley, who does yoga for every body.

I quit golf as I didn't get a hole in one on my first shot

Exercise by definition is hard. More you do it, the easier it gets

Sorry to jump on, but just wondering how different Yoga is to Pilates? I do Pilates and am too scared to try Yoga (I'm also fat), but getting fitter and stronger every day. There are loads of Yoga classes at my gym (lots of different styles too), and would like to try them at some point, if I can muster the courage.

3/4 of a class issue really good on your first go. Check you're not going to a Vinyasa or fitness type yoga, as those are quite fast-paced.
Keep going, as it's so good for posture, flexibility, aches and pain.

Some tips:

Keep going, you'll soon find it easier.

Nobody takes any notice of how other people in the class are doing.

Don't be embarassed if you fart. We all do it at some point.

Remember to enjoy it - it's not religion.

Leave online stuff until you know what you are doing.

Namaste!!

Every yoga class I’ve been to, the teacher has been clear to listen to your body and do what you can. Even beginner friendly cater to more experienced people and so sometimes it’s about doing your best comfortably, not perfectly achieving the position.

I’m slim but not very flexible so often modify or sit out some poses, it’s fine to do!

Not yoga, but I started doing reformer Pilates in January as a complete beginner. I’m a UK size 12 so not particularly big, and I lift weights and walk 15k steps daily, but bloody hell, my first class truly humbled me! But I kept going, week on week, and now I can do standing moves on the reformer which I honestly never thought I would be able to. I have fallen off that thing on occasion and felt like a right arse, but you just get up and get back on. I am not a fan of structured exercise generally but am loving my classes.

I really like my instructor, and the studio is small so classes are small - I struggle to get my left leg into certain positions and she will always adapt for me, put the foot bar up or whatever. Please speak to your teacher, and keep going!

It will get easier each time but how about doing a few online classes to get fo know the poses a bit more?

Hi OP. I'm an ED consultant here in Ireland.

Get a full check by your gp. Sweating is normal when you haven't moved in so long. Fair play going !!

I would suggest just walking for now. The weight will fall off you. Try yoga on YouTube and then work you way up to the class. Well done !

Of course it's worth persevering!

Really, there's no downside. It will support your plan to exercise. Presumably the overall exercise/activity will help with your weight. And you'll meet new people, and maybe even make a friend.

Congratulations for exploring something new!

Sounds to me as not the most supportive yoga teacher.

My teacher shows rest positions, and explains it is ok (and still valuable) to use them any time you feel like that, and rejoin at the next step.
During the session, she presents alternatives, so everyone can decide a combination which fits their body today.

Well done for surviving 3/4. Next try will be easier.

Yoga teacher here.
Firstly, there are many different types of classes. A Hatha class might be the most suitable for you. A good Hatha yoga teacher will offer options for every yoga pose so that you can pick one that suits your body. Every yoga pose looks and feels different in every body. Maybe try a different class and / or teacher. If you try a few, you will get a feel for what suits you best.
Secondly, as others have mentioned, what feels tricky on week 1 will feel a lot simpler by week 6 or maybe even sooner.
Well done for taking the first step and good luck finding your ideal yoga.

I’ve just started and find it difficult too. I’ve started doing Park Yoga. A free outdoor sunday morning session in parks all round the country. It’s charity run to improve people’s wellbeing and mental health so worth checking out if you have a local one. ☝️

Yoga classes are super variable. I have been to some that were so hideously hard I thought I might be sick. If I'm getting back into it I usually book into a "stretch and mobility," type class for a few weeks first instead to get back into the swing of things. It's also worth talking to the teacher before hand, they can often make adaptations, which you'll learn you can do yourself over time.

There are also lots of different types of yoga. I do yin which is stretching and a hatha flow which is more dynamic. A good yoga teacher will always offer options to suit all abilities in the class. As someone said above, yoga is great for mind and body. I also do pilates which is similar but more core based. Lots of different sizes of men and women in my pilates class.