Has Yoga changed your life?

[walkersareback]

First world issue.

I hear so many people saying that yoga has changed their lives and it keeps them sane. I have tried it a few times but even though I've enjoyed it I don't get anything spiritual from it.

Am I looking in the wrong place? Also - I do find yoga hard - least flexible person in the world here. I seem to get the calming meditative thing from running. Is yoga just not for me - even though I would love it to be? And I would love to be more flexible. And breathe better. And be better.

Sorry for the ramble but my question is what does yoga do for you?

Thanks you

I am interested to know this too. Im so unfit I can't imagine how it could possibly help me.

Yes.

Had dabbled in yoga and Pilates before, but started a daily practice with Yoga with Adrienne in August 2020. I stuck with it and found a proper group practice in May 2021, at which point my practice really took off. Now nearly 2 years later I finally “get it” - at first it felt hard, occasionally boring and sometimes painful. Now I look and feel strong, which has helped boost my mental health, the physical benefits are also huge - chronic pain and aches/stiffness have gone.

I think the key for me is sticking to a daily practice - even 10 minutes crap yoga at home is better than 50 minutes at a class weekly - and understanding that yoga is about accepting your body where it is right now. Even if you can’t touch your toes etc. Developing that mindset is part of what allows it to become a habit - it’s not about fast results or toning up quickly.

I don't get the spiritual side either, it's not my thing. I do YouTube classes and have been known to skip past the 'deep breathing check in' part at the start of the session 🤷

I started yoga in lockdown having never done it before, and have kept it up. I'm into fitness anyway, and I love how it's making me stronger and helping my balance. There's a lot of focus on loving your body and meeting your body where it's at and I like that a lot. I get what I want from it, but it certainly hasnt changed my life.

Yes, it's the only thing that vanishes all my back pain, stiffness, tension headaches and so on. Also I am stronger and look toned - I do about 30 mins 4 times a week, at home.

It's not about "being better" like you say OP. The focus on breathing and accepting your body ripple across other areas of your life - for example it lowers my baseline stress levels, it makes me more compassionate and understanding, it gives me a gentle body awareness (am I clenching my jaw, standing on one leg, slouching) etc. There are scientific studies that prove that yoga and meditation can change your brain pretty quickly.

But if running makes you feel good then... run! I find jogging painful and unnatural. It's great that you have a form of exercise that you love, enjoy that!

I'm not into the spiritual side (I do Peloton classes which skip this side of it, possibly due to people of different religions being members).
However I do like the muscular benefits, when I stopped doing yoga for a while I noticed my shoulders and hips were becoming sore and less mobile. I also find it had a good toning effect which I don't get from other exercises.

Not changed my life, but I find it relaxing and enjoy the stretched out feeling. Horses however, they have changed my life and riding is where I get the zoned out, nothing matters but this moment feeling

Thank you for all of your messages. I love that some of you feel stronger from yoga.

I like the idea of being more aware of my body - I am definitely a jaw clencher!

I used to meditate years ago and definitely benefited from it. I need to start Again I think but I just don't make the time. It's all fine to me - I'm not blaming anyone or anything else.

I think my problem is that I am a bit meh generally in my life at the moment- I am constantly exhausted so have not run in a week - which I have noticed definitely has an effect on my mood. Menopause is shit. I am the heaviest I have ever been and I'm a bit glass half empty at the moment. Which is generally unlike me.

I am waiting on some blood test results to rule out anaemia.

I will try and run this weekend - I am slow but I can do 5k in about 50 mins.

No I don't like it. Lifting weights is my thing. I think you just need to find your thing.

Bumping for the evening people

I'm not into the spiritual side either. I've done yoga every day for two years, it clears my head sometimes and I use it for target areas, like if I have a sore back I find a session just for that, or for cramps, headaches etc. I like for strength and toning. I've also joined a yoga school that is just for arm balances and inversions and I absolutely love it! The buzz I get from accomplishing a pose is the same I get from a run

For me, the relatively quick benefit that I got from the first few months of yoga was relief from a constantly painful shoulder/neck problem. Longer-term, it's given me belief in my ability to build strength if I keep working at things - I did my first freestanding headstand in about thirty years and was grinning all weekend.

I wouldn't describe myself as being very into the spiritual side of yoga, but there are things that I've taken from it. I think that accepting yourself for where you are on a given day is important - sometimes you can do the tricky poses, sometimes your body doesn't want to go there, and both of those are completely fine. I've learnt a lot about the subtle ways the state of your body can affect your mental state and that's helped me learn to use movement more subtly to enhance my wellbeing. Sure, sometimes when I'm annoyed at the world I need to go and march up a big hill to work it off. However, sometimes doing some poses that stretch out my shoulders works as well. That's useful on days you're in the office!

I do think that, if you're going to classes, finding a yoga teacher whose teaching style you gel with is important. There are a couple of teachers at my gym whose classes I don't enjoy. However, there are several whose classes I like much better. For me, I like a yoga teacher who has a bit of a sense of humour and encourages people to experiment with giving even the trickier poses a go, rather than someone who takes it very seriously and emphasises doing yoga "right". So it might be that you also need to find the right teacher for you , in order to get all the benefits yoga has to offer.

I would love to be a yoga enthusiast. I have been meditating for the last 5 years on and off and can finally clear my mind. I find yoga boring. I would love the spiritual side, I tried yoga for the spiritual side, I was just bored. I can only stick to around 3 days on a row. I will try again tomorrow as I do want the benefits. I was thinking about finding a yoga retreat to force myself to practice every day for a few weeks.

I practice at home via YouTube 4/5 times a week. Generally short sessions first thing in the morning.

I too am not spiritual so that side of it does nothing for me but the stillness and breathing is very calming. I am lucky that my space to do yoga has loads of natural light and I find that glorious as I move through breathing with my body.

I can see improvements in strength and tone. I am still a right chubster but less wobbly. I hurt less.

I am quite crap but I don't care.

I’ll be honest, my dyslexic self read the title of ‘Has Yoda changed your life?’

Obviously I needed to find out, Yoda hasn’t personally changed mine, but occasionally I dish out some of his worldly wisdom.

‘Do or do not, there is no try.’

Wonder if Yoda does Yoga and if it changed his life.

I’m a bit disappointed that Yoda hasn’t changed anyones life tbh.

For me? Absolutely nothing.

Both yoga and Pilates have really helped my bad back. They are the only things that have helped. I also enjoy being more flexible.

I enjoy the spiritual side. I don't really 'get' it but I do enjoy having a lie down at the end and switching off.

This is making me want to get back to yoga. I used to do weekly lessons and really noticed a difference in my tone and flexibility. I loved focusing on my breathing and zoning out a bit, just concentrating on breath/stretch/poses. I'm out of the habit of it now and I think I need to get back to it, even if it's 15 mins first thing in the morning or before I go to bed.

Oh, and I really like Sarah Beth Yoga on YouTube, she has lots of videos of different lengths or targeting different things so if I want to do 30 mins of neck and shoulder work I can or just 10 mins of full body morning yoga I can choose that one.

I love it. Haven’t actually done any for about 3 weeks and really notice the difference.

Yes it has, but only because I do it most days.

I'd done yoga occasionally in the past and enjoyed the stretching but found the emphasis on breathing confusing and didn't really get it. However, in the first lockdown I was furloughed and started doing live online yoga classes for something to do. I ended up doing them five or six days/week and now, almost two years later, I'm still doing it really intensively and still doing live online classes. It's changed my body and flexibility and I'm more self-aware and mindful. It feels like a really easy way to keep fit, strong and on an even keel.

The live classes are very good value for money because I pay a flat rate for the month and can do as many as I want. I don't have much spare money so that's important for me and I find the process of booking onto a class at a specific time makes me commit to it and turn up.

Can anyone recommend any on-line classes, other than Adrienne please? I think I’d like something with background music (relaxing type music I mean, I just find I can focus better with music).

'I am quite crap but I don't care.'

Good for you. It's the same with any form of exercise. You don't have to be 'good' at it or have any kind of talent to still get loads out of it. No one is grading your performance ☺️

I lift weights and then do yoga stretches almost every day. I am menopausal and feel loads better for doing this. It’s improved my energy levels. Maybe try using yoga moves to stretch after a run?

I enjoy yoga, but more for the stretching and toning than the meditative side. I also feel like I've 'done' something when I really can't be arsed to get all hot and sweaty and exercise properly. I love Yoga with Kassandra on YouTube, she has an absolute ton of videos suitable for anyone.

I feel the same OP. I recently tried yoga for a few weeks but I’m unsure. I find it hard to switch off when I’m just laying on a gym floor. I spend most of the class thinking about what else I “should” be doing

On the other hand, I do mountain biking & in the past I’ve done a lot of horse riding & find both amazing for mental health as I’m totally engrossed in the activity not thinking about other stuff. I also find spending time outdoors more beneficial than a yoga studio .