Has yoga changed your life and if so how?

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I’ve heard from a few people and read online that yoga has changed their life. Has this happened for you and if so how?

@NathanNathan a lot of the time teachers will cue you to breathe too slowly and it can be frustrating if you're trying to follow their instruction. Generally you should be breathing in as you open/rise and breathe out as you close/fall. Just keep practicing and don't worry if you're breathing out of time. It's all about the journey, not the destination.

m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLui6Eyny-UzzWwB4h9y7jAzLbeuCUczAl

This is her beginners playlist.

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Ive been doing Morning Fresh by Adrienne every day since lockdown and working from home and I can see a difference in my strength and flexibility. Also, it definitely helps my mindset for the day ahead. It’s only 30-40 mins and a good start to the day, nothing too taxing in it.

Nathannathan I agree, don’t get too hung up on the breathing, just make sure you are continuously breathing in and out through your nose (never holding your breath) and you will gradually learn when in/out is useful. As beautifulmoment said, generally it’s an in breath holding or preparing to enter a pose and out to release or move deeper into it.

Adrienne does a great 10 minute back and shoulder video on YouTube. It cures my migraine if I get one.
I'm only a beginner but it makes me feel like I've had a massage. I do struggle with the breathing though, I don't seem to be able to breathe deep enough or at the right time but as someone with anxiety this is something I probably need to work on anyway.

Thanks @sleepwhenidie and @beautifulmonument that's really useful and exactly the sort of advice I was looking for!

I’m rubbish at the calm and relaxed part of it but it’s made me strong. I still prefer Pilates or Barre but 15 minutes a day of yoga is the best way to start the day. I’ve seen a lot of primary and nursery schools are including it on the timetable.

Yeah I've done that back and shoulder one, it's great if you have a knot.

The strength and flexibility is nice, but the mental space is even more beneficial. I practice with Rachel Brathen at yogagirl.com and love the classes. There are lots of different instructors and hundreds of classes - you can filter depending on what mood you're in!

There's a big focus on loving yourself as you are, accepting your feelings, a sense of community. They have a yoga studio on Aruba which runs yoga teacher training and one of the posdcasts from that is one of the most heartfelt things I've ever listened to. It's called the inner critic, and it's basically the whole training group sharing what their inner critic tells them, and what their inner best friend would tell them. There are so many common themes in the inner critic - not feeling worth, feeling unlovable. It's moving!

Forgot to add, they are running a free trial at the moment on yogagirl.com and it's worth signing up for that if you are thinking of giving it a go.

Well I have met loads of friends through yoga, got involved in local and national yoga associations, gained a better understanding of my place in the universe and my purpose in life, and managed to touch my toes.

It should be shoes off, no talking, take it very seriously, lots of discipline, no getting smashed off your head the night before and it should be very spiritual. Sorry but no, you don't get to tell other people what their yoga should be. There are many paths to yoga, all are valid.

I've nc so as not to out myself, but yoga changed my life so much, I am now a teacher of very traditional yoga where we focus on the mental health and stress-reducing benefits as much as the physical ones - although strength, mobility and posture improves as well.

I came to yoga at a time I was going through a lot of stress, and was lucky to find a wonderful teacher who weaved the physical workouts in with the emotional healing.

Over time I realised how much it was helping my mental health alongside the bending and stretching.

When I eventually left my very pressured job 17 years later, I trained to teach which means I still get those benefits through my personal practice and it's immensely gratifying to help people who were in the situation I was all those years ago.

My advice would be to try a few teachers until you find one that suits whatever you're looking for.

I have always wanted to get into Yoga, the people I know who practice regularly swear by it and they look fab. I tried a few free classes when I was younger but was obviously very immature as everytime the instructor spoke, I wanted to laugh and. Could t take it seriously ‘imagine your feet are the roots of a tree’ and ‘ now feel your breath, floating, you are a cloud’
I will definitely try it again in the near future.

I have friends that love yoga, it's really their thing and they look amazing on it....but it wasn't for me! I did a class with my daughter and felt like a lumpen waterbuffalo trying to do the various movements and poses. I can see why people like the more meditative side, but I already do meditation/relaxation so that wasn't so new for me.

Horses for courses, that was my second unsuccessful try at yoga, it's all about trying it and finding out if it's your thing.

I'm so glad I found this thread. I'm just recovering from my worst ever bout of sciatica; I couldn't walk, could barely stand up, etc. Someone recommended doing yoga or Pilates to strengthen my core. Definitely going to give Adriene a go

I am on day 24 of Yoga with Adrienne and have really noticed an improvement with my arm strength and my balance.

I am still utterly shit though and waiting for the break through into life change..

Yoga changed my life. It ruined my knees. I do Ballet now which suits me much better.

On the trying it thing...I tried about ten different classes before I found one that I really enjoyed. First one one kundalini, huge mistake ). Even the same class/sequence taught be different instructors can be a surprisingly different experience! So stick with trying lots before deciding ‘yoga isn’t for you’ - I honestly believe there’s a form of yoga for everyone to enjoy and benefit from and as Lordemsworth said, it can be whatever you want or need it to be!

Thank you all for your recommendations.

Another vote for Adriene, although I skip through the talky bits.

Yoga makes me feel tall and strong.

@GiveMyHeadPeaceffs you may find this posture beneficial if you're prone to sciatica:
www.yogiapproved.com/yoga-poses-2/eka-pada-kapotasana/

Do some warming up first - rotate your limbs, circle the hips from standing and then try it very gently, getting to a point where you feel a good stretch without pushing into pain.

I'm new to yoga, I've started during lockdown as I'd always wanted to try it and now I have the time! I really like the Down Dog app

That Cat Maffen looks hugely intimidating. She's as strong as an ox. Is she for beginners at all?

I’ve started using the downward dog app and I love it, you choose the exact size programme you want, and then follow the video. So if I only have 15 mins then I select that and the level, and it’s new routines every time.

I honestly feel SO much stronger, but like my heads a bit clearer and grounded too. I’ve no idea if it will change my body shape yet, but I can def feel it in my muscles so hoping so!