Yoga - worth persevering?

[CaramelEmporium]

My 46 probably about three stone overweight and woefully inflexible. Grasping the bull by the horns I am trying to make some changes...one being that I started yoga a few days ago following the Adriene 30 day beginner thing...bugger me I’m useless. She is transitioning beautifully from pose to pose I’m pulling my legs into position and realising that my stomach is an impediment to me getting my forehead that close to the floor. My AIBU to ask, has anyone gone from embarrassingly bad to could hold their own in a class? How long can I expect this to take?

Those who don't like 'woo', try Cyndi Lee. While she is a Buddhist as well as a yoga teacher, her teaching style is very down to earth and practical (and she's funny with it).

@LadyJaye I am very unwoo too, but annoyingly the stuff about breathing etc does help relax you. There are (genuine) scientific reasons for this (and you dont have to "believe" in it for it to work if that makes sense). Also, the breathing in sinc with your movements does help deepen stretches etc. I like Adriene because even though there is a fair bit of "the light in me recognises the light in you" stuff, the way she describes the breathing into stretches is quite matter of fact. Some of the "woo" language yoga teaches use are just a way of visualising quite complex internal things.
But yeah, the whole point of yoga is that it is non-competitive so I can see why that would be annoying if you are very competitive. Doing it at home might help with that.

(Even if you dont start yoga try holding a stretch for 30 seconds or so and then breathing out as you try to deepen it, holding it, deepening it as you breath out again. It is a very useful way to gently increase flexibility.

I love yoga, but I still find it very hard. I still do the beginners classes. Have a look on YouTube, I like yoga with Kassandra, she has a lot of videos. Also maybe try doing shorter sessions, I do 20 or 30 mins every day and find I see and feel the benefits more quickly than longer sessions a couple of times a week.

I have been doing yoga on and off for 20 years, despite the fact I have a hip problem so I can't even sit crosslegged, bend more than about 10 degrees from straight when sitting on the floor, or do quite a lot of moves as they are intended.

It is worth perservering - since last April I have done 20-30 mins yoga every other morning and even I got slightly bendier in some poses. It helps that I have experience of in-person lessons so I have been helped with getting an idea of how to modify poses to accommodate my hip/lower back issues. If you can't go 'all the way' with a move, don't sweat it - one tutor I did classes with had a good way of thinking about it, I think he said 'Follow through with your energy body' - as in, go as far as you can, but then just visualise/think about what the full move looks like, so I never beat myself up about what I can't do.

Adriene's stuff is great there's really no expectation of being as flexible as she is. I have found the Downward Dog app really good for yoga sessions; it's what I use most days, and there's lots of settings for different levels, so it might be worth trying.

Yoga really isn't about reaching the floor or bending yourself into a pretzel, it's about being present and taking time to just 'be in your' body to me (which is why it was such a lifesaver when the kids were little!)

@ladyjaye a good non woo, unarsey online yoga teacher is Sadie Nardini who combines HIIT with yoga and calls it yoga shred. I've been seriously into yoga for years but her courses transformed my practice and made me much stronger and fitter. (I still like a slower practice too)

Unwoo recommendations for Tim Sinesi and also London based HMF yoga .. I've gone from total noice to obsessed with a daily practice but that doesn't mean I'm anything other than enjoying what I do whatever it looks like .. and also the changes it's given me off the mat are so significant I couldn't be without it now especially with the current COVID situation .. I would say listen to your body and mix up the week with a variety in pace and teacher.. and don't skip the quiet bits .. we are all sat there some days with wandering minds wondering what to make for dinner .. but slowly and sometimes something magical starts to happen..

Total novice not noice !!

@desertcoffeeyoga would you mind explaining a bit more about the benefits? I’m trying desperately to motivate...

@CokeAndPepsi happy to ! It gives me a strong foundation from which to cope with family/work/ normal issues .. I also have found at 50 that I've managed to develop a stronger core and love the space and time I get on the mat. I'm not that great at the meditation but do feel that I get some benefit from it especially after movement .. it took me a good while to build up a daily practice and there are still days when I think I can't be bothered but within ten mins of getting on the mat I'm so glad that I did. I can now feel a pause before dealing with conflict, sleep better and my kids and DH tell me I'm a lot calmer which is amazing .. don't get me wrong though I'm not wafting around on a little cloud .. that's not my personality but I do feel a great deal of comfort from my yoga practice . Some days it's very quiet and slow .. others I'm blasting loud music and moving .. I just need to notice what I need .. and my energy levels .. that's what I love about it too; you can adapt it to suit what you need .. by the way at 50 I use two yoga mats and a couple of blocks to hand .. I'm not looking for first prize in the " how it looks " competition and like to be comfy ..

[quote CokeAndPepsi]@desertcoffeeyoga would you mind explaining a bit more about the benefits? I’m trying desperately to motivate...[/quote]
I started doing yoga for mental health, but it has definitely had an impact on my physical health, particularly aches and pains due to stress. I feel much leaner, and my skin ( including cellulite) is much improved.

That's how I feel about yoga.

I'm not naturally a yoga (Ommmmm) person but really, really rare what regular practise, a little often does for me.

The thing I had to get to grips with is to follow the purpose of any pose, rather than to try and get into the position demonstrated by the teacher. I am a bit competitive, so found I often used the wrong muscles (back instead of abs for example ) in order to reproduce what I was seeing others do.

My bad was aching more, the mire I did well any exercise

I looked for teachers and classes interested in therapeutic yoga. A good sign is when the teacher demonstrates the simplest version of a pose, and then shows how to go deeper, rather than starting with an advanced piss and explaining if you can't do this then do .... it's not much fun being the person who can't do that.

The right teacher is important. Its also important to do a little often, so say ten minutes when you wake up (or stop work). You may find once you get started you are happy to do more. You will get surprised how much more you can do.

Very satisfying when you see real progress especially on the poses which you always find difficult. Those are the one which need "double practise"

Would you consider doing a beginner course at a studio on Zoom? That teacher will break down all the core poses and it will be targeted at people like you, I promise not all people who do yoga are the "I watch TV with my leg behind my head type".

My mum is fantastic at teaching beginners, we have hundreds of people who have never done yoga in their life come to our studio and see incredible journeys.

@TammyTwoSwanson

Is there a type of yoga where you don't spend all the time upside down folded in half? I have a reflux and I just cannot do this without throwing up.

Hatha, restorative or yin. Restorative and yin are mostly mat based, they work on releasing the connective tissue and fascia rather than building strength.

Avoid vinyasa or ashtanga or their derivatives called things like "power" as these all involve a lot of sun salutations

Try Sarahbethyoga- she's started a beginners session this month. My mum really struggled with Adrienne's initially, she found SarahBeth much easier to follow (she's often shows modifications/uses a block etc).

I've done yoga on and off for years, but since last Jan I've done at least 10mins every day- my flexibility has improved so much! I used to feel like the tin man

Definitely stick with it (I desperately need to get back into it). She has tonnes of other videos to choose from and also ones that break down the individual poses so do have a look on YouTube.

I have incredibly tight hamstrings and heels are nowhere near the floor during downward dog, however if I do daily practice then after 4-6 weeks I'm pretty much feet flat on ground.

It's also worth having a look at her yoga for feet videos. I find it extremely uncomfortable to rest on the tops of my feet if i've not yoga'd for a while. It does get better. Same with wrists.

You'll also learn which yoga styles you enjoy. Personally I despise sun salutations and any sort of yoga flow. I like core work, floor work, balance work and yin yoga for deep stretching. I don't want cardio yoga and exercise my lungs elsewhere.

I do find it beneficial for my mind and always feel better when I've completed a session.

Yoga does not have to be woo

But it is often transformational

If you can keep the yoga going for 6 months 2/3 per week you will never look back. So many benefits but as with everything they take time.

Don't do it every day - this is hard to maintain and you will def fail.
Also find a style you like - many different types to enjoy.

I am going to take your advice @silverbubbles - 6 months 2/3 times a week. I have been stopping and starting yoga for years - always start by aiming too high and then stopping - think I need to take things more slowly. OP Adriene is great but her 30 day programme is hard. She has some great beginner (properly beginner) videos too.

I wanted to do yoga so badly I had some one to one lessons. Still couldn't get on with it. Now doing ballet. Bloody brilliant 30 minutes every day since first lockdown. Back problems all gone. Body shape completely changed. Feels like meditation sometimes. I am in my 60s and never did ballet before. Wish Id discovered it years ago.

Another online yoga that might appeal to some is this guy
yogawithlandon.com/

As someone with a few more than three stone overweight, I love the gentle/moderate/strengthening yoga series on YouTube by The Yoga Room (Round Rock, TX)
Theres an instructor and someone demonstrating who is of a larger sizes so you get a good view of what poses look like in a bigger body.

saveforthat where/how do you do ballet?

I could never get on with yoga. Much prefer Pilates.

Some people are naturally very flexible (even hyper mobile) so they can access all the crazy poses.

I find I can do all the hard Pilates moves and get a proper workout because you don’t need to be really flexible. My flexibility has improved enough but Pilates is more about strength and functional mobility. There’s no real benefit from wrapping your leg round your neck for example. However, having strength at the end of your range and being mobile in the right areas is far more important.

Oh and I put my back out for months last time I did yoga.

It’s about finding exercise you enjoy....