To not find yoga calming?

[serenedream]

Admittedly I am a newbie! I hope that I am unreasonable, because I have dearly wanted to learn for many years, and have only been able to commit to it recently.

I have a rather lousy local class and can't yet get to one further afield as not driving at the moment. By lousy I mean it is very large and the teacher can't really help individual clients.

So, I have tried many vids at home and have studied alone (books, documentaries, etc) and tried out small sessions here on my mat, going gently and trying to find a fit that feels right for me.

But some of even the easier poses feel stressful, it is even worse if I try to follow a video as my neck is twisting around to see it! I thought of planning a set of poses before hand then easing into them alone, but even then I can't quite seem to find it relaxing. I must admit that my muscles feel fab after though! Some dreadful soreness as a newbie (hope this is normal) but my mind feels odd and frazzled! I felt even more stressed and hyper after doing it.

I have meditated for years so not a novice there, I am usually very comfortable being alone with myself and breathing/inner silence and calm. It's just that I can't seem to combine that with asanas - which is what yoga is supposed to be about!

AIBU to think maybe it is not for me? Perhaps it works for some and actually upsets others? I have had a really sore neck and feel unpleasant doing any kind of inversion. Even downward dog makes my head pound. Maybe I could do modifications?

Well don’t do it then 🫤

I think the relaxation part comes after the class for me. I love yoga because it moves my body in certain ways and gives me the same sensation as a good stretch first thing in the morning. The actual poses can be strenuous and sometimes require concentration but savasana at the end is all about relaxing and letting go. It's my favourite part.

Thank you for the plank tips, will search for more variations!
Will also work on core first. There are some ballet workouts/warm ups that are core focused that look gentle and worth doing so may try that.

Am going to try some of the more hands free, non inverted yoga poses and see how I feel.

I also read about yoga practitioners sustaining injuries, some scary stories out there! One woman fell asleep in a bend position and lost the use of her legs for years. I am hoping this is rare!

I don't enjoy yoga but love Pilates.
For some reason I always hurt myself doing yoga (too much stretching/twisting? holding poses? hypermobility? inexperience? Idk) but I can't remember any Pilates injuries and I was able to feel the benefit from the beginning.
I suspect I'd benefit from some yoga as well as Pilates (I'm menopausal now and need the extra stretching) but I can't be bothered.

Yoga genuinely stokes a deep anger within me!

I think you may be yet to find the right yoga teacher for you :) Yoga is about the journey into each pose and about honouring your own body so if you need to rest in class you should be free to do that. Always step away from pain, that's your body's way of saying no. I'm a yoga teacher btw :)

You win MN gold!

Me too!

OP have you tried yin yoga? It's a lot of slow stretching, good to do before bed. It's the only version I can tolerate

Weirdly, my DP said I was hell to live with during my first week of practicing yoga, became a bit of an in joke between us and family/friends. I think I wonder if it is me doing it wrong, and just need to keep trying or whether I am not cut out for it.

Finding that clarity is important. Usually when something isn't for me I can walk away but yoga has me a tad more confused as something about it feels right, too.

In general, I do not find yoga calming unless I specifically do a yin class. I do hot yoga exclusively and it’s strenuous, but the feeling afterwards is incredible.

It's not unreasonable, different things work for different people, and it may depend on what kind of relaxing you're looking for.

For me, yoga & similar are relaxing at least after doing it because I find them difficult and have to focus entirely on them, which means my mind isn't whirling about other things - if I try to think of anything else when doing it, something will go wrong and when I've finished, I find I'm out of the mental spiral and ruts I went in with, at least for a bit. I feel the same with strength training, especially if I'm working on feeling a specific muscle (which I find really difficult).

Even what looks like the simplest move, like one I was given which is just laying flat on your front and lifting opposite arm and leg for a few seconds, down, lift the other pair, repeat and alternate that until you've gone back and forth 15 times, that looked so easy, but if I think of anything else, I will screw it up. I have to focus, pay full attention to my body, and that's helpful and results in my being relaxed after, but not really during.

Yoga with Adrienne has a lot of 30 day playlists, this is the MOVE one a previous poster mentioned., I started with videos like hers, but now just do a cycle of moves.

I think the right teacher is extremely important! My yoga teacher would be horrified if anyone in her class was experiencing pain. She always says "Listen to your body"! A good teacher will suggest modifications.

I think many people , whether due to environment or other reasons simply can't shop around for the right teacher. I imagine this is really accessible in a city or if you drive, but I am fairly stumped being semi rural with one class within train distance.
It's internet or nothing most of the time.

I would love to hire a private tutor but there are none available here either. And I would guess for many, financial and physical issues may prevent them from class/teacher hopping on the regular.

Thank you to everyone for giving an opinion.

I just did the hands free session with Adriene and have to admit to feeling really relaxed after. Perhaps I am not cut out for the more complex acrobatics

Does anyone think it might be a good idea to collect a few videos and just repeat them slowly, then work up to new routines? I thought props were a waste of money but I could really appreciate a few blocks and bolster! My blankets and pillows at home just fall over or unfurl, lol.

I do fitness yoga, which moves through the poses a bit more quickly and that works for me. I couldn't sit for endless breaths holding one pose. Most of the fitness yoga flows (when they get up to speed) are 'breath in, exhale as you go into downward dog, breath in, exhale to low lunge' and so on. It's not hugely meditative, but I prefer it.

I think you’re focusing too much on it being relaxing. I don’t think I’ve ever expected it to be relaxing because anything that sounds even vaguely like exercise is effort for me. I want to end up feeling energised if anything, which I usually do after yoga. I suppose the ‘relaxation’ comes just because if you’re concentrating on trying to do or hold a pose, you’re not thinking about all the other things that you are usually thinking or worrying about.

Is there any yin yoga locally? That's long passive holds with lots of props like bolsters. That is relaxing. A vinyasa class isn't really

I think you have to do it for a while so you just know the postures without having to look before you can get properly into the breathing and headspace.

I also feel oddly tense and anxious sometimes after yoga.
I keep wondering why that is! I'm sure the spiritual people would says it's something to do with your energy systems. Who knows! 😂

I suppose focusing on the breath and stretches pulls the mind in tightly so stops the internal 'noise' somewhat. But I would imagine a lot of fitness routines do this, as well as making us feel energised later. I used to love cycling, but it plays havoc with my knees. The feeling after a long ride was out of this world!

The thing is there are so many different kinds of yoga, that it takes a while to find what suits you. And yes, very difficult to do if you don't have a variety of classes to try!

I do iyengar yoga which is very slow and precise. Very rare for people to hurt themselves doing it because we take care to use props etc to support us. I find other styles very unnatural, and often as you say feel the teachers can't quite give the attention you need.

Also, some of the asna are relaxing, some are invigorating. Some generate heat, some don't. A good teacher will include this information in their classes...

There are some iyengar classes on YouTube if you want to give it a try. The ones I've used before are Yoga with Lin and Leo.

Good luck!

@PlaygroupWoe Thank you, I will have a look..

Is yoga cardio? I've never got out of breath doing it. Is it a specific type thats cardio? Maybe I've been doing the easy version!

I hated yoga too, and also mat based Pilates. I am not very co ordinated and would either collapse in giggles or go home more stressed than when I arrived.

Then I discovered Reformer Pilates classes. A reformer is a piece of spring loaded equipment - a sliding platform that supports the various moves.

It's absolutely ace. I love it and the results are amazing.