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Starting yoga again in June feeling stiff & out of practice

91 replies

Yogachick · 01/06/2026 07:41

Feeling like the Tin Man currently so back to the mat again.

OP posts:
Yogachick · 01/06/2026 09:17

Day 1 of June calendar,Return. A very gentle practice that I found tough. I’ve gotten very weak and am feeling like my muscles are full of tiny inflamed crystals. Yoga can only help. I’ve looked at the app calendar and the free one,free is definitely preferable. I’ve still got the app for now so will pop the options in as I go.

OP posts:
YogaFlow · 01/06/2026 20:49

Welcome back to the mat @Yogachick I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling health wise I hope with time and yoga, you'll feel much better soon 💐

YWA Center Day 26 Connect, 23 minutes. Perfect, as I couldn't actually be bothered. I love how I feel so much better after yoga.
Yoga streak 61. Eating mindfully 5.

@Pinkfluffypencilcase please come and join us over here 🙂

B0D · 01/06/2026 22:25

Hi yogis
I started back at a beginner class in January after a long break. I’m only going once a week but enjoying and feeling a tiny bit less stiff.

This evening I think I fractured my toe though!

Yogachick · 02/06/2026 10:26

Thankyou @YogaFlow impressed with your yoga streak & looking forward to feeling better after yoga, I remember the benefit even on those cba days. I’m interested in the mindful eating,can you expand? I feel it would go hand in hand with a yoga practice.
well done for getting to class @B0D , sorry about your toe, it’s very painful,speaking from experience and ending up with a very bent third toe.
Day 2, Release from the calendar. Another gentle one, lovely for easing back in but not my usual vibe at all. I have noticed the monthly calendars seem to be very gentle of late,which is part of why I’ve avoided them. Definitely feeling less crunchy today though so yay!

OP posts:
B0D · 02/06/2026 18:20

Toes are strapped together

YogaFlow · 02/06/2026 23:39

Hi @B0D your tie sounds painful, I hope having it strapped up helps it heal 💐
Well done for going to the beginner class, it’s been 30 years since I went to an in person class, other that pregnancy yoga, I’d really embarrass myself if I went now, I’m shocking bad. I’m continuing each day as I feel the benefit, even though I’m not improving or probably not doing the poses correctly 🤷‍♀️

@YogaFlow the mindful eating is because I’m 2 stone overweight for a healthy BMI and because I’m in the daily yoga zone I’m habit stacking by adding on mindful eating. I’ve given up sugar, chocolate, crisps, cakes, pastries etc I’m eating more balanced foods in the hope that by posting here with my yoga practice, the accountability helps me to keep it up. That’s the plan anyway.

(62) Day 28 Yin 22 mins, very slow, but some good stretches.
(6) Mindful eating (3 years ago I’d have dropped half a stone by now, but age isn’t on my side, so I need to do this more than ever.)

Yogachick · 03/06/2026 17:17

@B0D sounds like the best plan,my toe that I broke is very bent now but I did nothing as I thought it was just bruised🙄don’t be me!
@YogaFlow that’s a lot to give up in one go,but all of it is low nutrition so worth it.
day 3 of the calendar,Return 2 Grounded. This was a lovely practice with some creative movement I’ve not expected from Adriene. Feeling less crunchy though still stiff

OP posts:
YogaFlow · 03/06/2026 19:07

Less crunchy for the win @YogaFlow

I’m an all or nothing person so nothing it is. And I’m not missing anything yet because this is my choice, it doesn’t yet feel like a chore.

(63) Center day 28 freedom, 21 minutes some faster flows near the end

(7) mindful eating

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 04/06/2026 15:36

Hello everyone! Found you.

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 04/06/2026 15:38

B0D · 01/06/2026 22:25

Hi yogis
I started back at a beginner class in January after a long break. I’m only going once a week but enjoying and feeling a tiny bit less stiff.

This evening I think I fractured my toe though!

Ouch!

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 04/06/2026 15:42

Reposting from other thread

Day 27 flow speak.
started hrt again few days ago and I swear it’s loosened me up already. Childs pose I could do whereas I could t before hrt due to rotator cuff.
hey ** nice to see you back x hope you’re ok. It’s crazy how the stiffness returns so quickly!

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 04/06/2026 15:45

reposting

Thinking about what next and I might do centre as I do remember enjoying that before.
** eating less sugar is something I’m trying but it’s so hard! My dietitian said it’s 30g max a day sugar. But it’s so easy to go over if you have a smoothie or fruit juice. In the heat I had over 100g as i succumbed to a macdonalds iced drink!

Queenage · 04/06/2026 15:48

Going to my first beginners class tonight - I’ve paid for a course of 6 weekly classes and am looking forward to it eeek

Yogachick · 04/06/2026 19:57

@Queenage that’s exciting! I remember my first beginner yoga course all those years ago- when Geri Halliwell did the yoga videos. In person classes can a brilliant foundation and beyond.
Lovely to have you here and still going @Pinkfluffypencilcase ,you have no idea how much yours and @YogaFlow posting has encouraged me back to my mat. Thankyou x
Today was Yoga for Tennis players. Lots of down dogs, I struggled with the sheer amount and the longer holds but enjoyed the 22 mins practice. Inflammation is definitely reducing in my body, I 100% credit yoga with this both from my current experience and previous efforts. I’m definitely more of a morning yogi, I struggle to get myself to the mat later in the day

OP posts:
YogaFlow · 04/06/2026 22:36

@Pinkfluffypencilcase great to see you over here. So glad you're seeing HRT benefits already, I hope they continue for you.

I like Center too, but I think I might do Trust again next as I have a very busy could of work weeks coming up.
I'm still doing ok without eating crap, it's day 8 so it's early days. I'm going to give it another week before I weigh. Not eating or drinking out makes it easier, but way more boring!

@Queenage how exciting, I hope you enjoyed it. I agree with @Yogachick there are so many benefits to an in person class.

@Yogachick it's great news that your inflammation is reducing, yoga is magic!
I rarely do yoga in the morning, I love coming home from work and changing into comfies and getting straight to the mat. It's my now routine and it's working really well at switching my work brain off. Yoga really makes me a nicer person after work.

(64) Center day 29, 23 minutes, it was perfect!

Queenage · 05/06/2026 06:34

Thanks! It was good but I’m such a rusher that was hard to do everything so slow and deliberately but that’s the point I guess. And my balance is shocking but I did really enjoy it and I’ll practice myself at home. Thanks

Laiste · 05/06/2026 06:49

Oh my this thread has popped up in Active and it's so strange because i nearly started a similar thread yesterday ! Thank you OP 💐

Ive been doing 20/30 min (almost) daily yoga sessions for nearly 3 years now. But then, last month, i fell off the wagon and did none for the whole month!

My back started playing up again, my ankle started doing a new stupid twanging pain thing and i started to get pain in my right hip again.

😳🙄😳

I've done my yoga again 5 days running and i think the hip pain is lessening but it's worrying me. I feel bad that i stopped and let my body slide, I feel scared how quickly it all went wrong and i feel horrified at the thought of the state i'd be in if i wasn't able to do yoga 🫣

eeek

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 05/06/2026 12:20

@Laiste totally understand. I was shocked at how quickly I lost what little conditioning I had after 10 days in icu. I lost alot of core strength. Holding myself straight in the car going round bends was hard and took focus!

It’s why I loved the 30 day series and these threads as it kept me going and committed. It was great repeating the new series and noticing different things. I think the thread would often go well for about 6/7 months.

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 05/06/2026 13:33

Day 28 flow intuit

made me laugh when she refused to move Benji off the mat. Maybe yoga makes you more accepting.

rotator cuff still making extended child difficult but much less with the hrt. I’m a bit shocked at how quickly I’ve felt an improvement.

Laiste · 05/06/2026 17:23

Pinkfluffy as a total newbie to these threads (why didnt i think to look here before?!) it sounds like you've been through a lot and that the yoga people here are very supportive 💐

Pinkfluffypencilcase · 05/06/2026 18:33

Laiste · 05/06/2026 17:23

Pinkfluffy as a total newbie to these threads (why didnt i think to look here before?!) it sounds like you've been through a lot and that the yoga people here are very supportive 💐

yeah I have. Quite close to dying. But I’m here now.

Yes the yoga threads are v supportive. And even when I wasn’t practising I’d read and post by post I’d eventually get motivated enough to try again.

💐thank you to all the yoga posters xx

Yogachick · 05/06/2026 21:07

@Laiste maybe do shorter practices until you’re a bit more at ease with where your body is currently. Some is always better than none and from personal experience ,I feel benefit with even a 5/10 min practice
@Pinkfluffypencilcase that must have been a scary time for you & your loved ones. You’re such a supportive poster and I’m with you on even reading the posts helps. Do you feel going through something so traumatic has changed how you view life? Absolutely don’t answer if you don’t wish to share,some things are preferred to be private
@Queenage slowing down is one of the hardest parts of yoga and slowing down and being present with your breath is a full on workout,just very different to your average exercise class. Balance is my nemesis,especially since my back issues & my numb foot. However it’s super important as we age,so many deaths are caused by falls it,I’m in that age category now & refuse to be that wobbly old person
Insanely busy today & it’s my Zumba class so evening yoga was always on the agenda. We went out to dinner,a rare treat so I swapped the days round on the calendar so did just 14 mins of Day 29 Revolution Truth practice. I started off just getting it done but by the end was very present & focused with my breath. Revolution was my favourite 30 days before True, I will definitely revisit at some point

OP posts:
Pinkfluffypencilcase · 05/06/2026 22:42

@Yogachick it’s fine. Erm I guess it did. I think these extra days are a blessing. I had an awful habit of keeping things for best so now I’m using stuff up.
Really simple things like sorting my stuff out and preparing. Before I thought I had another 30 years but I have a fraction. Thinking about how I want my last years to be.
Joy is the key to life. I look for it everywhere.

YogaFlow · 05/06/2026 23:49

@Queenage I'm glad you enjoyed it. When I restarted, I was only able to move slowly as I was so stiff and uncomfortable.

@Laiste I'm so impressed with your 3 years daily practice, as Adriene says, getting to the mat is the hardest part, now that you've restarted you're more likely to keep going.

@Pinkfluffypencilcase what a lot you've been through 💐I love your new attitude, joy is definitely the key to life.

@Yogachick It's interesting what you say about breathing, I don't think I do it properly, but the benefit is still huge, and I agree with you that a 10 min practice also helps. You've summed up how I feel about being the wobbly old person, I'll do all that I can to avoid that. I'll look into Revolution as I need a new 30 day programme.

Today (65) I did a 23 YWA for relaxation practice as I got back at 8pm after visiting a friend after work. It was nice and at the end she said to do a bridge if you fancied it, I did and glanced at the TV and her bridge was nothing like mine, I've never seen anything like it. I'll try and attach a picture. My bridge was pathetic in comparison 😂
(9) Mindful eating.

Starting yoga again in June feeling stiff & out of practice
Pinkfluffypencilcase · 05/06/2026 23:59

Wow that bridge!!

I barely lift my bum up. I can just get a hand under 😂