Yoga Chat: Would anyone like to chat here about our daily practice?

[CoteDAzur]

... since nobody in RL is willing to listen to me talk about how I hooked on to my big toe this morning or how I might soon dare do my headstand away from a wall?

How is your practice these days? Achievements? Challenges?

I find once I grasped the basic balancing postures by being strong in the straight leg, having a point to focus the eyes on and coming off the mat balancing postures became all about my mental focus - if I am tired at the end of the week and my head is a bit all over the place, then I am much worse. My friend says the same, she is quite highly strung and says she finds the balances really hard as her mind wanders far too much.

Imho the most important factors in leg balances is muscle strength and locking your sight on a stationary, not-too-near, and low point.

As you practice, your legs will get stronger and you will find that balance poses will become easier.

Bugger, just wrote a long post and lost it!

I'm trying to be less competitive, but it's really hard when you see people that are really good at certain poses. I tend to try and get myself in a position where I can't really see a few people in the class to try and stop myself comparing!

I'm really struggling with lotus, I can just about get there on a good day, but it hurts my ankles so I have to come out. I carry most my weight on my thighs, so don't know if that has anything to do with it? Does anyone have any tips? My hips are quite open, so it really frustrates me!

If you struggle with getting your feet on your thighs in Lotus: Have you tried crossing your feet the other way? Sometimes one side is more supple than the other.

One of the things I love about yoga happened to me tonight. I was having a pretty mediocre practice - my left hamstring was really tight and I was having to take things fairly gently.

And then, out of nowhere (with a little assistance) I got up into wheel for the first time - I'm feeling very chuffed right now!

That is brilliant, magic! I can only come up to half-bridge (top of my head resting on the floor). I'd love to achieve full bridge one day, probably years from now. Any tips or tricks you can share?

That was where I was, and my teacher suggested that she stand behind me and I held onto her feet and sort of pushed against her - I have no further tips from there as I just went up and then had to work to really straighten my arms. I was as surprised as anyone!

I wonder if it was anything to do with my arms being slightly wider and back rather than by my ears which is where they are in half bridge.

I also think that for me it isn't a problem with the actual backbending part, more that I need to work further on my upper body strength - I have recently lost just over half a stone, so I wonder as well whether that was enough for me to push myself up.

Ooh, I'll have to try that tomorrow! Thank you

Did you hold onto her ankles or just put your hands down on her feet as you would on the floor? Sorry, I'm having a bit of trouble visualising it.

That's brilliant magic. I can only do half bend as well, with head resting on floor but don't yet have upper body strength to go fully up. If I lost bit of weight think that would help. My old teacher used to be able to go into a back bend/wheel from standing like this woman does which I marvelled at

Held onto her ankles, but with my wrists facing her ankles in the same way as if I had them on the floor, if that makes sense?

I've just started yoga - not going to classes, as long work hours and lots of travel mean I can't commit but I've just finished 21 days of 5am starts to work through the beginners classes on Yoga Studio.

I'm really enjoying it and going to work through another few weeks of beginner classes before trying out some of the intermediate classes.

I'm finding flexibility really curious - I can almost do the splits so for example pigeon pose is easy but I can barely get my fingers to my shins in a forward bend - ambition is to touch my toes

Nice to have somewhere to share small victories!

Well done magic I always move my hands back a bit more than you'd think to and then walk them back in and move my legs out a bit further too. I don't think I'd make it up otherwise!

With my lotus, I have tried different legs on top and it does make a difference. I guess it's just a case of keeping trying!

another - That woman in your video is amazing. So strong, sure in her movement, and graceful

Walking hands back a bit before coming up to full wheel sounds like a good idea, too. Thanks for the tip!

I like the fact that she's not a 'babe' cote, she's an attractive older woman who is agile and graceful. I've noticed that most yoga videos (on Youtube at least) only seem to feature very young, slim women. I am not surprised older people, or those wanting to lose weight, are put off yoga.

Welcome project. Flexibility is indeed an odd thing, as someone said upthread, and very idiosyncratic. The trick with forward bends is to fold from the waist, like a piece of paper being folded in 2, not from the back and head IYSWIM. That way you get a deeper fold, but it takes time and I struggle with it.

I agree! It's wonderful to see an older woman so strong & in such amazing control of her body. Truly inspiring.

Welcome, Project It really is funny that some people can naturally do some poses with such ease but are so stiff in others. My hips are very open so I find Lotus, Pigeon etc easy but struggle with forward bends like you. I have been getting much better at forward bends, though. I think my hamstrings are slowly learning to play along.

I've just watched the video, I was at work before. I'd love to be able to do that, I remember always wanting to do it at school, but being too scared! That was a fair while ago and I'm far less agile now!

Hello Mind if I join you?

I've been doing yoga at home (youtube vids) for about 4-5 months, don't always manage everyday. I had been having back/neck pain and and yoga really helps, plus I feel stronger.

Today I managed side plank and felt very pleased with myself! My legs are fairly strong from cycling, but I definitely struggle with my arms, so was a good feeling.

Welcome, Rhinestone. Well done for the side plank! I find it really hard because of weak & tiny wrists. As with all poses, the more you do it the better you are able to do it, so keep it up. Baby steps to achievements that at first seem impossible

Thanks Cote yy to the tiny wrists!

I'm aware that I can't really talk yoga to people in RL for too long before their eyes start to glaze over so it's nice to have somewhere to chat...

Yay for side plank! I'm properly buzzing after today's practise, something just felt really different and things seemed to click into place!

Tonight's victory was being able to straighten my leg whilst holding my toes in the standing up leg raise pose, whatever it's called!

Hello, sorry it is all a bit hectic and I am not feeling so chatty at the moment. But I thought I'd chip in from my yoga mat this week. In the class I go to we have started doing some free form stuff. The idea is having tuned into your body you go where you need to (or not) and don't necessarily move through classical poses. Not for everyone I know and you may not even think that is yoga, but I found it quite liberating and especially in terms of home practice which I struggle with. I know now that I can do what I need to without worrying about poses etc. Think of a cat in a sunny patch that sort of thing!

Oh, drinkscabinet I really think that daydreaming is completely fine for meditation. Have you watched the headspace animations?

I know people are wary of links but here is the one that makes the most sense to me:

This one? That's a hard one, congrats! Don't you just love it when everything clicks into place and your body is doing all you ask of it and purring with pleasure?