How should it feel?

[ohlalalalalalalalala]

I realise this is a ridiculous question but I’ve never really ‘got’ yoga. I’ve tried a good 3/4 times with Adrienne and even though I am so keen to love it I just haven’t.

Tried again tonight and landed on someone else on YouTube - didn’t see the name but a bearded man with tattoos. He was a bit less airy fairy about it all although did still talk about making room for the passenger inside of me. Anyway, I got on much better with him and managed to whole beginners video.

But my question is how should it feel? Just stretchy? There was one pose where I had to hook one knee then put my hands behind it and pull which felt very stretchy in my hamstring but I was a bit like ‘oh is this right?’ - it wasn’t painful just different.

How is it exercise though if it’s just stretching? Is it that it’s hard to hold your own weight in downward facing dog and eventually over time that will become easier? Because that did feel hard but maybe I am just unfit and rubbish? People talk about yoga as this amazing exercise but I think for me the lack of speed, breathlessness etc makes me feel confused about it.

I also struggled to breathe for as long as him!

On the whole though I definitely enjoyed it much more than the ones I had tried with Adrienne and will definitely do the video again a few times to see if I can improve.

I really do want to love it!

Another vote for Kassandra. Adrienne annoys me intensely.

Yoga makes me feel good - supple and longer. In person classes are a really good start.

There are different types of yoga styles. The types I'm familiar with are this...

Vinyasa yoga - this is about repetitive yoga that "flows". Doing one movement in one breath. This involves breathing techniques that improve your lung strength. At least it did for me after recovering from covid. Example "breath in - mountain pose. Breath out - cactus pose."

Power yoga - this is exactly what it sounds like. It's more about poses that build strength and endurance. There will probably be a lot of planks, boats, hollow backs and warrior poses.

Hatha yoga - this is more about stretching but can challenge your strength depending on the workout. If your goal is flexibility you might want to go for this one.

Yin yoga - also known as restorative yoga. If you don't like the airy fairy nature of yoga you might want to avoid this one or go for a low comment kind of yoga instructor for this one. It tends to lean to the very mediation type of yoga and holds poses for longer. But as the restorative name suggests it is actually really great for when your are recovering from injuries and it tends to be great for physical therapy. But it's also often combined with the idea of restoring your mind and spirit.

I have actually gotten out of breath and sweat a lot doing Vinyasas, power yoga and Hatha yoga (Hatha yoga less) but obviously Yin yoga I usually just do on my rest days to keep the momentum going without exerting myself. I tend to lean towards power yoga myself because I'm trying to build muscle and endurance.

I would say it depends on what you want out of yoga though. Typically yoga is all about breath control so it's not really about getting out of breath but recently I have because I've been turning up the difficulty so some of the poses are challenging and new.

Usually I just feel a little sore after and that's great.

@SadDustBunny do you do in person/app/ YouTube? I too like vinyasa and power yoga so am hoping it’s YouTube x

I think it's quite teacher specific. I've dabbled with yoga for a long time and don't like the very spiritual side of it. I do, however, value it for the relaxation, strengthening and flexibility aspects. I currently do a weekly Hatha class. The regular teacher goes overseas in the summer running retreats so we've had a load of cover teachers. It's been really interesting and I've picked out a couple of teachers that I particularly liked whose classes I would seek out.

Pilates is different. It focuses a lot of strength. There is no spiritual aspect. I prefer it but I'm much more commonly sore after pilates than yoga. Again the teacher matters. I didn't go to my regular pilates class this morning as the teacher is away and I can't stand the cover teacher. Instead I trekked an extra 20 minutes to the next branch of my gym chain for a session with a formidable 60+ yo former physio who really makes you work and whose own fitness is testament to the benefits of a long term commitment to pilates.

I watch Sarah Beth on YouTube. She does have an app though but there's a subscription so I just stick to her YouTube channel. Her videos are colour coded though which is great.

Power yoga is red

Vinyasas are blue/green

Hatha blue

And Yin purple

I do recommend checking out her app though. You can't watch the videos without paying the subscription but you can still look at the playlists which have difficulty type muscle group ect.