[Serenity*Now]

^ That is exactly why I do Ashtanga and not a more relaxing, flowing type . More bang-for-the-buck

[farou7a]

Ive seen a few threads on acne, and flawless skin, etc.

Honestly, it can be something you outgrow, and in some cases, its not b/c it's in the genes.

YOGA however is something I would HIGHLY recommend. Not only do you feel great, it actually changed everything about my skin too.

Of course your yogi will tell you to have a healthy diet. i.e. cut down on junk, drink water and fresh juices and even MORE importantly, get a good nights sleep.
Meaning, sleep at a good hour so you wake up for breakfast. (this helps with dark eye circle problems too)

I speak out of experience, I kid you not.

[tullepen]

I love yoga, been doing it for 5 years now. Have to make sure to take one day off a week though,according to traditional astanga guidelines.Also not to do it during heavy menstruation,inversions during menstruation,do it on an empty stomach.It really has changed my life.

[TommyGirl]

I love yoga and the feeling after I`ve done it. But, I have this problem: I usually skip the yoga, because I have only limited time to exercise, so I always think it is more useful to use it on cardio and sculpting. Now, I have tried more intensive yoga, it really makes me sweat and even out of breath. Can I replace my usual work outs with this yoga without worries? I really know yoga isn`t easy, but still something in the back of my head says: Do real work outs!!

Thing is I really, really enjoy it, and I wonder if it could change my body and mind.

[Serenity*Now]

I can only speak from my experience and my body-I totally believe that everyBODY is different (lifestyle, history, genes, diet..etc) but YES. I did. I replaced my 'gym' workouts with a heavy-workout orientated yoga style. We do a lot of bodyweight-type exercises and there's no way I could lift or bench or squat 100-ish pounds at the gym. I cut down on my cardio but I did not eliminate it completely; and part of that is just mental...my hangup. I do more short, intensive bursts and also take a good nice walk at least once a week. But I'm doing Ashtanga 5-6 days a week for 2+hrs and it still kicks my a**. I used to be a total gym rat, by the way.
namaste

[TommyGirl]

^Thank you for your answer. Every celeb and model says they got their body "just doing little yoga", and however the reality is almost all of them do a lot more than just it. So this has got me thinking if it is only over-hyped and fashionable atm. This being said, I`m not after model body at all, but I still want results from my training. This far I haven`t practised yoga regularly enough to make my own conclusions. But this thread has definitely been useful to me.

[Andrea.RL]

HI everyone!

I've been reading about tones of people doing yoga, and they look all great.
Two years ago, i bought a small book about it, did it for a few days but i didnt like it was a work out... So i decided to move on to pilates and aerobics.

For some time now, i've been feeling like sh*t, i dont eat well, am tired, dont feel well and add to that the cold i just caught, i want to change my routine.
Is yoga a real workout? I think ill still continue pilates and aerobics, but is there a kind of yoga that is "intense"?(is bikram intense?) Does anyone know any good sites that explain routines (so i can do it at home, theres no gym for that here) and the base of yoga (someone here just mentionned about the spiritual and nutritional side) ?

Thank you to anyone with answers and sorry if theres dumb questions, im a newbie.

[Serenity*Now]

Honestly I don't think that one can really teach themselves or "try" yoga from a book, video, or gym class. For a once in awhile thing to add to your workout, yeah, & if you already have some experience with it, sure but to really TRY yoga as a workout, it should be done with a yoga teacher at a yoga studio. Try a Bikram or Ashtanga class and see what you think! I'm sure you'll come back and agree it's a workout. Even if you just do it for a short period you'll learn more than trying to do it on your own.
I wasted years doing 'here & there' yoga online, at the fitness center, videos, etc and I couldn't see what the big deal was. Now I get it & am a cert. teacher.
Don't worry about changing around your mind or diet b/c those seem to happen naturally when you're into it.

[Andrea.RL]

^ that's cool you're a teacher

Ok, I'll look into a real class, but maybe still try a few things "here and there" until I find one
Bikram sounds interesting, I think I'd get a kick out of it, what is ashtanga?

[Lola Montès]

The thing is there's so many different kind of yoga classes.
A few years ago, i used to attend one at a fitness club and it was more like a stretching class. There were a pregnant woman in the assistance. I found it boring and I quit after a few lessons.
Now I'd like to make another try in a real yoga center, for a more demanding class. But, as I said before I feel a bit confused with all the different kind of yaga classes existing

[cheepmunk]

Does anyone have a favorite yoga workout/video/routine that doesn't involve sun salutations? My knee recently declared war on the rest of my body, which means I can't do lunges.

[Serenity*Now]

Sun A [& variations] doesn't have the lunges that B does.
If there's nothing wrong with your knee (diagnosis-wise) my yogi teachers would tell you to work thru it in order to strengthen area and avoid further imbalances), or avoid the postures that flare it up- ie., warrior I is a different knee stressor than warrior II. Even the floor poses do different things to different sides, angles,etc. There are some books that give ideas on a routine sequence ["choreography"] - if you want some rec's let me know. I find the gentle, non-stressing videos terribly boring. Would rather sit somewhere and meditate for that time.
But if it hurts in most everything...I'd get that checked out by a doc!

[YoninahAliza]

I've just begun doing Kundalini yoga and its great! I love that it mixes a bit of a workout with meditation and spiritual. It seems to me to be the best of both. I wanted to practice a type of yoga where I felt like I got a workout but also was able to get an inner perspective on myself too. Now I am wondering, why I didn't start sooner! My mum is quite happy to see that she finally rubbed off on me, she's been doing yoga for years now and even goes on retreats too, I guess mother really does know best!

[justlooking]

i just did my first 90min session of bikram yoga.
so happy that (what felt like) the last third of the poses all involve being on the ground. I was so ready to just lie down.

[cheepmunk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serenity*Now Sun A [& variations] doesn't have the lunges that B does. If there's nothing wrong with your knee (diagnosis-wise) my yogi teachers would tell you to work thru it in order to strengthen area and avoid further imbalances), or avoid the postures that flare it up- ie., warrior I is a different knee stressor than warrior II. Even the floor poses do different things to different sides, angles,etc. There are some books that give ideas on a routine sequence ["choreography"] - if you want some rec's let me know. I find the gentle, non-stressing videos terribly boring. Would rather sit somewhere and meditate for that time. But if it hurts in most everything...I'd get that checked out by a doc!

Oh, I would love some recs, if only so I can change up what I'm doing now. I'm not a fan of the gentle videos either. I always end up getting annoyed, which I think sort of defeats the purpose of trying to relax.

Yeah, it's pretty much any standing position that involves bending the knee. I've noticed it with Warrior I and II, the Extended Side Angle, Prayer Twist, and Reverse Warrior. Don't worry, I'm definitely planning on getting it checked out. I just won't be able to see my regular doctor for a couple of months, and I'm really trying to avoid doing anything to aggravate it until then.