Yoga

[TheKiwi]

What are the differences between different types of yoga? My college offers three different types of yoga to take: vinyasa flow, hatha, and kripalu. What are each of those like? Thanks!

 

[mellowdrama]

havent heard of him chanel...
will check it out- thx...

i'm going to an iyengar class on monday...
i actually dont know a whole lot about it.....
i think it is slower in pace than ashtanga...
does anyone practice it ?

I've taken a beginning yoga class with an Iyengar-certified instructor. I found it very focused on opening up the hips/low back/hamstrings. The teacher encouraged use of straps and blocks to help get into the poses and hold them longer. If you have very tight muscles or old injuries, I've found Iyengar teachers to be very one-on-one in tailoring a program that works for your body's specific issues. Also, teachers of Iyengar's yoga go through a lengthy training program. I've never felt like I was being barked at or forced into some pose that felt awkward or downright dangerous in an Iyengar class.

I've taken both Hatha and Bikram's yoga classes in the past, and though each have their strong points, since Iyengar style is slower, the poses are held longer, I felt more of an awareness of my own body rather than the competitive focus I've felt in some "mirrored-wall" classes. Plus, Mr. Iyengar seems like a pretty cool dude to me. He's got to be pushing 90 years old and walks his talk.

Here's a link to the offical BKS Iyengar yoga site:

http://www.bksiyengar.com/

 

[mellowdrama]

What are the differences between different types of yoga? My college offers three different types of yoga to take: vinyasa flow, hatha, and kripalu. What are each of those like? Thanks!

Vinyasa flow puts the poses together into a fluid movement, often to music. I've enjoyed it--it's good if you like movement and dance classes. Hatha seems to mean anything people want it to mean, unfortunately. "Hatha" just means "physical". Any hatha class I've taken has been basic poses (asanas), glorification of the headstand, and holding poses for long periods of time--five minutes or more for some!

As a spiritual tradition, yoga is much more than just a form of physical excercise. There's bhakti, jnana, raja, and karma yoga-and many subsets among these depending upon which guru's teachings you follow.

I'm not sure what kripalu is about. I'd google it and see what you come up with.

Here's a good link to a Yoga Journal article/quiz on choosing a yoga style that's right for you:

http://www.yogajournal.com/newtoyoga/497_1.cfm

 

[adorefaith]

thanks for the insight mellow-
it is of great help....

its nice to hear good reviews of iyengar...
i am going to try it and see how i go-
focus on hips & lower back is great.....i have mild issues w/both....

i'll report back after class....

 

[TheKiwi]

^ Thanks so much mellowdrama for your help.

 

[xxkissbangxx]

Anyone here do bikram yoga?

 

[adorefaith]

kissbang- if you read the thread...
you'll see there are various reviews of bikram...

 

[uberQuirkiness]

hmm..im not sure..can anyone clarify? can you lose weight with yoga effectively? like 20 pounds?

 

[Organic]

hmm..im not sure..can anyone clarify? can you lose weight with yoga effectively? like 20 pounds?

you're not going to lose that kind of weight with yoga unless your life was pretty inactive before that. you need cardio to lose weight. you have to be at a caloric defict. yoga will certainly help you in that, but it's not a huge calorie burner.

 

[uberQuirkiness]

^ thanks organic! karma.

 

[limo]

Has anyone here seen Inhale with Steve Ross on the Oxygen channel? It’s the only yoga I’ve done. I want to take a yoga class, but I don’t know what kind to take. What kind of yoga is done on Inhale? Thanks.

 

[Organic]

Has anyone here seen Inhale with Steve Ross on the Oxygen channel? It’s the only yoga I’ve done. I want to take a yoga class, but I don’t know what kind to take. What kind of yoga is done on Inhale? Thanks.

that's hatha yoga.

any place you'd take a class would be more than happy to explain the class you were taking.

 

[shoegal2183]

I have had some instructors read passages from Yoga books during the final resting pose. Has anyone read any good Yoga philosophy books that are not real 'deep'?

 

[Atelier]

I have had some instructors read passages from Yoga books during the final resting pose. Has anyone read any good Yoga philosophy books that are not real 'deep'?

In class we were read "Be Cool To The Pizza Dude" by Sarah Adams.

 

[rainglow]

For anyone who has done a bit of ashtanga vinyasa flow but can't remember the sequences well enough to do some good practise at home, I found this website that has mp3's of the teacher talking you through a routine...I've always thought about taping my teacher so this is pretty much ideal for me http://yogadownload.com/commerce/productcategory.asp?NUMBER=33 You add it to your cart as if you were going to purchase but they dont' ask you for credit card details or anything for this one (you do have to register though)

You have to buy them but there's one free 20minute workout and there's also a free pdf of the poses incase you don't recognise some of the names (http://yogadownload.com/20minsOfPower1.pdf). I've gone through the mp3 once and it seems great! Hope this helps someone

 

[Ianastar]

I keep wanting to take a Yoga class at my gym, but I chicken out and just do the stationary bike. I bike like 60 miles a week, but I think my body is used to it, because Im not losing weight anymore.

I dont want to do weights anymore, and Im not wanting to develop alot of muscle. But I would like to be more lean and toned. Would adding YOGA help with this?

 

[rainglow]

because Im not losing weight anymore.

I dont want to do weights anymore, and Im not wanting to develop alot of muscle. But I would like to be more lean and toned. Would adding YOGA help with this?

To be more "lean and toned" you need to burn off fat. Essentially there's no such thing as toning, you just strip off the fat that covers the muscle so it's more apparant on your body. If your body is used to your current cardio routine you need to shake it up....either continue on the bike but work much harder, or try a different form of cardio. As soon as it gets easy, take it up another notch.

Yoga is good for giving that lean, toned look, but you'll still need to drop bodyfat to see the type of results it sounds like you want.

 

[BellaCouture]

I'm having my first power yoga lesson on friday
Can anyone explain me a little about that?
The instructor told me I should try both samsara yoga and power yoga to see what I like best..so I''ll take samsara yoga the week after

but I don't know really what the difference is.
If anyone knows it would be much appreciated

 

[BellaCouture]

I'm having my first power yoga lesson on friday
Can anyone explain me a little about that?
The instructor told me I should try both samsara yoga and power yoga to see what I like best..so I''ll take samsara yoga the week after

but I don't know really what the difference is.
If anyone knows it would be much appreciated

 

[limo]

that's hatha yoga.

any place you'd take a class would be more than happy to explain the class you were taking.

Thank you!