[Phyxius79]

I am thinking about taking a Yoga class. I know very little about it and have only be eating well and exercising for one month. The thing is that I live in a small town with little options other then driving to the nearest big city (20 minutes - which isn't too much) but someone has started offering a Yoga class in my town, two days a week for one hour. The classes are $30 for ten classes. I thought it would give me the opportunity to get out and meet other people rather then doing everything alone.

For those of you who have done or do Yoga, how did you like it? What should I expect? Is it benificial to my weight loss plan? Any other opinions?

[jennie934]

I think yoga is one of the best excersises you can add to your program. there are many different types of yoga and they give you very different experiences. Some are restorative, they won't burn as many calories but a lot of people loves these as an addition to other excersies to add some balance to their life. Some are much more muscle toneing and building.

I practice Hot Yoga, which is kind of like a combination of bikram and vinyasa . It is very intense toneing and cardio all at the same time. In a matter of weeks, it made me more toned and stronger than anything else I have tried. Plus, yoga realy helps keep me centered and balanced in my everyday life. I still love running and other cardio but I can't live with out my hot yoga. I sit at work day dreaming about my 90 minutes I'll get in my yoga class. Ohhh I wish I could go right now.

So long post short, try it out, there are great benefits, physically and mentally. Remeber not all classes are the same, you might want to try this one and see how it goes and try some other ones with other teachers or at other centers until you find the right fit.

[saef]

That's an excellent price for the yoga classes -- I wish it were as inexpensive here. (I paid $200 for 10 classes.)

By now, I've taken four different beginning yoga courses, with two different instructors. One is called Viniyoga (which I think may be trademarked) and one was kripalu yoga. Basically, they involved a lot of stretches and balancing, with the instructor moving among the group to reposition us or offer guidance on form. There is a tremendous emphasis on form & attaining the correct pose, but the classes still allow for a lot of individuality as well.

What I like about my yoga classes is that there are all kinds of women attending. In my last class, most were 20 or even 30 years older than me. (I'm in my 40s.) Everyone worked at her own pace & level, modifying the poses as needed. Yoga emphasizes doing what you can & slowly getting better over time -- another thing I like about it.

In one class, the instructor ended with a relaxation, almost meditation segment, which I really enjoyed. Then, after I learned my father was dying of cancer, this segment became something completely different. I'd usually lie there with tears pouring down my cheeks & leaking into my ears. But it was okay. It felt like a very safe space. And no one was looking. I always felt better afterward.

Yoga is simply not like any other exercise I know. The more you remain open to the meditative & spiritual aspects, and the teachers' directions that ask you to pay attention to your body, the more you get out of the classes. I am sure that the breathing exercises we do have helped me, many times over, when I was stressed or anxious, or even when I was in the midst of a hard cardio session & trying to focus & maintain an intense effort.

[Phyxius79]

Thank you jennie934 and saef. I think you have inspired me to at least try it out. I need to go buy a yoga mat first and then will pursue it. I have a lot to learn and I think it might be a fun process. It will be nice to just get out and do something. Winter is a drag!

[Ilene]

Phyxius -- Definitely try it out, chances are you will like it to add to you workouts with yoga there are some really good yoga tapes out there I have 4 that I really like, Rodney Yee Yoga Burn is one of them... Work up a sweat or what on that DVD? Totally awesome!!