Too fat for yoga :(
 

My doctor has prescribed restorative yoga for me and I really love it. It helps me relax and heal from some unfortunate injuries. But I feel like such a blob. Most of the positions that require you to lean forward and relax like child's pose are excruciating because I can't breathe! My belly and boobs are too big to be able to breathe comfortably. Anyone else in the same boat? Please tell me it gets better and easier.

Are you doing a class or a DVD? I do the Biggest Loser yoga DVD and even though it's not "real" yoga I feel like it's helping me learn and become comfortable with the moves so I can move on to something more authentic. If you're doing a class, maybe talk to the instructor about your concerns.

Someone once told me I was too fat for Pilates. I proved them wrong.

What's important to understand is that even if we were all thin, we'd all still have differing ranges of movement. Don't fall into any self-judgement about what you think you should be able to do. Pay attention to how good you feel when you're doing it. If you are gaining the benefits, then you have found success.

In my Pilates class, I struggle with Child's Pose. I carry a lot of my weight in my thighs and can't find a comfortable place. I do what I can. I can push my knees and feet out wider and get down a little lower. And what's great in class is that everyone else is focusing on their stuff, too busy to note what I'm doing. There's no perceivable judgement! (Except in my own head.)

I do it mostly at home, but I've been to a couple of live classes. I'm not that concerned with how I look but more with how I feel. I have so much... body in the way of doing the poses. Someone else is feeling really good stretching their feet out and putting a pillow on their lap and then laying their head on it, it looks simple but for me it's a nightmare. I can barely lean over enough to even reach the pillow much less lay on it AND feel relaxed! And when I do get into supposedly comfortable positions I can't breathe because my stomach is all compressed or my face is smothered in my boobs lol. I'm going to keep at it but I feel as graceful as a walrus :(

Why do something fake when I can focus on the real thing? I don't like BL.

It absolutely gets easier! The more I do yoga, I love seeing how much more my body can do. Even 10 pounds has made a difference in my child's pose. Of course I cannot do every pose perfectly, but as long as I am progressing, I feel good. If you are not already, try child's pose with your knees apart, but big toes touching so there is room for your upper body to go...there may be modifications you can find online for poses that are uncomfortable.

I have trouble with child's pose too, although now that has a lot to do with my knees.

Another option is I know there are some plus size yoga studios in NYC, like this place: http://www.buddhabodyoga.com/.

I do yoga & my belly/boobs definitely get in the way, but I do the poses as best as I can right now. It's already getting easier for me, & it will get easier for you too.

I use the BL yoga dvd & I think it's real yoga, just at a basic level. My body & I are learning the basic poses until I'm able to do the more difficult stuff when I'm smaller. I'm getting stronger & more flexible from doing it, even with my big belly in the way.

I'm nearly 400 pounds still and I actually take a yoga class. It's hard for sure, it feels like an endurance sport. I just do what I can, and listen to my body for the rest. It gets easier.

Google fat positive yoga or body positive yoga - there are LOTS of modifications out there that can make yoga more comfortable for you! I know http://bodypositiveyoga.com/ has a few posts on modifications, but I don't know if they've addressed the poses you're having issues with.

It DOES get easier. Child's pose was very uncomfortable for me too, but it's definitely better. I've done it at 183 lb and I've done it at 155 lb. The difference actually wasn't even so much my weight but how long I had been doing yoga and how flexible I was getting.

So when you go into child's pose, widen your knees so your boobs/belly fit between them. This helps immensely. And if you continue doing child's pose a lot, your flexiblity improves which actually makes the pose more comfortable, regardless of your weight.

But I do agree, there are a lot of poses I do that I think - if I could just get rid of a couple layers of fat this pose would be so much easier! Pigeon pose on the floor, in particular, I think if my thighs and calves had less fat on them, maybe my hip/bum would actually touch the ground! Because my hips are very flexible, it's just the fat gets in the way lol.

Hey thanks for that! It's a bit far from where I live and therefore not feasible but it's nice to know that it's out there!

Thanks all, I'm going to keep at it and hope to see progress soon :)

One of the biggest myths about Yoga is it's easy, ha.ha. It's not. I consider myself physically fit--I exercise--mainly aerobic a lot--but for me to do yoga I'm a total beginner--and feel like blob myself. It's hard for me to keep my balance in certain positions and I'm typically re-adjusting all of the time.

Just keep it up and you'll get good at it is my suggestion. And remember you're not the only one that's having problems with it.

This is great thank you so much!

I never said it was easy, I'm not even trying to get good at it. I just want to be able to breathe during some of the awkward poses. But thanks for the pep, it's nice to know that it's not just me having trouble with it.

Just came from class, and today I used both a bolster and a yoga strap for numerous poses that I couldn't do on my own. Both are relatively cheap. Just a suggestion :)

I do Bikram yoga and YES there are poses that are more difficult because of the amount and distribution of my weight and that I simply CANNOT achieve the full expression of the posture (I have flexibility issues, too) BUT there is NO SUCH thing as too fat for yoga. There's no too old, no too inflexible, no too unfit. Yoga is a journey and not a destination.

Find a studio that is welcoming and where the teachers will help you to adjust postures so that you're correctly working toward the right way of doing it.

Also - a good deal of it is flexibility. The longer you do yoga the more flexible you'll become and the more feasible positions are.

I've also very flexible (I could still do splits at 325lbs) and even at 5'5" and 230lbs I was able to get in many/most of the positions. The only pose that was a struggle for me because of my boobs/belly was Child's pose...and I felt like I was suffocating. :lol:

In restorative yoga it's all about the props! I use numerous blocks, bolsters, blankets, straps, soft pillows, you name it! I've ordered a few blocks to use at home but it will take time and money to collect all the props needed for this type of yoga :)

I don't hate yoga so I will keep doing it. But I love tai chi, but I can't find any classes in my area! There are a few elderly Chinese people who congregate at a nearby park but I'm too shy to join them, the look like they know what they're doing.

Update - I found some tai chi classes and I'm going to one tonight! I will still continue to do some yoga because the stretching is extremely beneficial to me but I can't devote a lot of time to it. I just can't mentally sit in a class for 1.5hrs holding a position.

I have alot of knee issues so Yoga is a must for me. I do Bikram 5 days a week for 90 minutes .. and I love it, I have gotten pretty good at it but I still usually feel like a blob. Until its over and then I feel really strong!

Regarding Child's pose!

I also have a problem with the child's pose and feeling like I am squashing everything. Not only am I heavy but I have 38HH boobs so there's a lot of everything in front of me.

But I do yoga on a regular basis and use a wide-kneed child's pose. You just move your knees out as wide as you need to in order to accomodate your chest and stomach. My yoga instructor also does it for preggo yoga.

Here's an example of it: http://anandaayurveda.files.wordpres...hilds-pose.jpg

Thanks you're right it does help.