[mercuryblue]

Just wondering if any of you guys have been doing Yoga. I am curious if it will be something good to add to what i am doing. Considering "Hatha" yoga at my gym, but i dont know if it is good for being a beginner. I really know nothing about how it goes except for what i can find on youtube. It looks really restful and relaxing. What do you guys think of it?

[Spooky]

I actually don't do pure yoga. I take a class called 'bodyflow' and it is a combination of yoga, tai chi, and pilates. It does incorporate a lot of core work and many traditional yoga poses. I'm not so great at it. I am pretty inflexible and I have a lot of trouble with the balance poses. It is more challenging than it looks.
I love the class, though. If you're nervous about it I'd ask the people at your gym if it is suitable for beginners and let the instructor know beforehand it is your first class.
Good luck!

[mel23]

yayyyyy yoga! hatha is great for beginners--hatha classes are slower paced and focus mainly on stretching and breathing. i'd check it out and see if you like it--if you find that it's too slow for you, then you might want to check out vinyasa.

cheers!

[seagirl]

If you like the classes at the gym, I'd recommend finding a studio with trained teachers if you really want to continue your practice.

I have a regular home practice and take about 3-5 classes a week. It's not relaxing so much as it is expanding, strengthening and sweaty and fun. My teachers are Inyengar and Anusara trained, so they are alignment based rather than moving super fast through the poses.

Hatha classes will generally be good for a beginner.

I love it. I have just starting getting up into handstand and forearm balance after about a year of regular practicing. It's so much fun! And it's really changing my body.

[dragonlady1978]

I love love love yoga. It has so many more benefits besides just the physical but I love the way it can reshape your body. No high impact or jarring moves.

Hatha yoga is excellent for beginners, it focuses on stretching, breathing, and relaxation techniques. It is a good way to learn some basic poses and get comfortable with the basics of yoga. It is slow paced and definitely not what is considered advanced-which most people never really try to get to anyway. Hatha yoga is designed to help you cope with stress, anxiety, depression, relieving tension, etc.

If you try it and enjoy it, there are endless possibilities-it's something you can do at home without buying any equipment. I prefer that actually. I never liked doing it at a gym, with the walls mirrored and my butt in the air in front of a bunch of strangers. I like that I don't have to go anywhere so I can get in 20 minutes whenever I have time to spare, and if I get bored with a routine I can just get another dvd and have something new and a little different. I just got Denise Austin's Hot Body Yoga last week