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 yogabunny
Sillypants McFuzzyfluff
 
Registered: 11/01/09
Posts: 6,425
Loc: rearranging reality
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 My little Rant on the Myth of Yoga & Flexibility (long) 
#11742384 - 12/30/09 11:31 AM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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This is the latest from my yoga blog. It's long so i don't blame you if you don't read it all but i thought it would get more visibility here than in my journal 
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I always get so bummed out every time I hear someone tell me they would love to try yoga...BUT..."they're soooOOOooo not flexible."
If you've been using your inflexible body as an excuse to not do yoga, you may not want to read this. :P Because I am here to convince you:
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE TO PRACTICE YOGA. Flexibility may seem like it is a prerequisite to practicing yoga. I understand, I've seen the magazines too! It can be intimidating at first, when your association with the practice of yoga are these slender lithe beings who seem to easily contort themselves into pretzel like shapes. Well here's food for thought: The men & women you see on the covers of magazines are generally teachers who have spent YEARS i mean 10-15 years practicing and teaching. Just sayin'!!!!
It's actually quite simple: Whatever you lack in your body, a yoga practice will give to you. Not overnight, but with extended and dedicated practice, the parts of your body which are stiff and inflexible will become more supple and mobile. You will soften where you need space, stabilize where you need balance, open where you need length and tone where you need strength. AND, as a little "icing on the cake" as they say...These qualities that you begin to cultivate in your physical body will then manifest themselves into your more subtle energies and you will notice that they will begin to have an affect on how you express yourself and live in the world. Yoga is a transformative, alchemical, creative process!
My personal journey has been about gaining strength in areas that were once weak. Flexible, but weak, and therefore at great risk for injury. Because yoga came naturally to me, I never even realized that I didn't have much muscular strength in my thigh muscles. I would just thrust myself into the posture, not even realizing that instead of using my muscles I was instead sinking into joints. It's been a long journey, but I now have stronger quadricep and hamstring muscles that I know how to use to protect my fragile flexible joints. As it so happens I have also started to feel a lot more grounded and rooted in my life.
B.K.S. Iyengar says; "...My own body was the laboratory, in which I saw the health benefits of yoga, but I could see that yoga would have as many benefits for my head and heart as it did for my body....The miracle is that after seventy years these gifts are still increasing for me. The benefits of practice cannot always be anticipated. When they come, it is so often as unexpected bounty in forms one had not expected. But if you think that learning to touch your toes or even stand on your head is the whole of yoga, you have missed most of it's bounty, most of its blessings and most of is beauty." (Light on Life)
So, now try and see for yourself! Who cares if you can't touch your toes???!!! A beginners Iyengar class is a great place to start if you're unsure because you're not flexible. The teachers are true guides who use a lot of props to help each individual yogi and yogini to get into the poses in a way that is aligned with what their body is capable of.
Next up: I will debunk the Myth that yoga is just an elaborate stretch session. Stay tuned!
Namaste!
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 PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 8,646
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 2 hours, 50 minutes
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 Re: My little Rant on the Myth of Yoga & Flexibility (long) [Re: yogabunny]
#11742702 - 12/30/09 12:30 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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Good post.
I am a male who started bikrams on the 10th of this month and have only missed 4 or so classes since. I was super intimidated and literally putting off going for about 3-4 years - maybe because i was embarassed by my body, didn't know what to expect, etc. Hell, even on the first day, i wore a shirt because i was bashful...
Just so everyone knows - there are pregnant women and a 350lb+ HUGE man, amongst other people of all shapes and sizes. In a class, if you practice seriously, you are literally concentrating so hard on yourself that it doesn't matter what the people around you are doing or wearing.
It always surprises me at some people's limitations; Some people will be able to do the full expression of "standing head to knee" or "standing bow" (very difficult poses) but these same people are not able to do "triangle" or bend to get into "tow stand." That's the thing - everyone has their own weakness and strengths and everyone has their own reasons for going.
Everyone in the class is joined by the core values of improving their physical and mental health - and in that respect it is a very accepting and supportive environment. I encourage anyone that has been apprehensive to go and try it at least 5x before passing judgement. I say 5x, because i was jittery and embarassed, off balanced and out of place feeling my first few classes! ... it does get easier though.
My last 2 classes have seen me making tremendous gains in the postures which were causing me difficulty (standing head to knee, standing bow, half spinal twist) and i cannot believe how high i can go in cobra, locust and full locust - 20 days ago i did not have muscles in my spine! I must say, it is very rewarding and nearly instantly i have noticed strength gains in my mind and body, subtle and not so subtle changes far more real than any "supplementation" or "gym" routine could replicate, imo.
For me it was best to just go everyday and learn the postures properly, even though at time my burgeoning practice has had alot in common with pure suffering. Totally worth it though, i'll be cutting down to 3x/week when i go back to work next monday  .
Whats your blogs address Yogabunny?
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GO OUTSIDE.
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yogabunny
Sillypants McFuzzyfluff
Registered: 11/01/09
Posts: 6,425
Loc: rearranging reality
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Re: My little Rant on the Myth of Yoga & Flexibility (long) [Re: PDU]
#11742824 - 12/30/09 12:48 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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how exciting!!! keep it up, and keep evolving and transforming!
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p4kSouL
Animals Are Cool
Registered: 01/13/05
Posts: 3,638
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Re: My little Rant on the Myth of Yoga & Flexibility (long) [Re: yogabunny]
#11744855 - 12/30/09 06:43 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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There are subtle connection between the mind and body. Its more then just stretching. When you are stressed certain muscles are firing, tensing up, and endricine glans are activating. Yoga will force the body and mind to relax.
Edited by p4kSouL (01/01/10 04:21 PM)
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PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 8,646
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 2 hours, 50 minutes
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Re: My little Rant on the Myth of Yoga & Flexibility (long) [Re: p4kSouL]
#11746334 - 12/30/09 11:08 PM (2 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
p4kSouL said:
Yoga will force the body and mind to relax.
I never really understood that until recently.
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GO OUTSIDE.
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