ANSWERS: 7
  • I tried yoga twice a week for two months one time. I don't remember what it was called but it was a type of yoga where we practiced in a room heated to like 102 degrees F. It was very intense and I enjoyed it. Unfortunately I took a job that didn't allow for me to continue in the evenings and I just couldn't force myself to do it in the morning. I don't have any frame of reference to compare it to, but it made me feel great.
  • I have tried the "I watch in owe" kind of yoga. I watch people that are good at it and think "Damm, I wish I could twist like that!" LOL
  • I tried a bunch of styles. Here are some thoughts. If you're interested in yoga, but get turned off by your first class, then just try something a little different. There are so many different approaches. 1. Bikram - In hot room (between 95 & 115 degrees depending on teacher), the same set of poses wherever or whenever you go, not spiritual-- more like boot camp, it's too intense for me, drink lots of water before, during & after class. 2. Vinyasa/Flow/Power - The poses are mostly linked together, built mostly around the sun salutation sequence, I like this style in level I classes -- above that it gets a bit intense -- Vinyasa/Flow include spirituality, but Power does not. 3. Hot Vinyasa/Flow/Power - same as above but in a room heated to about 100 degrees, I like sometimes -- feels good in the very cold wintertime, otherwise super intense, drink lots of water to stay alive. 4. Jivamukti - It's vinyasa, with chanting and spirituality thrown in. I like the spiritual side, but the poses tend to be more demanding than standard vinyasa & I prefer a more gentle practice. 5. Sivananda - Classical hatha yoga since the 1960s, I like very much, gentle with focus on relaxation and lifestyle -- includes pranayama (breathing exercises), chanting, vegetarian lifestyle, ethics, etc. -- this is more of a lifestyle than just the stretches -- centers in some major cities & ashrams for yoga vacations. 6. Integral - Similar to Sivananda, the founder of Integral yoga had Swami Sivananda as his teacher. 7. Kundalini - It's totally different from everything else, the teachers follow sets of exercises developed by Yogi Bhajan, it's not really for me, it's also closely associated with the Sikh religion, I've incorporated some of the Kundalini poses into my home practice, but rarely take a group class, I like the Kundalini music from Snatam Kaur and the Yogi Teas from the founder of Kundalini yoga. 8. Iyengar - Focused on anatomical correctness, lacking spirituality, they name the muscles and body parts throughout class, so get familiar with the human anatomy -- much precision in poses, I found too stressful from the extreme focus on technique. 9. Anusara - Founded by John Friend -- it's like Iyengar with a focus on exact alignment, but has spirituality thrown in and a focus on something called spirals that I don't understand. I sometimes go to an Anusara center for kirtans (group chanting), otherwise I'm not really into this style. 10. Hatha - This just means the physical practice of yoga-- i.e. the stretches, as opposed to the spiritual aspects. All yoga that involves stretches is "hatha" -- however, if a class is just called hatha, it means that it's not part of an organized grouping & is typically a set of gentle poses sequenced by the teacher's own guidance -- it varies a bit teacher to teacher -- think yoga at the fitness center instead of a yoga center. 11. Satyananda -- Classical yoga, similar to Sivananda or Integral, with a focus on spiritually in addition to poses -- includes a lot of pranayama (breathing), body cleansing with salt water (in stomach, through nose), etc., it's popular in Scandinavia, I'm partly drawn to this approach. 12. Bhakti - Yoga of devotion -- for example, think hare krishnas -- a focus on chanting/devotion/love -- I'm part hippie, so "may the light shine within you" -- love & peace, etc. 13. Nada - The yoga of sound, I like chanting-- guitar --singing -- the sound of nature (leaves, wind) -- the thought that everything is simply a vibration -- the great "OM" that we're part of -- union through sound. 14. DIY Yoga - The "do-it-yourself" approach, where you mix & match different things to personally suit your needs at the moment -- I mostly do this style -- custom yoga just for you, in your home or at the park for free... just breath & smile. Namaste, Ron
  • with the fruit on the bottom
  • None yet, but I want to.
  • I do tai chi, it's like yoga :o) only I think it's a little better.
  • Yoga types

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