Sun Salutations

[pegkerr]

I got up at 5:15 a.m. and did yoga today, using my new cool Ali McGraw DVD. The demonstrators are extremely flexible (and I'm not) so that's a tad bit discouraging, but I try not to let it get to me. At least I did it.

I've been doing yoga for two or three months now, and find I'm liking it more, although I'm not very good yet. I like the downward facing dog pose, now that I've been doing it for awhile, although I hated it when I started. And I like the sun salutations, although my very tight hamstrings protest when I do the dive forward. I think I'm able to go a little lower now. I find myself actually thinking once in a while at work: you know, doing a couple of sun salutations right now would feel pretty good, but it's not something you can do in a busy office without raising eyebrows, I suppose. I work in an open area, alas, and have no office or office door to close. We have some unassigned offices, but there are a lot of visiting attorneys and legal assistants for a trial, so those offices are full up at the moment. There is one little room called the "wellness room" where people can go to lie down if they feel sick or have cramps or something. Perhaps when I get the urge I'll use that.

Any yoga practictioners out there? How long will it take before I start seeing some changes in flexibility? I'm doing a 45 minute routine two or three times a week.

Comments

[expetesso.livejournal.com]

Do you do any stretching on the days you don't do yoga? I think that might help you improve flexibility more quickly. Every time I do a routine, I improve a little more, but I've taken dance classes since I was 2 (up until 4 years ago). The books I have (by Rodney Yee, Mark Evans, and Mark Fenton) all stress that daily muscle work is the best way to consistently improve flexibility, but that every body is different, with different cares and needs. I think that now, since you're seeing some small improvements, you may be attuned enough to your body to start noticing them more frequently.

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

I have always been extremely fascinated by the idea of yoga, but the fact that it (in Denmark at least) is mostly seen as a part of a religion, rather than exercises, has put me off it a bit. However, I have horrible posture and constant tense shoulder (with resulting headaches), so I've started to think that it might be a good idea just to ignore what everybody else says, and go with yoga anyway. Do you have any recommendations for a good place to start?

[daedala.livejournal.com]

You might look at pilates. I think of it as yoga for atheists.

[qwerty88.livejournal.com]

I don't do yoga, but I've found that for some types of flexibility, I just don't change (after ten years, so I've tried), for other types I have small improvements over time, and for a few types, I suddenly figure out what part of my body I'm supposed to be relaxing/stretching and I have remarkable improvement overnight.

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

Another thing you can try is doing your yoga in a very warm room, if possible (like, over 85 degrees). It increases flexibility faster, and allegedly purges toxins.

Damn, I need to start yoga again. I have been so very bad to my body for so very, very long.

[eal.livejournal.com]

Now I'm wanting to start back with yoga too.

It intimidates me because I'm so not flexible, but I know I need to be doing something for myself.

Okay, so, yoga it is.

M

[littlecatfeet.livejournal.com]

I know how it is with the sun salutations. I started yoga classes about a month ago and now I find myself thinking that a nice sun salutation right now would really loosen up that tension in my back.

I don't know about the flexibility, though. I myself am completely lacking in flexibility , and I haven't yet noticed much improvement.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

I tend to be very tight in all my muscles and joints. Started doing calf stretches when I was pregnant to reduce the nighttime leg cramps. Got to be a habit, so I kept doing it (esp. since the leg cramps come back when I don't stretch, even when I'm not pregnant).

Then I studied karate for 4 years, which is much like yoga only more violent (and thus more fun, imho). Karate class was 2 or 3 times a week, but I discovered that I made more progress if I did a few essential stretches every day. Not the whole routine, just a few stretches for areas that seem to tense up quickly for me. I no longer take karate, but I stretch for 5 minutes every morning, and various other times during the day or night when I start to ache. I think it took me several months of karate before I could squat with my feet flat on the floor, but I can still do it 15 years later.

The secret, at least for me, is figuring out which stretches are essential and just doing those every day. I've added a few stretches here and there over the years, but very judiciously. If it took longer than 5 minutes I wouldn't do it every day. And if I skip even a day I notice the difference.

[dendrophilous.livejournal.com]

I don't remember how long it took, but after three or four years, I can get my heels on the floor in downward dog the first time.

Most of the changes are so incremental that it's hard to tell.

I used to do sun salutations, sort of, in the (very large) office restroom. Only the poses that didn't require putting hands on the floor.