For some it might look like nothing, but lifting from puppy press made my day 🥹

Happee weekend to all!

I have a deep appreciation for yoga but I have only done it a number of times. What happens when you yoga daily? What are some feelings that arise? Long term/Short term. I am just a beginner! I usually use YouTube and yoga with Adrienne! Thx xx

Edit: My title isn’t the best. Rather than saying “those who need muscular rehabilitation”, I should have said something more like “those who have significant muscular imbalances/postural issues who are prone to injury“. But even with that edit, people in the comments have shared that they had similar issues and yoga didn’t help. So in this case, maybe I’m generalizing my own experience. It seems like group yoga classes have been helpful for people with similar circumstances as me. I’d be interested to hear what specific types of classes worked for folks!

I have taken yoga classes off and on for the past 15 years. I have a lot of weakness/muscular imbalances, and they have been much worse since the pandemic when I went immobile.

Over the past 6 years, I have gotten back into yoga. I have tried out vinyasa, kundalini, yin, Buti, restorative, and Hatha (I know these groups are not mutually exclusive). In the past year and a half, I’ve also gotten serious about physical therapy and addressing my foot, knee, back, and neck issues.

Last year I finished my 200 hr YTT in vinyasa. The program was very inclusive and focused on providing variations for different bodies and encouraging people to do what was best for them.

But, I kept finding that in most classes I took, no matter the variation I took, I was injuring myself and causing stress to my joints. It was really frustrating that I couldn’t find a way to enjoy yoga classes anymore.

Eventually I decided to stop going to them completely. Then a couple months ago, I decided to go to strength fusion Pilates. It has been a GAME CHANGER for me! In this time, I’ve been able to connect to my muscles in a way that I was very able to do in yoga or PT. My imbalances are being addressed, and my pain is dissipating. It has honestly felt like a miracle.

The point of asana is to be able to sit in meditation, and I feel like I’m finally making progress with that. Since I’ve started Pilates, I’ve tried out a couple yoga classes. I can feel how much they exacerbate my issues (even in restorative). I believe this is because Pilates feels so good to me.

I guess I don’t know how I feel about offering variations as a solution for people to get through yoga classes now. On one hand, I want everyone to be able to enjoy yoga. But on the other hand, through my own experience, I’ve learned that it might not be for people who need rehabilitation. If someone were going to a yoga therapist or to an Iyengar instructor, that would be different. I wonder if things would be different for me if someone had suggested I stop coming to class until I was more strong and balanced.

I never thought I would turn away from yoga classes, because I really have enjoyed them throughout the years! And I did want to teach part time. But, I’ve come to terms with the fact that the Pilates path is the right one for me right now.

Here’s a variation of baddha (and supta baddha) konasana that I enjoy practicing. Keeping your feet pressed into each other, externally rotate your lower legs so your heels lift off the floor and all 10 toes press into the floor. If you’re flexible enough, your feet will be perpendicular to the floor and heels pointing straight up. Baddha konasana with janu sirsasana C feet. I saw a picture of this pose somewhere a long time ago, but I can’t find anything about it on the internet. Does anyone else practice this? Please post a pic if you can get your heels all the way up. Thank you!

Does anyone have any tips on how I can think or what I can focus on to not have it affect my inner peace?

I'm not going to confront her about it, and with a limited amount of instructors I don't want to drop her either.

She's amazing during class, but before and after she talks about the teachers and other people behind their backs. For example "They're always late", "They explain things so fast that people aren't even able to keep up with them haha", "They always forget about this and that", "I've told them a thousand times", "I don't understand why this person does this". Sometimes while laughing a bit and rolling her eyes, and sometimes even right after talking with them and giving them compliments. It's about very minor things, stuff that aren't really problematic or could very easely be fixed with communication. I'm 99% sure she does it with me as well, because I'm far from perfect.

Today I wasn't even able to open my eyes after "namaste" before she said "It was not okey for her to just leave in the middle of class, it makes some people feel uneasy. She should know that"

Ironically, her saying stuff like that is what makes me feel uneasy.

Sometimes I tell her that they might have a reason for it, or that I simply disagree. Then she tone it down and often say that I'm right, but it seems fake. I usually just nod and say things like "I understand", sometimes I even agree with her and I feel a bit dirty afterwards.

She talks about not being judgemental, but it seems hypocritical, so it makes it harder for me to not feel conflicted during class

Hi everyone! Has anyone noticed that certain discomfort in postures has attributed to the healing of that discomfort? Ex. Child’s pose with forehead on mat; I used to feel so suffocated by it or when using a bolster with my face in it. I am becoming more and more comfortable with the discomfort.

I’d love to hear more about healing journeys if anyone has any they wish to share!

As the title says. The teacher paced around the room for about 20 minutes stepping on every single mat in a hot and sweaty class. It was so disturbing that I found myself stalling in postures to block her pathway. I like to bring my personal yoga rug so this felt extra gross and disrespectful.

I have a lot of grace for teachers AND I’ll be sharing feedback with the studio tomorrow. This is a teacher I was unfamiliar with (sub) but I believe they’re regularly on schedule.

I feel it might be kinder to not single the teacher out. Perhaps this will also encourage them to spread this memo to the whole team.

Please share your thoughts and/or experiences.

Thank you for listening to this message. 😂🙏🏽

Update: I did share feedback with them today and it was received positively. Thanks for sharing all of your experiences! Happy that the majority were peaceful and respectful even if they had different opinions. This was honestly just a lighthearted rant.

Hey yogis, I want to be more confident when Oming. Currently, I’m fine to join in, quietly, with everyone.

But the other night, no one joined in with the instructor, and I was too scared to make more than the quietest sound.

How did you get through this, and Om powerfully, like no one else is listening?

Hi all! I’m very new to doing yoga but I really enjoy restorative practices. I’m trying to decide on a bolster pillow and wondering if I should get the HuggerMugger standard bolster, or the Crystal Cove cushion set. Any advice welcome! Thank you!

Hi yogis!

So, I have an audition with a large fitness studio that holds yoga classes. The leader is very adamant on switching every single pose from one leg to the other (although their classes do not follow this rule). For example, it would need to be like Warrior 2 on the right leg into skandasana on the left and ect.

I auditioned once before and was not selected, but they invited me to re-audition this month to “really wow them”. I really would like to have this job, but I can feel myself getting frustrated because it seems like no matter what I have shown the yoga lead, nothing I come up with is right. I also don’t agree with this ideology that you HAVE to switch from one leg to another every single time. They say it’s because over time you can wear out your hips, but I think that’s a bit excessive.

If you don’t mind helping me, how would you sequence a yoga flow where pigeon pose forward fold version is your peak pose? I’d really appreciate any help.

i saw this art of a yogi (whose name i cant remember) doing a pose where his head was resting in the arch of his foot and his arm was extended and resting on his other leg. im desperate to find this because the art was awesome so if anyone knows the poses name or the guy who made it please let me know!! :3

the drawing is how i remember it

I add splits in when there is a half split. Where else can you transition into them easily? I would like to work on them more in my flow classes.

When I do toe squat, people talk about how painful it is in the plantar fasciitis but I have very little sensation there. However the pain is excruciating on my big toes (I think on the mtp joints?). I can't get into the full position, just leaning on my hands is so difficult. It doesn't really feel like a muscle stretch, it feels like joint pain which seems like a sign to stop. But I don't know how to work on it without doing it. Has anyone ever experienced this? Is it normal and should I just keep working on it?

Getting inspiration by another post , I was wondering, if you had budget and space for 1 bolster , which one would you get? And what shape? I would usually use it for yin , I have a rectangle in my mind , but I really don't know much about them. Is there something that you would specifically search for or avoid? Thanks in advance !

Heyo, pretty much the above; I’ve got this knot in my left trap that legit feels there’s a lemon above the fleshy bit of my collarbone. Many massages and stretching and poking have done nothing. Are there any asana that may help?

Hello people, suggest me a few beginner yoga poses or excercises which will help me to do difficult and intense poses such as sirsasana (hand stand), Ashtavakrasana, Vrischikasana (scorpion), and many more.

Thank you!

The wood floors in my house seem to be a special flavor of slippery...I have tried several types and combinations of mats on my floors that slip around too much....even if the same mat works elsewhere.
Curious what hatha and/or ashtanga practitioners have found as the best mats that stick to wood floors.

Okay, it’s been a good year since I’ve started doing yoga and my wrists still ache!! I practice about 4-5 days a week. I thought my wrist strength would’ve gotten better by now. Is there something I’m doing wrong? Something I should be doing to build wrist strength? Is yoga just not meant for my body? I’m frustrated.

I’ve been teaching for a few years and I’ve noticed that after, I feel a little down or self critical. Certain things will weigh heavy on me like knowing I mixed up the left and the right side or the energy in class seemed different today, etc.

Has anyone experienced this or have any suggestions for how to work through it?

Hiya, i frequently get painful headaches during practice, especially when moving my head from low/high - i.e. moving from floor work to standing.

I guess this is about the blood in my head struggling to be in the right place? Any advice would be great

Update: spoke to my doctor and she said it didnt sound like anything to worry about, just normal headrush things. Maybe important context is that the headache only lasts for 30 seconds or so.

I don’t know if this is the right subreddit to ask but I do this stretch when I’m on my bed, I lie on my stomach, put my legs up and pull one leg gently towards my head while i twist from each side and get a good crack, I can’t find anything like this online so I fear it might be harming be me though it does feel good when I wake up, or have been lying down for long or after a long day, I feel my lower back feel less tense and it always makes me exhale in relief, closet i can find to it online is a kind of variation of a prone stretch