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Beckie03
Member
07-05-2007
| Friday, September 21, 2007 - 5:58 pm
I wanted to start taking some yoga classes. I have heard it is a great way not only to feel so relaxed but also a great way to lose weight I am not as limber as I used to be...and I'm scared that might do some bad... Any suggestions? Anybody tried yoga??
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Mak1
Member
08-12-2002
| Saturday, September 22, 2007 - 7:12 am
Beckie, I took yoga classes when there was an instructor in town a few summers ago. I am about 30 years older than you, and not as limber as you used to be either! LOL! I highly recommend it. Your flexibility should improve pretty quickly with the stretches you'll be doing. Our instructor showed ways to adapt the moves for different levels of ability. His students ranged in age from 35 to 60+, some with arthritis. He taught the type that is called "power yoga" (Ashtanga yoga, I think?). I was surprised to find I had lost a few pounds after just a few classes. It thoroughly relaxed me, and I miss the class very much. There is no instructor nearby now. I do use some of the stretches after my gym workout and once in a while use some of the poses for relaxation and stress relief. My suggestion is to try it. 
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-31-2000
| Saturday, September 22, 2007 - 8:12 am
I do yogo most every day, and have for almost the last 15 years or so. If I miss it in the morning, I feel it all day long. It makes me so much more alert, centered and calm throughout the day.
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Sharinia
Member
09-07-2002
| Saturday, September 22, 2007 - 8:29 am
Beckie, there is a very wide range of yoga postures - it's not all pretzels lol. Hopefully you can find a pretty basic intro class. If you don't hold the postures as long as they are intended, that is one way you can ease into it. but don't be afraid, it's not nearly as daunting as it may seem.. You may also want to consider qigong (chi kung) or tai chi, which involve movement and help you become limber. They provide some of the same bennies too, and I like them better than yoga actually, myself.
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Beckie03
Member
07-05-2007
| Saturday, September 22, 2007 - 9:13 am
sharinia, what is qigong or tai chi?? I've heard of tai chi...just not familiar with it
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Sharinia
Member
09-07-2002
| Saturday, September 22, 2007 - 10:01 am
hmmm how to describe.... well, they are pretty gentle movements (nothing like hard core western aerobics). in fact they look so 'nothing' that you might wonder how much good they can do. but it is really a very profound way of manipulating the body's 'life force' or energy. qigong is considered the grandfather of this stuff (which includes acupuncture). tai chi is like a more active spin off version of qigong. qigong and tai chi are sometimes thought of as 'movement yoga.' if you do them correctly the benefits can be stunning. i prefer them to yoga cause i find them more interesting and pleasant to do - the movement to me feels like more of a release sometimes than just being stuck in a pose - and i really get a lot of out them health wise with the energy manipulation. just my own personal preference of course. if you are interested in an emphasis on the muscles or prefer to be still, then you might like yoga better. qigong is my very fave. here is a list of bennies http://www.qigonghealing.com/qigong/benefits.html if you want a little more active version, you might prefer tai chi
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