Yoga

[Easy Mac]

Anyone here tried yoga. I did a search, and it looks like indoorsoccersim and terpkristen have tried it previously, but I was looking for some info or advice on it. I was planning on taking it up, as a doctor told me it would be a good way to get some exercise and it would help me relax and help control my panic attacks a bit more (3 weeks since the last one, longest I've gone since they started). I'm still a little anxious about them, and so I think I need something to help me relax.

Any good books or videos that I should study up on before embarking on this.

[Izulde]

Best way to do it is to take a class at your local YMCA first. Not only do you get instruction from someone who's trained in it and so you can learn from them how to do it right, but there's usually quite a few hot girls in the class with you. :D

Oh and just as forewarning, the first few times you do yoga, your body will scream in pain. Muscles you never knew you even had will groan with the sheer agony put on them.

But it's a good kind of hurt. ;)

[terpkristin]

Well, I do recommend taking a class, but if that's not an option, there are DVD's by "Living Arts," you can find their selections here http://www.gaiam.com/retail/category.asp?catalog%5Fname=gai&category%5Fname=l2%5FVideoDVD&Page=1

I also have one of the MTV Yoga DVD's. It's a beast of a workout (and not really possible for me to do right now with my ankle, but as my ankle improves, I can do more and more of it). This is the one I have:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006JDTH/qid=1122514050/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-8575906-8192032?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846
I've heard good things about the others, too though...

/tk

[finkenst]

Easy Mac, if you have cable and DVR/VCR, check out denise austin's fit and lite on lifetime at 6am CDT (i imagine at 7am for your east coasters).

pretty decent yoga show...

also, don't push things too much when you start as you really don't want to hurt anything badly...

[dawgfan]

Also keep in mind that there are many different styles of yoga. Some types you might find you enjoy more than others. You should be able to do quite a bit of research online to get an idea about how the various styles differ (poses, conditions, variety, etc).

At first blush you might not think of yoga as a great way to exercise, but it's a good compliment to weights as it works on areas that traditional weight training don't generally address, especially core muscle groups in your trunk.

[Loren]

i hate denise austin, she's the devil:( if you wanna try it out i recommend steve ross, if you have the oxygen network.. he does ACTUAL yoga. There are a lot of different types of yoga but this one's going to be the easiest to handle on tv if you're just starting out, and easier to keep up with not boring quiet like the other ones, cuz he's a "modern yogi" and stuff...relaxing, calming and it helps me stay bendy even with my messed up back and joint problems:)

[moriarty]

Definitely take a class - it's the best way to learn and get feedback if you're doing something wrong. If you belong to a gym or a Y you can almost always find one. I personally would recommend Hatha (sp?) Yoga. It's very good for stretching/relaxing.

Oh, and two thumbs up for Yoga by the way. I was reluctant to go at first (seemed a bit girly), but after the fist couple of sessions where you can't do half the moves because you're as stiff as a board, it's great. Relaxation and flexibility are greatly improved. Suprisingly, I found it helped my golf game tremendously. And, if you take a class there's nothing bad about a bunch of cute women bending and stretching in their tight yoga outfits. :D

One word of warning if you take a class ... don't eat anything that might cause flatulence before hand. Something about the relaxing and stretching has a way of ... well, loosing you up.

[sportsfan13]

I've used Denise Austin's Yoga videos and I thought they were fine. I bought them off the Best Buy website for $8/dvd. They are calming!!