Why yes! This is a picture of me doing yoga! Absolutely! Honest!Would I lie?
Much?
Okay, yes, I would. But it sounded good...
(Photo actually courtesy of Lululemon Athletica*)
It's funny, except that it's also a bit sad. I start to do a session of yoga and only then notice that my calves are sore, my quadriceps hurt, my ankle's a bit stiff. I walk around on these legs all day and never notice any of that. Until yoga time.
Is my body saving up all its complaints for yoga time? Or is that the only time of the day when I actually listen to my body?
Exercise du jour: 30 minutes yoga, 60 minutes walking
Done!*Flickr link:
12 comments:
I want to know why, whenever I see a photo of someone doing yoga, it's invariably on the beach. Is that a rule?
It's more of a guideline...
There are other possibilities. You can also have yoga pictures taken while on a mountaintop or under a waterfall.
I think that it probably is that you are becoming aware of your body during yoga practice - which is one of the points of the practice I think - to be more aware of and more present in your own body. :) I get the same thing if I've not yoga-ed for a while, but with regular practice, I start to not have as many aches & pains, so that part gets better! :)
I agree with The Gazelle....I believe Yoga forces us to become more aware of our bodies as it is the focal point of the session. I just did yoga on Monday and I am still feeling it!! Oy!!
I agree with The Gazelle and Believe. Yoga makes you feel like you have a body. With all its aches and pains. Yoga moves things that don't usually get moved with normal exercise. Keep doing it and the pain will improve. And yes, the beach, waterfalls and mountaintops are par for the course when it comes to yoga pics. I always feel obligated to do a yoga pose whenever I'm near one. The pics from catalogs are of random people visiting these locations. I'm so kidding. Love your blog.
First - um, really? She's modeling yoga poses? Because models are usually supposed to look like they're really good at whatever they're doing, and . . . well, her form kind of sucks. I'm just sayin'. (Why yes, I AM cranky today, why do you ask?)
But! Agree on the whole "yoga makes you more aware of your body" bit. I had a teacher tell me this, though, and it helped a lot: You know how, when you stub your toe in the dark, it suddenly feels like your whole body is made of throbbing toe? Well, when your body starts to feel uncomfortable somewhere, focus all your attention on that part of your body. Just hang out in your sore ankle (or whatever). Now as you breathe in and out, imagine that you are breathing into your ankle. Just let the pain be there and pay attention to it and to breathing into it.
It sounds weird, right? But when I do that, one of three things happen:
1. It stops hurting.
2. It doesn't really hurt any LESS, but suddenly I feel like I can hold the pose, regardless. I feel like I can sort of co-exist with the pain instead of feeling all, "ow ow ow" about it.
3. The pain itself may or may not lessen, but I burst into tears. You know how you can hold tension in your shoulders/back/stomach/etc? Well, you can hold emotional pain in your body, too. Sometimes I have a good cry over something that I didn't even realize I was upset about . . . and then I don't hurt anymore afterward. It's weird.
And of course, it goes without saying that all that only applies if it's not an actual INJURY of some sort. Yanno.
I'm such a newbie I can't tell the difference between good form and schlock. I'll have to try to find a better picture.
I really like the idea of focusing on the pain and my breathing at the same time. If I just tried to think about breathing, the pain would be in the background, jumping up and down trying to get my attention. If I include the pain in my awareness, then maybe it'll feel comforted and shut the hell up. Is pain like a two-year old?
I always get cramp in my feet doing yoga! Buddha hates me.
Yoga and I have a love/hate thing going. As in I love the idea of it, but hate the idea of having to find the time to do yet one more form of exercise.
So for now, I'll have to get my body awareness from all of the "dang, but I am cold" I will experience over the coming months.
I just need to second everything Marste said, and add that you should breathe through the part of you under the most tension even if it doesn't actually hurt.
Mary Anne in Kentucky
If I include the pain in my awareness, then maybe it'll feel comforted and shut the hell up. Is pain like a two-year old?
I think you're being funny, but YES. As far as I can tell, pain is EXACTLY like a two-year-old that way. ;)
Also, what Mary Anne said re: most tension. Breathe there.
Yes, BREATHING is key! Breathe right into the sore spots. Also ask your instructor to look at your alignment and let you know if any poses need to be adjusted.
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