lilamp | yoga

finding a yoga class that's right for me seems much harder than i expected it to be. i'm beginning to think that i might as well not be doing any at all unless i can find something that really feels right. classes at big studios/gyms are difficult because my body seems to have very specialized needs, and of course at the gym they are more focused on the exercise aspect of the practice than on a holistic mind/body approach. what i really want out of a yoga practice is not just a more well-rounded physicality, but also a way to feel more connected and in tune with my body. i've never really been able to feel myself in my body and connected to it, except when i'm able to dance with full abandon (something which i usually need schedule I chemical assistance to achieve, although sometimes if i'm in the right frame of mind, a little alcohol will do it), but even then i'm not really _aware_ of myself in my body, it's more like i've transcended it... i really feel the need to understand myself more holistically and to learn how to feel comfortable in my body. if only i could afford a private teacher...

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For me, just attending a yoga class regularly started me down that path. The class I initially started with wasn't what I would, in hindsight, pick now, but it was good enough to get me started. Anything that gets you to focus on which muscles you are stretching, which muscles you are trying to simultaneously relax, and, of course, your breath I think will help you with what you want to acheive. Also, I found that doing yoga practice at home after smoking a bit REALLY helped me get in tune with my body. It allowed me to hold stretches for longer, go deeper, and really focus on what I was feeling and doing.

Good luck! BTW, doesn't the Ironworks have yoga?

> BTW, doesn't the Ironworks have yoga?

yah, i've been trying to make the most of my membership there by going to their yoga classes (i can't really afford to incur an additional expense right now anyway), but so far i haven't really liked it. i'll definitely keep trying though and at least check out the rest of the teachers there before writing it off. it's true that something is probably better than nothing _if_ i can listen to my body and not do things that put too much stress on my joints...

yeah, the yoga style and the instructor can both make a HUGE difference. If you have joint difficulties, be sure to tell the instructor before class so they are aware. But now I am curious, what's up with your joints?

i dunno, they just don't like me. pretty much all of them. my knees especially hate me. the ligaments are somewhat loose apparently, so if they get stressed too much, particularly with torsion or any kind of impact (running, being thrown against a mat), they get very angry. theoretically if i make all the surrounding muscles strong it will help, but i'm stuck with the loose ligaments. also, i guess i have some kind of hyperextension issue, because any extended stress on my limbs when they are straight causes problems. this makes it difficult for me to do various yoga poses, particularly the standing triangle based ones, also downward dog, although i can bend my elbows a tad and make that tolerable. then there's my wrists, which can't take any stress pushing back on them when they are bent back. i.e. if your arm is straight out in front of you and you bend your hand back so that the palm is forward and the fingers pointing up, i can't tolerate stress on the palm going towards the arm. i have to keep the wrist in line with the arm by making a fist if i am to support weight on my hands. this is fine but gets pretty painful for the knuckles if maintained for an extended time. speaking of which, i really can't handle pressure on any of my bony bits either, which is a problem in yoga. even with three mats it's really painful any time a bony bit hits the floor. this yoga teacher at ironworks last night didn't use any mat at all, which is just beyond my comprehension. does he not feel pain? is his body somehow made differently than mine so grinding his bones into the hard wood floor doesn't hurt? it boggles. let's see, what else... my ankles are weak and crackly but don't usually cause me too much of a problem unless i bounce up and down on them a lot. i guess that about covers it!

Wow, those are some mighty joint issues! And I could see some of those making yoga pretty difficult. I don't know a whole lot about it, but perhaps Tai-Chi might be a better match for you? I understand it has some of the same mind-body connection aspects, but it definitely has less emphasis on the thing that sound like they would hurt you.

I could actually do most of my yoga without a mat, there are just a few poses where bone presses directly against the floor, in which case I would want a mat. But, in general, I am pretty "well padded". *grin*

is your name... lea? chia-lea?

i hate you!

i am lovely and you adore my presence.
speaking of lovely, i got a long letter from sandra today. it was wonderful. i have yet to write back. shit-o.

you know it's a love/hate relationship, my sweet. i will put writing a postcard on my todo list.

Good luck! I hope you find a class you enjoy soon!

yoga

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wow

Re: wow

UM. NO YOU DON"T

Re: UM. NO YOU DON"T

PS