Going to do another teacher training in January. A 200-hour immersion over 3-4 weeks. Looking at a studio in Guatemala or Spain right now. Would like to do it in India but flights + taking 30 days off the grid could be tough.
BamaNug could you recommend some poses for increasing hip flexibility? Need to swing golf club less like Charles Barkley
Can you recommend a book for total beginners? I need a book that walks you through each pose, shows pictures, and describes what you are supposed to be doing. I’ve tried several YouTube videos and Peloton beginner classes and I just don’t get it. They do a horrible job of explaining in layman’s terms what to do. I suck at learning through videos. Any help is appreciated.
I’d like to be a bit more comfortable with the poses before I go to a class. I just can’t comprehend some of the shit they say. “Push your spine out of your back toward the earth,” and shit like that doesn’t resonate with me.
I subscribe to the Beachbody streaming service because I like their home workouts, some of which include a yoga day. But they also have a bunch of yoga workouts for all levels. I find them to be really good for people like me who are not very flexible. I'd also look into DDP yoga.
Pick a spot in the front row so you can see yourself and the instructor in the mirror without turning your head. Makes it a lot easier to see what they’re talking about and watch yourself make adjustments.
like TC said the best way is in-person. It took me literal years before some of the light bulb moments went off. "Tuck your tailbone," etc. Youre not going to get any of that in a book, just attending class. I've never done it, but have heard Yoga with Adrienne is really good. I think she's on Youtube. My advice would be to find a highly rated studio in your area, find a generic or beginning class, show up 15-20 min beforehand, and just tell the teacher that you're brand new. If theyre a good teacher then they will walk you thru everything.
I started yoga with Adriene about 5 years ago. She's great. Tried a couple in person classes but prefer the intimacy of my living room. Picked this up a couple months ago and it has helped clarify some things: "Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha" - Tried to link to Amazon but it's being funky The books spans beginner to advanced, explains how to get into a pose, what you should be focusing on, the feeling of the pose, and how to breathe, among other things.
Start another mini-yoga teacher training on Sunday on the Southwest Coast of Mazunte, Mexico. Three weeks, I think it's halfway yoga retreat halfway training. Daily scheduled Mon-Sat, Sundays off:
Nobody except grifters and con artists earn "a shitload of cash" from teaching yoga. Maybe in thai bhat.
Been a pretty incredible first week. Nothing at all like I expected, but in a good way. Spoiler https://hridaya-yoga.com/ It's much more meditative and spiritual than I expected. The school is all about self-inquiry. It's some heavy shit. Every morning starts at 7 with an hour of meditation, followed by a 45 minute - 1 hour lecture, followed by a 1.5-2 hour yoga class. But the yoga is unlike anything I've ever done -- we hold the poses for, literally, 5-10 minutes. I'm talking staying in a forward fold for up to ten minutes. Having your arms straight up, above your head, for 10 minutes. Seated spinal twist, back bends, all the works, for super long. The entire time the teachers are taking you through a guided meditation. It's intense. Around 10:30 they serve breakfast, all vegan, but delicious. As much as you want. And from the 7:00 AM start until after breakfast, the students are in mauna - "the ancient traditional practice of keeping silent to enhance pratyhara, going within for spiritual awakening." No talking, complete silence. We then have a break from about 11:00 until 3:00, I come back to my Airbnb to work. 3:00 PM begins with another 45 min - 1 hour lecture, followed by another 1.5-2 hours of yoga, still holding poses for 5-10 minutes. 5:30 is another vegan dinner, really good. Every night ends with a 2-hour lecture. At least we can talk during the afternoon sessions and dinner. This goes Monday-Saturday, with Sundays off. There are about 30 students from all over the world, most from Europe. Only 3 Americans. Have made really good friends with a solid group of 10-12 folks. It's a pretty amazing experience. Today a group of us attended an ecstatic dance, which is basically a sober rave in the Mexican jungle. No alcohol, but some psychedelics. Took a little bit of mushrooms. It's very burning-man adjacent. Not supposed to take pictures of anyone, cell phone use is highly discouraged. There's one cameraman and they post all the pictures on a private What'sApp group. Probably about half the girls are topless, a lot fully nude. Lots of hanging dong, too. Fucking awesome music, deep house and trance. Fire dancers. Pool to the side to chill out. Goes from 12:00 - 6:00 PM. They have one every Sunday, next week is on the beach. Will 100% be attending. Enjoying not drinking alcohol and just being a dirty hippie on the Oaxacan Coast for a bit. And we see whales almost every morning from the deck in the yoga hall overlooking the Pacific. Sometimes it's humpbacks jumping out of the water, most of the time it's grey whales. It's incredible.
I like doing yoga and try to get a few 30-40 minute session in when I can. I have interests in meditation, but can't do it
I also struggle with meditating on my own. Too much shit going on. I have a great 30 minute sequence I've curated that I do pretty much every day I don't attend or teach a class. There are certain poses you should do every single day -- cat/cow, some sort of spinal twist, seated head-to-knee pose with emphasis on the low back. Eagle pose is fucking great if you work out, really works your back shoulders.
I can't turn my mind off. I've tried a few apps, but quickly quit. I'm sure it's something you need to work at.
Just signed up for Module 2, May 22 - June 13 https://hridaya-yoga.com/activities/hridaya-yoga-retreat-module-2/
Finished first week this evening. A lot different from my first training at this center, but amazing. Big focus on pranayama (breathwork) and meditation more than asana (poses). Start every day (Monday - Saturday) at 7:00 with a smoothie and some self-study/meditation, then 3.5 hour class that starts at 8:00. Each class begins with a 30 minute lecture to introduce either the new asana or breathing technique, then you have about a 3 hour yoga class that's probably about 60-70% physical poses (holding them for 5-10 minutes, lots of poses where you just hold your arms over your head - very hard), then the last 30-40% is breathwork and meditation. Out of class around 11:30, delicious vegan meal. We're then off until about 5:00, which is perfect because I work during the break. Usually go for a swim around 4:00 if I'm not too busy. Vegan dinner at 5:00, then a 2-hour lecture from 6:00 - 8:00. Have the evenings to myself, usually just chill in my hammock with a fan in my face. It is brutally fucking hot -- 95-100 degrees every day, insane humidity, just in a state of perpetual sweat. I haven't put on a shirt since I arrived. They have some fans in the rooms where we do yoga, but they don't help much -- really just screened windows looking out over the Pacific Ocean with very little breeze. Just living like a very dirty, smelly hippie. No purging/vomiting practices, yet.
Checking in to confirm. Been doing a few before golf season. Really opened up my flexibility. My kids are not amused as I’m dropping the downward dog while they try to eat breakfast.
A few poses and pt are the only things that keep my janky back in order. Wish I’d have begun doing more core specific exercises prior to having issues. That’s all I’ve got.
I've worked a desk job for about 10 years and have never had the slightest bit of back problems. Even if you only have 5-10 minutes, do cat-cow, down dog, and some spinal twists.
I’ve been having a ton of lower back pain because of bad posture and tight hips. I started doing myofascial release and it immediately helps.
Week 2 in the books. Used my day off to go surfing. Most likely coming back in January - March 2024 to do Modules 3 and 4. Both of those trainings will be 3.5 weeks, with 2 week break between trainings, with the same schedule: Hatha yoga/pranayama/meditation for 4 hours, from 8:30 - 12:30, Monday - Sunday. Rest of the day off, and I'll be two hours ahead of PST so will be able to work a pretty normal schedule. I know nobody really cares, but this yoga center is fucking transforming my life. I don't have the self-discipline to meditate daily, but having this structure does wonders for me. I love Mex City, but I partied too much. Just being in this beautiful hippie place and surrounded by like-minded people is inspiring.
Nug care to recommend any good online classes for a yoga beginner? My PT is suggesting a Hatha class but the times dont work.
Adriene is solid and has a ton of videos for specifics stretched, pain, etc. this is the intro which is a 30 day daily course.
Only one I know of is Yoga with Adrienne, she has great reviews. Hatha is great, though. It's typically characterized by holding the poses for a lot longer. It's the style I practice at my studio in Mexico.