How One Man Learned to Love Yoga
This is a guest post by Andrew Blanco from babled.
When she first asked me to come to a yoga class with her, I couldn’t help but tell my girl she was nuts. After all, I’m a guy, and guys don’t do yoga. Girls do yoga.
Upon hearing this lame excuse, my girl promptly put me in my place with a simple bet: “If yoga is only meant for girls then I dare you to attend a full two hour class without breaking a sweat.”
Let the Games Begin
My first mistake was to assume that yoga was nothing more than glorified stretching.
This assumption was shattered when I walked into the classroom only to find the yoga instructor balancing her entire body on just her head and forearms. I stood there for a moment staring and wondering to myself how this move was performed; it seemed to require more strength than the instructor was capable of putting forth.
Before I had the opportunity to ask my instructor how this move was performed, she ran to the back of class, turned down the lights, turned up the sitar music, ran back to the front of class, laid down her yoga mat, sat on her yoga mat with crossed legs, and softly began to chant OM.
After chanting OM three times, the instructor led the class through a ten minute long deep-breathing exercise. It was towards the end of this seemingly simple and relaxing routine that I first broke a sweat. This was clearly not a good sign of things to come.
After finishing the breathing exercises, the instructor informed the class that the main workout would consist of over an hour of flowing yoga poses. This progressive movement from one pose to another pose is known as Vinyasa. Vinyasa is hard. So hard in fact that I discovered muscles I never knew I had.
About a half-hour into the alternating bending and twisting poses that are Vinyasa, I began to regret my decision to come to class. Not since my days running miles for the high school cross country team had I found myself so aerobically challenged.
Humbled
It’s been three years since my first experience with yoga and I can honestly say I still remain fascinated by how great of a workout you can get within the confines of a six-foot long yoga mat.
In addition to providing an amazing cardio routine, the alternating stretching positions emphasized by yoga greatly improve your flexibility. It is this improved flexibility that makes yoga a perfect complement to strength routines, such as weight lifting, that tighten your muscles.
As you delve deeper into the multitude of poses that yoga offers, you will eventually come to a point where you feel you know how to counteract any and every muscle tightness you have, no matter the location.
When you reach that point you will know that a body at peace is a mind at peace, and you will most definitely thank whoever convinced you to try yoga for the first time.
Andrew writes at babled. Babeling is the art of participating in intelligent discourse, self-serving humor, ironic assumption, and biased beliefs.
Photo by nickolette22
Hey Andrew, how many times a week do you go through your Yoga routine?
Greg, I usually do a modified routine every day that lasts about half hour. My routine is more focused on relaxation and relieving tightness than on getting an aerobic workout.
I used to go to a two-hour yoga class once a week with my wife. We did that for about two years until I felt I had learned enough to integrate the practice into my daily routine.
The benefit of a home practice is that you can really take your time with each pose. The benefit of going to a class is that you will be challenged by a more intense workout.
Read Andrew Blanco´s latest article – What Is Yoga?
Great post. I just stareted yoga to help alleviate some back pain. While I can’t bring my leg back over my head, I am getting more flexible (and pain-free) every day. Also the breathing exercises are great,
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Andy, I personally find the Plough position to be the best stretch for my back. Although it defintely takes warming up to even get into it fully and to hold it for a while.
Read Andrew Blanco´s latest article – What Is Yoga?
Great post – if it wasn’t for my wife buying a Wii Fit, I probably never would have done Yoga…and now I love it!
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Hell yeah broham! Who cares how you find it…yoga feels good.
Read Andrew Blanco´s latest article – What Is Yoga?
I’ve been working out with weights for years and I tried yoga for the first time about 5 months ago.
I think it has to be the best workout ever!
It has fixed imbalances in my body and I feel great.
I use it in combination with free weights now each week.
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I think lots of people get into Yoga because of injury, that was the case for me. But since then I’ve found myself more and more interested in the deeper aspects of Yoga that aren’t so common in the Western world. Looking back I’m actually glad I had the injury or I might not have discovered it!
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TOM, I also use Yoga in combination with free weights…and of course my Iron Gym Pull-Up Bar that I got off of an infomercial (it’s awesome!).
JULIAN, you seriously need to begin following the weekly Yoga series I’m beginning on Babeled.com. I’ve dived headfirst into the deeper aspects of yoga over the last few years and now I can’t help but share what I’ve learned. Yoga’s like the rabbit hole…you’ll never know how deep it goes til you take the plunge.
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I have not met anyone who ever regretted doing yoga. Must look into this.
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Thanks for the comment Fathersez. You should start up a practice ASAP! You won’t regret it.
i am currently doing yoga as well and i can say that it feels good