[Heineken]

I've just read parts of the amazing colon-cleansing forum. It inspired me to contribute a few words on another, somewhat related health practice: yoga.

Yoga used to have very few adherents in the US and was generally viewed as nutty, but it's caught on quite a bit in the past few years. That's because a lot of creaky middle-agers are discovering it can do wonders for aching backs and many other middle-aged complaints.
Yoga, along with weight loss, diet, and exercise, is one of the few things you can do that will actually reverse some of the effects of aging. That's right, you can effectively get younger by improving flexibility and balance.

And flexibility is key. You can run and lift weights all day long, but as you get older, only yoga (or some other stretching regimen) will keep you from ending up all hunched over. And avoiding a lot of other problems along the way.

Yoga is good for more than just your joints, of course. It benefits the circulatory system, brain, and digestion. It can even cure a sore throat! It has a very calming effect that lasts for hours after a session---it's sort of like sex for the soul. And, like sex, it feels good.

I've been practicing yoga to one extent or another for about 25 years, and I can do some fairly advanced stuff, although I'm light-years from being a true yogi. People say I look at least 10 years younger than my chronological age of 51. Standing on your head and doing the other "inverted" yoga positions will do that for you. Defying gravity---in true Einsteinian fashion---can also defy time.

I strongly encourage my fellow POers to consider taking up yoga and would be happy to entertain any questions they may have about it.

[username]

Yoga can reverse random mutation in my DNA? Wow! I didn't know stretching could do that! I've got to share this magical anti-aging secret with the world.

[Revi]

I am a very amateur yoga person, but I have discovered that it really helps with my joint pain. It really helps my back. I can't remember any of the names of the positions, but I swear that it helps me. I say it's worth two ibuprophen, and it lasts much longer. I missed my class today, but I'm going to try to get to one on Tuesday to make up for it.

[Heineken]

There's a lot more to aging than what's going on with your DNA, username.

[Heineken]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'I') am a very amateur yoga person, but I have discovered that it really helps with my joint pain. It really helps my back. I can't remember any of the names of the positions, but I swear that it helps me. I say it's worth two ibuprophen, and it lasts much longer. I missed my class today, but I'm going to try to get to one on Tuesday to make up for it.

[Loki]

Yoga is a superb form of exercise, certainly one of the best, if not the best. I don't do it as regularly as I should, but when I do I feel absolutely great. Calm yet energized.

I'd really like to take more classes, but it's very expensive to study it around here. Obviously catering to the yuppy class with more money than they know what to do with. There's also a lot of flakey new age BS that I have little patience for, plus there can be a meat market dimension to some yoga classes (I had a very negative experience that I won't go into).

I'm glad I learned it from a teacher who didn't include any of that crap. He learned it late in life and was teaching it when he was in his late 50s or 60s. He was in great shape and said it reversed a lot of the physical problems he had before he started.

[Heineken]

Yoga classes are great, but I've never had one. Learned what I know out of a couple of books (including the classic text, "Yoga, Youth, and Reincarnation") and a pack of "yoga cards." Also from watching my dad when I was a kid---I remember how he grunted as he did the scorpion.

There's no need to spend money on classes, but they're probably better than the typically "loner" route I took.

To each his own.

Of course, caveat emptor. There is a flaky/charlatan dimension to yoga that needs to be avoided, as you note, Loki.

[username]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Heineken', 'T')here's a lot more to aging than what's going on with your DNA, username.

[undertaker]

Doing yoga from videos works great!

I like Wai Lana, Dynamic Kripalu with Steven Cope, and Patricia Walden. All are videos. I do yoga about 2 to 3 times a week.

Yoga is especially good for anyone who has to do any kind of manual labor.

If Big Business invested in yoga for workers, they save billions on workers comp claims, and have much better productivity over all.

[gampy]

Hi Heineken,

I am very interested in Yoga. I was thinking of taking a class, but my back is in such poor condition I was kind of afraid. ( I have a protuded disc in low back, pehaps more than one). It has caused me problems over the years.

I bicycle, and do a lot of walking, but I still have problems with it.

Anyways...I really want to try it, but I am leery of the weirdos I might meet. I am not prejudiced against new agers, but I want to make sure i can glean some health benefits before investing in a class. Although the though of stretching and exercising with a roomful of spandex clad women is kinda appealing. LOL.

My Doctor says there is no harm, but can I realistically see a benefit?

[ColossalContrarian]

Yoga is great for the body and the mind.

I enjoy going to a studio because the energy in the room from the other people practicing is wonderful and positive.

I believe yoga could solve so many mental issues people have... depression, anxiety, insomnia... the list could go on.

Why put crap like prozac or paxil into your body when you can do yoga every day and feel (and look!) 10 times better?

[ColossalContrarian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('gampy', 'H')i Heineken,

I am very interested in Yoga. I was thinking of taking a class, but my back is in such poor condition I was kind of afraid. ( I have a protuded disc in low back, pehaps more than one). It has caused me problems over the years.

I bicycle, and do a lot of walking, but I still have problems with it.

Anyways...I really want to try it, but I am leery of the weirdos I might meet. I am not prejudiced against new agers, but I want to make sure i can glean some health benefits before investing in a class. Although the though of stretching and exercising with a roomful of spandex clad women is kinda appealing. LOL.

My Doctor says there is no harm, but can I realistically see a benefit?

[gampy]

Hi Sabibaby,
Oh geez, I hope I didn't offend all you yoga masters!....no sense of humour you folks!

Anyways...yah, I really want to try this. Not least being my back problems, but just my general health. I want to feel healthy, alive and in tune with my body. I didn't want to make an attack on " new agers" so to speak...just the flaky people you meet at these things....I have met a few...anyways....it's not important. I am sure there are many cool, thoughtful and friendly folks at these classes. Will definitely give it a try!

I think a class would be better for me than a book or video...I need some innstruction, even if it is just to watch and try whatever they do...hopefully they offer some instruction....don't want to pull a muscle or hurt myself....like I said, I have a serious back problem.

[Heineken]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('gampy', 'H')i Heineken,

I am very interested in Yoga. I was thinking of taking a class, but my back is in such poor condition I was kind of afraid. ( I have a protuded disc in low back, pehaps more than one). It has caused me problems over the years.

I bicycle, and do a lot of walking, but I still have problems with it.

Anyways...I really want to try it, but I am leery of the weirdos I might meet. I am not prejudiced against new agers, but I want to make sure i can glean some health benefits before investing in a class. Although the though of stretching and exercising with a roomful of spandex clad women is kinda appealing. LOL.

My Doctor says there is no harm, but can I realistically see a benefit?

[Heineken]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('undertaker', 'D')oing yoga from videos works great!

I like Wai Lana, Dynamic Kripalu with Steven Cope, and Patricia Walden. All are videos. I do yoga about 2 to 3 times a week.

[Aaron]

Wow...

I can't believe nobody has flamed this thread yet.

Stretching is a good thing.

[eric_b]

Oh, yeah. Yoga. Just found one of my old Yoga books...

"Hatha Yoga, Manual I, by Samskrto and Veda.. Second edition"

I used to do some of these routines when I was in highschool. That was some time ago now.

They really are good excersises. I somehow f*cked up my lower back a week or two ago (first time I've ever done this!) and it's awful. Seems to be taking forever to heal. So I'm thinking of starting up some of these stretching routines to help my back.

[ColossalContrarian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Aaron', '
')Stretching is a good thing.

[Heineken]

Speaking of breathing, it's a big part of formal yoga. Much is made of it, but I've never paid much attention to that aspect---I find the whole focus on breathing tiresome and boring and unnatural. The only time I focus strongly on my breathing is during meditation, which I do far too little of . . .

[Loki]

eric_b, I occasionally tweak my lower back and find that just hanging out in a forward bend (whether standing or on the ground) works wonders. Obviously you have to do it slowly and don't strain. Just bend and relax. I forget what's it called, but I also like being on all fours and slowly rolling my back up and down while also moving my head/neck in the opposite direction (so when you roll your back up, you point your head down, and vice versa). Very gentle movement that's mostly just a warm-up technique, but if your back is messed up, gentle is good.

Heineken, breathing is half of yoga. It's extremely important. I was taught to especially avoid holding the breath (with some rare exceptions). Breathing is as much mental as it is physical. Deep breathing can give you a nice "high" (for lack of a better term) and can help your body relax into the poses.

And thanks for the thread---I have a couple yoga DVDs that have been sitting around for a while unwatched. I'm watching one now. Not following along (obviously, since I'm typing), but just watching to see what it's like. Looks like it would be a good routine, though the instructor talks way too much---very distracting. DVD is "Journey Into Power: Baptiste Power Yoga, Level 1" (got it on Netflix). It's reminded me of a few poses I haven't practiced in many years.

And speaking of yoga products, I highly recommend B.K.S. Iyengar's Light on Yoga. Probably not the best beginner's book, but Iyengar is a big name in the yoga world and his book is pretty comprehensive. He's got some crazy poses in there---I doubt I'll ever be at that level, but it's interesting to see what elite yogis can do.