Do you practice Yoga?
If so, what styles?
What have you gotten from your practice?
Where do you stand with the "spiritual" aspects of yoga?
Any other thoughts on Yoga (practitioners or non)?
5
Enjoy being online again!
Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.Create your free account
17 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Anyone who practices yoga and has already achieved some success should think about teaching this practice to other people. On this site you will find information about the best online yoga teacher training certifications and you will be able to choose the best solution. I advise you to study in more detail the information about each training, because this way you can determine what knowledge you need to get additionally in order to start teaching in yoga practice.
Verolla
Level 2
Feb 26, 2023
0
Yes I do. I have for many years and see no connection with anything religious or spiritual. It's a great way to tone up, stretch muscles, keep things loosened up as you get older. I am in the process of getting into it more myself. I don't care where or how it stands with anyone in society. I use it for my health and well being.
mistymoon77
Level 9
Apr 7, 2018
1
Yes...Vinyasa flow around 3 x per week minimum. It's a fountain of youth; a clear space; and so good for my joints.
dressagelady
Level 2
Apr 3, 2018
1
Yep! I've practiced for about 15 years. Taught for around 12. I teach mostly in the vinyasa style. The physical practice definitely opened the door something that you might call spiritual in me. It's definitely possible to access different brain states in the physical practice (akin to flow-state) and in deep meditation (a sense of oneness).
TimWhitaker
Level 6
Apr 2, 2018
1
Nice! I’ve been practicing 12+ and teaching 10+. HotYoga style (Bikram). Nice hand stand!
@Anemynous Thanks! And very cool to meet another teacher here.
I did it and it's good and I ought to get back into it.
I tried Hatha, restorative and hot. Hatha suited me best.
CallMeDave
Level 8
Apr 1, 2018
1
I studied and practiced yoga for over 6 years. I was on the path to Iyengar teacher certification. I took a break from Iyengar training to get a 200 hour teacher cert so I would feel confident teaching yoga as an Iyengar student teacher. I was then shunned by the Iyengar teaching community. During the last 2 years of teacher training I began to resist the need to embrace Hinduism, and the teaching Hinduism along with yoga asanas. Studying anatomy also caused me to doubt many things yoga teachers must “believe” and teach. My home practice feel apart. I’m finally back to one yoga class a week. There is a lot more going on on an unconscious level and I suspect I am a western being spiritually and need a western exercise regimen. Yoga borders on a cult.
Edspyhill09
Level 2
Apr 1, 2018
1
Aye! Sadly, there is not one discipline that doesn't have some scandal surrounding it's founder. Very unfortunate. I do my best not to make claims as a lot of the ones that were passed to me are often fantastical or over-exaggerated. I do not include any kind of hinduism in my practice or embrace any of the dogmas that sometimes infiltrate. But I have found great benefit from the actual practice of Hatha in it's various forms.
It can be cult-y. It starts to lose me when instructors say we store memories in our hips, etc. But I have found a remarkable peace in practicing, going into myself, visualizing things that help me (flames, birds, horses, the ocean). I avoid instructors who try to tell me what to see and think, and seek out ones who encourage me to find my own visualizations.
I am addicted! 30 Days of Yoga with Adrienne, get it on YouTube. 
What is said about yoga and meditation (peace and tranquility) IS becoming my experience, too (relatively new to Yoga). I'd imagine yoga will be an essential part of my day for the rest of my days.
crazycurlz
Level 7
Apr 1, 2018
2
Thank you for the tip!!!!
Nope. I'm not "bendy".
onthefire
Level 7
Apr 1, 2018
1
That's the best reason to do it! That's like saying you have to get in shape before you can work out. Just messing with ya... I ain't selling anything. Full respect to the many ways of being.
I have been looking into meditation though. I could use more calm in my life. Maybe a lot of calm.
I did with the Wii fit, definitely no spirituality there ? I enjoyed it though, any stretching makes me feel better.
Jeannette
Level 3
Apr 1, 2018
2
Interesting! I wonder what poses it uses? Yoga is well known for "stretching", but it is also wonderful for improving the mobility of the joints, balance, stamina and concentration. Many are familiar with stretching sensations but are unfamiliar with compression and shy away from pinching sensations in the joints and spine... those sensations should be understood similarly to stretching sensations, they aren't bad. Back bends are a great example of this, almost everyone feels a little pinch somewhere in the neck or low back in backward bend.
Only a bit so far ! Fractured elbow falling off mountain bike (lol) just as started yoga. Top move. Definitely going to do some more. Iyengar (I think is the spelling). I have friends who do Acroyoga in various forms which involves making human structures using a few people. In other forms acro is true acrobatics when you get high up into it. So they are running and leaping into a dive at good speed arms out.. The hands are then recieved by a reciever who then uses the energy of the flying person and thier balance to further launch them or catch them. A lot of the people doing that are also serious martial artists or gymnasts. I have done two poses of basic yoga lol. There are tons of types of it aren't there. One though (that kinda involves standing up straight lol) .. i shouldn't laugh haha but it's funny as so simple. You stand very straight sort of lightly resting balance on balls of heels, chin up arms straight down hands vertical stretching. Then you pull that pose into a true tension and perfect balance. Now it seems really simple .. But i have seen people screw that up quite a bit before nailing it properly .. Simple as that pose is too if you hold it for about a couple of minutes when you release you are wrecked. It truly screws you up. I have done athletics for years and that one crap pose beats me up hard lol !!! So i think it's cool and want to do more.. I have injuries so not sure about the superman stuff though. Feel Tai Chi could be good too.
Nickbeee
Level 8
Apr 1, 2018
3
Sweet! Yeah, Iyengar was an amazing dude. You can google images of him doing crazy stuff well into old age. You're talking about Tadasana, or "Mountain Pose". Yoga is absolutely great getting back mobility/etc from old injuries. Yoga when practiced properly is intended to bring greater function to the body, rather than damaging it like many of our other fun activities we enjoy. Acro Yoga looks really fun, I haven't had the opportunity to give it a try yet... but I'd like to. I've only done Tai Chi a few times, but I really enjoy that too.
@Anemynous it's amazing i agree. It helped me recover spinal damage, damage to hip. I'll never jog again (was talented runner as kid) but can ride bike. Jogging impact would destroy my damaged discs. Can swim. Got most the mobilty back though after car crash through various yoga related stretching. Must do more. Im lucky naturally fit though ? thanks for the info!!!
Enjoy being online again!
Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.Create your free account
Share this post
Categories
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.