Yoga as Exercise, addendum
Okay, so I can see where my post yesterday might have offended some Yoginis who practice Ashtanga or even Bikram. So I wanted to go ahead and say a little bit more about this.
There was a time when I practiced vigorous, vinyasa Yoga 5-6 days per week for an hour to an hour and a half per day. I had been studying the philosophy of yoga for some time and also meditated, but decided (out of laziness, in my case) that I was going to call Yoga my exercise AND my spiritual practice. Multitasking, killing two birds with one stone… right? I’m here to tell you, it honestly took something away from the practice for me. AND I ended up injuring my wrist AND I gained five pounds AND, when I would go hiking, I had no aerobic capacity. It was truly a lose-lose situation.
All that being said, I think a lot of folks come to Yoga for the physical, which is a fine reason to come. Flexibility, stress relief, toning… but ultimately Yoga is a way IN. A way to connect with what is best in ourselves and also see what needs work, without judgement. To stop the war that rages inside of us against ourselves. It’s not about abs of steel or getting sweaty. What happens on the mat is just a reflection of who we are off the mat and vice versa. Meditation in motion.
So maybe for some folks, Yoga can be aerobic or can count as exercise, but I would say that is the exception not the rule. Carry on…
February 6th, 2008 at 8:38 am
[…] insideoutweightloss wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptOkay, so I can see where my post yesterday might have offended some Yoginis who practice Ashtanga or even Bikram. So I wanted to go ahead and say a little bit more about this. There was a time when I practiced vigorous, vinyasa yoga (yoga for beginners) (yoga for beginners) 5-6 … […]
February 6th, 2008 at 8:45 am
[…] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptOkay, so I can see where my post yesterday might have offended some Yoginis who practice Ashtanga or even Bikram. So I wanted to go ahead and say a little bit more about this. There was a time when I practiced vigorous, vinyasa Yoga 5-6 … […]
February 6th, 2008 at 9:16 am
[…] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptOkay, so I can see where my post yesterday might have offended some Yoginis who practice Ashtanga or even Bikram. So I wanted to go ahead and say a little bit more about this. There was a time when I practiced vigorous, vinyasa yoga (yoga for beginners) (yoga for beginners) 5-6 … […]
February 6th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Oh, I wasn’t at all offended byt he last post! I love differing viewpoints. And I also agree that seeing yoga simply as exercise is limiting. It is SO MUCH MORE!!!
February 6th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
[…] Yoga as Exercise, addendum […]
February 6th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Oh, I totally agree - with both posts. I think you will definitely see physical results from instituting a yoga practice but you can’t rely on that alone. That’s why I think it’s great that gyms and fitness centers offer yoga classes to their members. Someone can get all pumped up from a 45 minute spinning class and then ease back down with a yoga class and (hopefully) refocus and remember why they are there to begin with. Physical fitness and health are all part of living the best life possible…as is yoga.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I understand what you are saying. Really I do. But at this point in my life, if I can get to an ashtanga class a couple times a week, that really is the most bang for my buck.
If I can exercise my body, practice by breath, calm my being and leave feeling refreshed… I’ll take it.
It all sounds ideal… making time for a spiritual yoga practice and other time dedicated to an aerobic workout. But really, with 2 small kids, and everything else… I just don’t have the time. I would be sacrificing other important things to me.
I’m just proud of myself for getting there a couple times a week with everything else on my plate. I don’t want to feel guilty about it. Sometimes you just can’t do it all. And for me, part of having a balanced life is not putting unrealistic expectations on myself.
So I completely appreciate what you’re saying… I just don’t think it’s a possibility for me right now. But in the future, ABSOLUTELY.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:17 am
Kelcey, I totally agree with you. We do what we can… as I mentioned, it was a lot different for me when Clara was smaller.
February 7th, 2008 at 4:37 am
When I originally took up walking, I did so for the exercise. I come from a long line of walkers. After a year or so, I realised that my walking was more therapeutic than it was a workout. My family refers to my walks as walkie talkies. And it is true, the exertion, the fresh air, the talking/laughing/crying make up the whole caboom. Yoga is like this and even more. I completely agree with your premise that there are just so many aspects to yoga, but even though the aerobic part is missing, overall it does strengthen more than just your heart of muscles.
February 7th, 2008 at 10:52 am
I’m a bit behind, but as an occasional Bikram practitioner where my heart rate goes up and I certainly sweat, it still isn’t the same as going for a run or walk. I consider it exercise, but not aerobic exercise. Although it does make me feel good.
I am always so impressed at how well you fit in exercise. I’m horrible at fitting it in. I do really well for short spurts, but then I get distracted by life. We just got our treadmill so I am hoping that will help keep my running up in the winter and when I can’t get out without kids.
February 7th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
What a great conversation going on! My yoga teacher says that yoga is enough. But other teachers at the studio are also runners and they do special workshops aimed at yoga for runners. I find that I need to walk 3 times a week in addition to doing yoga. They complement each other!
March 26th, 2008 at 4:19 am
hi! whenever I have free time I also do some cardio workout like Jump rope or at times I jog around our block. I guess it all depends on what works for us,