Poblems with yoga - and modifying first series to suit my body type.

[Guest guest]

hi all

 

i've been practicing ashtanga yoga for the past 8 months or so. not

everyday, cos i also do some yin yoga, ausara yoga and hot yoga in

between to ensure different parts of my body gets work done on it.

 

the prob i've got with ashtanga is this - much as i love it, i'm

beginning to suspect it might not be the right form of yoga for a

woman of my type.

 

let me explain why by telling you about how my body is built. I am

generally plump in size, with womanly hips and ample thighs and butt,

and even though i have toned up of my various body parts from

ashtanga:

- my 38DD cup boobs and little jelly belly doesn't enable me to do the

much of the postures towards the end from the plough pose onwards.

- in terms of the vinyasas, both standing and seating, jumpbacks are a

problemn for me too. When i do the jumpforwards, my wrists and elbow

joints start to hurt. i much prefer to step forward, but i dont think

my yoga teacher is keen on that cos she sees it as laziness and starts

to bark from her end of the room.

 

My questions are as follows

- do you think i should try a different form of yoga? (i hope not!)

- how can i modify the poses to make me more comfortable? I've started

talking to my teachers about modifications and she's given me some

suggestions, but i'll also like to hear your thoughts, since many of

you are teachers or experiencd student.

 

In my opinion, I shouldn't have to give up yoga on account of my size,

but my lack of progress has greatly frustrated me. I recognise that

the first series takes about 2 years to learn. but here in asia, where

it is terribly competitive even among students of yoga, they pretty

much get it within a couple of months, by pushing themselves real

hard. I don't want to push myself too hard. But it's getting harder to

shut them out and focus on myself.

 

Anna, Aged 32

[Guest guest]

Hi Anna

I'm not a teacher, but a dedicated practitioner. My observations are that

anybody (meaning, " any body " ) can do yoga. If you're persistent in

ashtanga, it's possible the practice will help you lose the bad fat

in your body. When I started yoga I was 15 pounds heavier, and

prior to that time I was heavy most of my life.

 

In one of the ashtanga mysore classes I go to, there is a heavy set

lady who practices ashtanga. The teacher asked her to participate

as one of two people in a demostration to newcombers during a

get together. She was gracious in the way she practiced, and

flexible as well. It demonstrated that anyone can do this practice.

She adjusted her vinyasas for her body, by not jumping through,

for example.

 

In my opinion, a good teacher should be understanding of your

current body's limitations. Yoga is not about competitiveness.

It is okay to be focused and want to progress, but not because

you want to compare yourself to others. The minute you are

doing that, you are missing the point. The asanas are a part of

a journey for your development, not a competition. You are

right in your observations that others may be pushing themselves

too hard and hurting themselves.

 

Some teachers are satvic in nature, others are tamasic. You

can learn from both types. I personally relate better to satvic

teachers because they teach with kindness.

 

Hope that helps,

Arturo

 

dafiestychicka <dafiestychicka wrote:

hi all

 

i've been practicing ashtanga yoga for the past 8 months or so. not

everyday, cos i also do some yin yoga, ausara yoga and hot yoga in

between to ensure different parts of my body gets work done on it.

 

the prob i've got with ashtanga is this - much as i love it, i'm

beginning to suspect it might not be the right form of yoga for a

woman of my type.

 

let me explain why by telling you about how my body is built. I am

generally plump in size, with womanly hips and ample thighs and butt,

and even though i have toned up of my various body parts from

ashtanga:

- my 38DD cup boobs and little jelly belly doesn't enable me to do the

much of the postures towards the end from the plough pose onwards.

- in terms of the vinyasas, both standing and seating, jumpbacks are a

problemn for me too. When i do the jumpforwards, my wrists and elbow

joints start to hurt. i much prefer to step forward, but i dont think

my yoga teacher is keen on that cos she sees it as laziness and starts

to bark from her end of the room.

 

My questions are as follows

- do you think i should try a different form of yoga? (i hope not!)

- how can i modify the poses to make me more comfortable? I've started

talking to my teachers about modifications and she's given me some

suggestions, but i'll also like to hear your thoughts, since many of

you are teachers or experiencd student.

 

In my opinion, I shouldn't have to give up yoga on account of my size,

but my lack of progress has greatly frustrated me. I recognise that

the first series takes about 2 years to learn. but here in asia, where

it is terribly competitive even among students of yoga, they pretty

much get it within a couple of months, by pushing themselves real

hard. I don't want to push myself too hard. But it's getting harder to

shut them out and focus on myself.

 

Anna, Aged 32

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't get soaked. Take a quick peek at the forecast

with the Search weather shortcut.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi, Anna...

First, you must block out the others and the competitiveness you see and focus

only on yourself. The main purpose of yoga is to still the mind so that you can

realize your True Nature and the True Nature of others. We focus on the breath

and the asanas as a way to quiet the mind. From the second sutra...Yoga chitta

Vritti Nirodah..yoga is a cessation of the activitities of the mind

chatter....So remember that first...

Then when you are practicing ask if the practice helps you experience

quietness of mind. The asana practice is a practice of becoming humble and to

surrender one's ego and quite simply let go.

I have a rather active mind, so the Ashtanga practice really works for me to

help quiet it.

Regarding your body. Think about all the oxygen you are breathing into your

cells. When you learn how to control the breath, you learn how to control the

prana, the life force. You will see. Outer limitations of your own mind will

begin to fall away. Your body will become more fluid.

Jumping back is not about a body type. It is about learning how to control the

breath and the bhandas, the locks. It may take years of practice, but you will

experience a stimulation in your third chakra, the energy center of personal

power. You will grow emotionally and spiritually. But you must be patient. 8

months is nothing. I don't know where you got this idea about 2 years either.

There is no timeline. It is fine to step back, but in time the real growth

occurs when you use the breath and the bhandas to control your movements. It

is about you. Your evolvement physically and spiritually occurs with practice,

patience, and time.

If you are having fun with ashtanga, just enjoy it for that and don't worry

about goals. However, if you are serious about it as a practice, you must make

that your main practice, to experience any real progress. It is okay to

experiment in the beginning, but then eventually choose one. I will practice

another type every once in a while if I like the teacher, but still my practice

is Ashtanga. I wanted to add also that in the beginning, I felt very awkward and

found a lot of the practice very difficult, but as I stuck with it, I saw the

growth, physically and spiritually. Now I love it.

Om, shanti, shanti, shanti,

Mary

[Guest guest]

Only concentrate on yourself & everything will be

fine...

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Hi Anna, Dr Jha here. I come to know your problems. nothing is to worry.

you are doing more and continue the same but action and your intent

should synchronise, perform your required Asana along with breath. after

that stand infront of mirror feel yourself and realise that you getting

slim.

 

Thank You

 

Dr B N Jha, Bangalore

[Guest guest]

Hi Anna,

You wrote: " but i dont think my yoga teacher is keen on that cos she

sees it as laziness and starts to bark from her end of the room. "

 

My advice to you is to stick with ashtanga but find a better

teacher - one who understands yoga and what it's all about. Yours

sounds appalling and I wouldn't subject myself to that for one minute.

 

Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois, the founder of ashtanga vinyasa said:

 

" Do your practice and all is coming "

 

and

 

" If we practice the science of yoga, which is useful to the entire

human community and which yields happiness both here and hereafter -

if we practice it without fail, we will then attain physical, mental

and spiritual happiness, and our minds will flood towards the Self. "

 

Namaste

David