Time Health Article on The Yoga Phenomenon

[Guest guest]

Hi All:

 

I do yoga (or some days, what passes for yoga) for flexibility and

relaxation. I have found it one of the most accessible ways for a plus sized

person with fibromyalgia to maintain mobility and fend off the debilitating

stiffness and guarding that can enhance chronic pain. It also helps me focus

my breathing and get centered. Most days I use a Rodney Yee video or listen

to the CD version of it now that I'm familiar with the routine. (He's

certainly eye candy, but I'd rather focus on my own postures than his ;-)

Sometimes I break with that and do the morning routine on Yoga Zone. I think

about going out to classes, but I'm more comfortable alone in my own living

room when I'm trying to get my foot around the back of my neck <G> Since

it's obvious that most people who do yoga are about a third of my size,

there isn't as much adaptation in classes as I'd like, either.

 

I've actually researched plus sized yoga videos; here are a couple of links

for the interested:

http://www.webrox.net/yogavideo/

http://www.gentleyoga.com/

 

How do you feel about doing yoga for different reasons... since yoga

literally means union, of body, breath and mind, do you think that

approaching it without embracing its religious source is the same as many of

the other 'borrowing' of techniques that we lean towards in the West, eating

the crust and throwing the bread away? Or do you think it is a technique

that has validity to stand alone and does not have to be colored by its

background in Hindu philosophy?

 

Here is an article from Time Magazine on the pop trend of yoga. I have

noticed over time that there are pluses and minuses to pop trends; one plus

is that people can be exposed to things they might not otherwise have

learned about... but a minus is, what they learn might also be a diluted or

distorted version of the original. I've had many discussions with people

about the same issue regarding Shamanism, Native American spirituality,

Wicca and even Reiki. I must admit to a mixed mind, myself, as the ethics of

profit and depth are important to me. What are your impressions about that?

 

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,106356,00.html

 

Blessings,

Crow

_______________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

[Guest guest]

Lots of good questions Crow....

 

So glad you shared your article and just so much information about Yoga. I

personally have just started relaxation and flexibility and find it a

wonderful soothing experience.

 

There are lots of reasons for yoga...and each person must find time and

search themselves to determine those places where mind-body-spirit align.

Some find that in religious mediative ways, others in divine consciousness

:-)

 

It feels so great to stretch! And I wanted to thank you for your thoughts on

this. What do others think? Do you do Yoga? One of my previous bosses did

poweryoga...a certain kind for strength and flexibility. All I know is that

he was very buffed and lean in no time. When I have taught aerobics in the

past, I use a variety of warm up and cool down yoga moves...

 

There is my additions... :-) Thanks again

[Guest guest]

>Dear Crow:

Yoga I've never taken, but as my husband is a tai chi master teacher, we

often see students who spend about 6 months learning from him, and then go

on and get hired by a hospital who then advertises that they teach tai chi,

when infact they don't at all, they are only playing follow the leader, and

in this case the leader in only a novice. But hospitals don't care because

its a fad now, and they can get more patients by capitalizing on it. People

then go to these programs, because they are offered at half of our prices,

they try it, and then never do anything with it again, because it just

didn't do anything for them. We loose these potential students for good

because now they think its wrong for them, they don't realize that they just

took from an arrogant ammeture and thats not how it works at all. This

makes us sad, not for the loss of income, but because so many people will

now never be open to trying again something that they were once interested

in but now aren't. Fads do this to an industry, a fad creates alot of low

skilled teachers in the industries to fill the need. I wish there were a

way to let people know better. My husband has written many articles in Tai

chi magazine on how to choose a teacher. His goal is to match up the

teacher with the students learning styles, and then for the teacher to have

enough skill that his drop out rate is at a minimum. We teach teachers in

our school. Their training takes alot of time. But some students get thier

teachers certificates before having a ton of technical skill, because our

emphasis is on how well you can accomidate the student, keep him/her

interested, happy, relaxed and learning consistantly and correctly. A

teacher doesn't have to be great at tai chi, just great at teaching. The

best students often don't make the best teachers. And humility is a BIG

factor too.

love

Connie

ps.

I've promised to plug his book for this. :-)

The Immortal's gift

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0967986710/107-5742073-0158962

> Hi All:

>

> I do yoga (or some days, what passes for yoga) for flexibility and

> relaxation. I have found it one of the most accessible ways for a plus sized

> person with fibromyalgia to maintain mobility and fend off the debilitating

> stiffness and guarding that can enhance chronic pain. It also helps me focus

> my breathing and get centered. Most days I use a Rodney Yee video or listen

> to the CD version of it now that I'm familiar with the routine. (He's

> certainly eye candy, but I'd rather focus on my own postures than his ;-)

> Sometimes I break with that and do the morning routine on Yoga Zone. I think

> about going out to classes, but I'm more comfortable alone in my own living

> room when I'm trying to get my foot around the back of my neck <G> Since

> it's obvious that most people who do yoga are about a third of my size,

> there isn't as much adaptation in classes as I'd like, either.

>

> I've actually researched plus sized yoga videos; here are a couple of links

> for the interested:

> http://www.webrox.net/yogavideo/

> http://www.gentleyoga.com/

>

> How do you feel about doing yoga for different reasons... since yoga

> literally means union, of body, breath and mind, do you think that

> approaching it without embracing its religious source is the same as many of

> the other 'borrowing' of techniques that we lean towards in the West, eating

> the crust and throwing the bread away? Or do you think it is a technique

> that has validity to stand alone and does not have to be colored by its

> background in Hindu philosophy?

>

> Here is an article from Time Magazine on the pop trend of yoga. I have

> noticed over time that there are pluses and minuses to pop trends; one plus

> is that people can be exposed to things they might not otherwise have

> learned about... but a minus is, what they learn might also be a diluted or

> distorted version of the original. I've had many discussions with people

> about the same issue regarding Shamanism, Native American spirituality,

> Wicca and even Reiki. I must admit to a mixed mind, myself, as the ethics of

> profit and depth are important to me. What are your impressions about that?

>

> http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,106356,00.html

>

> Blessings,

> Crow

> _______________

> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

>

>

> ****************************************

> Visit the community page:

> For administrative problems -owner

> To , -

>

> All messages, files and archives of this forum are copyright of the

> group and the individual authors.

>

>