Need Yoga information =)

[SaraKitty]

My third time asking but I guess I was asking at the wrong sections. I hope this is the correct section.

I do have several questions:

1. Is yoga mainly for relaxing? or can it also be for losing weight and getting muscular?

2. Anyone know any good yoga videos that you can recommend me? (I prefer online videos)

Thanks!

[Sunshine143]

The yoga that I have done was about toning your muscles and then, at the end, you would be all relaxed. Yoga was really helpful, but I didn't like how you were upside down for half the time. lol. =] I prefer Pilates.

I'm not sure of any online videos? I bought a dvd by Gaiam for Yoga and it was amazing. I would recommend it.

Good luck!

[bebeklein]

I do yoga and it will definitely build muscle in your arms.

Not so much for your legs, but I still believe there are benefits to holding positions (lunges and squats for example) for extended periods of time.

Depending on the pace & how challenging the moves are, it can help with weight loss, although it wouldn't be the most efficient choice. In my fast-paced yoga classes, I'm definitely sweating. I like doing it just to have variety in my routine.

I like these two vids - Shiva Rea's Yoka Shakti & Rodney Yee's Power Yoga Total Body - in this link
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...#post195787801

You could also try taking a yoga class at your gym.

[javyn]

Sara,

I am a bit of a yoga fanatic, and in answer to your questions:

1. You get out of yoga asanas what you put in. If you want to relax with them, you can, but crank up the intensity of the stretches, and you can have the most hardcore cardio workout you ever had from those exact same postures/asanas. Probably my favorite thing about yoga. When I do my intense stretches, I get such a good workout, I sometimes puddle the floor with sweat, and at the same time I end the session feeling relaxed.

2. Videos are better than nothing, but the asanas are incredibly intricate and actually take a lifetime to master. You would do MUCH better finding a teacher to teach you and move your body into place when your posture is bad, etc. A video can never tell you when you are doing something wrong and you risk injury.

Best of luck to ya.

edit: In English, yoga means "union". It's purpose is to unify your mind and body so they work together in harmony. Do not neglect the non-physical aspects of yoga. As a matter of fact, us Westerners place far too little emphasis on meditation and breathing technique which are critical, and place all emphasis on the asanas. Be absolutely certain your teacher or video teaches you how to properly breathe in lesson 1, first thing. Breathe in through the nose filling the lungs for 6 seconds, pause for 2, then exhale for 8 seconds. It's a lot more difficult to keep this up, especially when you are working/stretching during an asana than it sounds at first. Give it a try! See how long you can keep that rhythm up.

[sacha2]

Can someone explain how you actually build muscle during yoga?! I've done it a few times and find that it is wonderful for my rest-days from weight training, but I'm not sure how you build muscle? I would love to know if other forms actually do. Except hot yoga. I HATE hot yoga. Haha.

[javyn]

I'm not really sure you can build much muscle with yoga. It's not really meant to be lumped into the same group as calisthenics, pilates, etc.

[JVo]

I've found a wide variety in the few yoga classes I've taken. Some of them are really mellow, and others are pretty intense in terms of holding uncomfortable poses for long periods of time.

I don't think you can really put on a lot of muscular size in yoga, like you can in weight training. I think with yoga, you're sort of working on muscular endurance. (But I figure it's probably good to work that, too, right?)

I started taking yoga because I was getting back injuries in the weight room, and I thought yoga would help me improve both core strength and flexibility.

Yoga is good for improving flexibility, balance, and a wealth of other health benefits. I feel like yoga is a really good full-body workout. It sort of gives me the piece of mind that I'm not ignoring anything.

[bebeklein]

Can someone explain how you actually build muscle during yoga?! I've done it a few times and find that it is wonderful for my rest-days from weight training, but I'm not sure how you build muscle? I would love to know if other forms actually do. Except hot yoga. I HATE hot yoga. Haha.

I've built my biceps up with yoga to the point where I don't even work out with weights. You know the move where you go from upward dog and downward dog, I do a pushup in between the two instead of just pushing off. Also Lowering to a plank position and holding it prior to upward dog.

I also can do the crane pose & will hold it. Yoga has lots of plank & side plank poses. And there are some other more advanced ones. Check out the shoulders & arms of anyone who seriously does yoga. It takes muscle to hold your own body weight. You just have to get into more advanced classes at yoga studios instead of gyms or more challenging DVDs.

[JVo]

I've built my biceps up with yoga to the point where I don't even work out with weights. You know the move where you go from upward dog and downward dog, I do a pushup in between the two instead of just pushing off. Also Lowering to a plank position and holding it prior to upward dog.

Wouldn't the push-up (i.e. chaturanga) work your triceps/chest more than your biceps, though?

[bebeklein]

Wouldn't the push-up (i.e. chaturanga) work your triceps/chest more than your biceps, though?

Yeah, the chaturanga definitely works your triceps/chst. But I do this one move (opposite direction of chaturanga - going from upward to downward) that I can feel in my biceps (maybe cuz my elbows aren't close to my body and my palms are facing out to the sides in stead of front & center , kinda like a wide V??). Also, people tend to complement me on my biceps and I don't work them outside of yoga but now I'm thinking about most of the poses and the majority probably work the shoulder and triceps much more.

But yeah, you're not gonna develop huge muscles in your arms. But if you're looking for a sculpted look I've been able to maintain mine through yoga alone. Really depends on the yoga level and intensity you do it at.

[javyn]

This is probably the best book to start out with as a beginner, and since it's so old, you can find a used copy for next to nothing.

http://www.amazon.com/Richard-Hittle...8720236&sr=8-1

This is my favorite yoga book, and my reference for all asanas. The 360 degree photographs are amazing.

Iyengar is the master, anything he says can be trusted, unlike many of the scamsters out there.

http://www.amazon.com/B-K-S-Iyengar-...8720408&sr=1-1

[TDE]

The yoga that I have done was about toning your muscles and then, at the end, you would be all relaxed. Yoga was really helpful, but I didn't like how you were upside down for half the time. lol. =] I prefer Pilates.

I'm not sure of any online videos? I bought a dvd by Gaiam for Yoga and it was amazing. I would recommend it.

Good luck!

gaiam.com is a good site