I’m about to turn 39. I don’t exercise enough. I smoke, I drink, I eat crap most of the time, I guzzle coffee, and I often feel like shit. I’m not overweight (in fact, if anything I am under) but I’m certainly not in shape.
A couple of friends keep telling me to start doing Yoga, and swear that it will do me wonders. I’ll feel better, look better, think better, yada yada. Plus they allege that it is a great way to meet lots of attractive and eligible women (which would not be a bad idea).
What do you say? Is yoga a panacea for all my ills, or are the commercial classes available to me just a newfangled attempt to vacuum my pockets?
And if I were to try it, where might I begin? (I live in San Francisco, BTW.)
This will probably get moved to another forum, but as long as I’m here.
I took yoga classes for about a year. They are great for teaching body awareness, gentle flexibility, reflection and meditation, and some other stuff. They can range from very affordable to quite expensive, and range from an aerobics alternative to a spiritual experience. I’d run from any yoga class that used the word “chakra” or pushed vegetarisim - those things aren’t me - but those yoga classes are filled with people looking for that from yoga.
I wouldn’t call it a panacea, but I don’t think a well chosen class (look in the phone book and then call the instructor and let him/her tell you their philosophy - you’ll know if it fits) won’t do you any harm.
It’s neither a panacea nor hokum. A good yoga class can give you more energy, if you’re willing to try to learn the techniques and to carry them with you outside of class. It can also give you increased flexibility and strength (but it’s not an aerobics alternative in most cases).
Ask your doctor if he knows of a good class/teacher. I take a class at a discounted rate sponsored by my HMO. You’re less likely to get seriously new-agey stuff in this kind of setting - it’s a nice balance of physical activity and meditative techniques that does in fact leave me feeling more relaxed and able to concentrate on my day.
They also have a directory. There are three pages of studios in SF, so I think you’ll be able to find something that meets your needs. Ask your friends - sounds like they have some experience with yoga and know you.
(I would advise avoidingthe do-it-yourself method via videotape. There are plenty available, but when you are starting out you need someone to look at you and adjust you).
Yoga can be great. Since beginning yoga classes two years ago, I no longer need to see a chiropractor three times a week, I have more energy, and have lost considerable amounts of weight (size 16 to size 12).
But come on. If you want to feel better, stop smoking, drinking, eating crap, and guzzling coffee. It’s great to add exercise to your life, and yoga is a nice gentle way to begin if you’ve been out of the exercise loop for a while. Nothing is going to make you feel great if you keep sabotaging your health with overindulgence in substances that obviously are not good for your body.
Moreover, in my experience with pretty much all the yoga classes I’ve attended or heard of, it is quite true that the female-to-male ratio among the students is high. (In fact, this has become THE argument I use to encourage my male friends to try yoga classes. Better health? Improved posture? Muscle tone? Injury recovery? Inner peace? “Yeah, well, I don’t know, maybe I’ll try it sometime.” Meet chicks? “Um, okay, sure, where do I sign up?” :)) Just keep in mind that most women are naturally somewhat more physically flexible than most men, at least in the untrained state, and don’t freak out or think that you’re just a no-hoper at yoga if all the women around you seem much more bendable than you are.
Most everybody who does yoga has got their own particular brand or style that try to push on everybody else: since I’m no different, I’ll tell you that my favorite is hatha yoga with a certified Iyengar instructor. The Iyengar folks have a pretty rigorous instructor training and certification program, they tend to be much more cautious than the Ashtanga people about risking injury, and you’ll probably learn quite a bit about physiology. They’re fairly big on class discipline, though, so be prepared to get scolded occasionally.
Look around for an SF version of an Open University, a commuter community college, or even a hospital (my employer is a hospital in Wisconsin that offers yoga classes to the general public).
You can find some relatively cheap course. Here it’s $48, for an hour a week for 6 six weeks. See if you like it, blow it off and eat the fifty bucks if you don’t. Maybe try again with some other teacher if the first one doesn’t work.
The instructor can meek a big, big difference in what kind of experience you have. Some are more spiritual than others. Some focus more on relaxation, while others will drive you until you can barely move. Some are very hands on, and will come around and push you and pull you deeper into poses. If you happen to get someone you don’t feel comfortable with right off, you might try again before you give up.
Also, if at all possible I think you’re much better off in a class of ten or less for your first few sessions. The big classes of 40 or so can be a little intimidating when you don’t know what you’re doing, and the instructors won’t have as much time to help you. If you do go that way, be sure to let them know you’re new, and they’ll generally try to work with you as much as they can.