[Closed] Any Yoga experts in the house?

Seen Abi Carver on Pinkbike?
She actually teaches yoga aimed at mtb'ers.
[url= http://m.pinkbike.com/u/yoga15app/channel/15TV/ ]Abi Carver[/url]

It says she's London based so perhaps does classes too if you contact her.

Edit - seems she lives in Mexico now...

I'm completely unexpert but I've done quite a few bits over the past decade and a bit. For the last year I've been doing scaravelli yoga every week, and I like that a lot. I tried one of Abi's videos last week and they're a million miles removed from that - very fast, not easy to get right. Definitely a good way to build core strength and flexibility but not the sort of yoga you want.

Thanks, I'll have a look at both of those.

If you're in London there must be dozens of classes within walking distance. Try a good number of different types and classes until you find what suits you best. There are Yoga classes that treat it as a fairly high intensity exercise down to very gentle classes with lots of chanting.

A good teacher will really help with your postures as well.

Started Forrest yoga after my back op
( 6 ti bolts & elastic stuff to stabilise 2 disks )

Love it, no bullshit chanting or up on your head
Fantastic all over stretch and loads of options / support when things
Are getting a bit snarly

Made a tangible difference to my health & mood
Go for it

Simons - I appreciate what you're saying and true, there's lots of classes near but I'm not working on paying jobs due to the mental health problems. I just can't afford the rates charged locally.

Thanks Dab.

If you've got an Apple device, download the Yoga Studio app. Even better, if you've got the latest Apple TV, download the app to that. Playing it on the big screen is the nearest thing to having your own personal yoga tutor in the room with you. Was recommended to me by a professional coach and I can't recommend it highly enough. For some reason, it seems to be Apple only at present (can't see why). There are a few on here who also use it. My only advice is not to dip straight into the advanced flexibility lesson in typical "competitive male brain" type way. I did this and tried something called "crouching stool pidgeon" or something and it left me stuck on the floor with my left ankle around my right earlobe and an agonising pain that made me think I'd dislocated my hip. Mrs T didn't stop laughing for a week after it took 3 people to unknot me and get me back on my feet again.

Have you got a university/college locally? Not all are open to the public but our classes work out way, way cheaper than the norm. We're in Edinburgh mind so not that convenient, but, I figure the same's likely to apply elsewhere.

It might be worth looking at alternatives too... I got quite into tai chi as combined rehab for my foobarred leg, and for the mental health benefits. There's different styles- I did wudang which is a more physical/aggressive form, but also yang style which was proper granny tai chi, there's loads of groups out there and while some are businesses, a lot are basically community groups so can be cheaper.

I've been going to informal Iyengar yoga sessions a friend is putting on, as she is training to become a yoga teacher. £2 a week towards the venue hire is all I pay, there must be a way of finding similar in that there london.

Thanks Tinners, I've got a Mac so I'll look into that. My flexibility is something I really need to work on and I will resist the urge to get competitive, hopefully.

Northwind, the university that I used to attend is pretty close, thanks for the tip. I used to do some wudang too, excellent teacher Dave (?) in East Oxford, back in the mid-90s.

Thanks Jim, I'll look that up. The teacher today was excellent and she normally works from home so I'll speak to her next time about what the cost and availability is for those sessions.

Anywhere in Manchester for this?

When the kids were young we used to go to Surestart/Family Centre for structured play time. There were free yoga classes for me and the yummy mummies.

Time flies, going to drive firstborn back to University this morning. 🙄

OP Yoga and the meditation will be great for you, embrace it and challenge your "airy fairy" predujice.

I am not an expert practiced most days either at home or in classes for 3 years, a ski injury has seen that curtailed plus lack of discipline to get started again.

Yes its better in a clean relaxed environment, yoga should not imo be about fancy facilities or "new techniques", heated rooms or leaping about. The great thing about yoga is you need very little kit and no real facilities.

Find a class that offers simple basic beginners yoga eg Hatha (imo no ashtanga, heated etc) and focus on the basic sun salutation moves/positions. Really work on them (done properly these are really quite taxing) and do them at home. (Youtube vids etc if you need prompting). Also try and understand the breathing and the meditation aspects, for me they are at least as important. For me the really big win was doing sun salutations most days. You can add a few positions as you build up. Yoga need (should ?) not be about the superflex type poses imo

Have fun and Namaste 🙂

I'm a beginner - now 6 weeks in. I attend a Hatha class in my local village hall. Nothing fancy - just a plain hall. I'm loving it, and finding it increasingly challenging to get every move and position dialled as best as I can. The focus from the correctly timed breathing and getting increasingly deeper into each position is very rewarding.

Definitely useful for cycling - core strength, stretched/ lengthened muscles and better breathing focus. Tbh I wished i did this in my climbing days as it would have helped with focus and the ability to apply myself better to committing on-sights.

Have fun.

My Mrs used to go here...
http://www.petrayoga.co.uk/Classes

in Kentish Town....not sure if it's expensive .

Thanks for the above. Now I know that it is Hatha that I should be looking for.

My concentration is very poor at the moment so I've found trying to read up on Yoga on the net confusing. I understand that the spiritual side is an integral part and the meditation is very important to me. I've tried the Youtube route and it's just not working for me right now.

I'm going to attend the class next week and arrive earlier and offer to sweep the floor if it's in the same state as it was yesterday. The class is specifically for people with mental health issues, obviously, it needs to run at a speed that everyone is capable of. I was by far the fittest and strongest in the class, and I feel that I will want to progress at a faster rate quite soon.

There was one very anxious person there who was talking to the instructor for roughly 1/4 to a 1/3 of the hour session which was a little disruptive for the class IMO. If I get to know her a bit better then I might talk to her about whether she is get counselling or other treatment, but am a bit reluctant to take on other peoples problems at the moment.

My main issue was the noise, the venue is a busy community centre and obviously well used resource. There was constant door slamming, main door buzzer, phone ringing and loud conversations being overheard in the room. Far from ideal, but for me specifically, I have acute hearing and am also hyper-sensitive to sound and found it extremely hard to concentrate on the instructor and filter out the background noise.

Thanks again to all who have responded.

I currently do Vinyasa which is a flow yoga, continuously moving from one posture into another, steady and slowly which I like. Ashtanga yoga is also a flow yoga but probably wouldn't be what you're looking for as it's quite aerobic and can be fairly fast paced, more fitness orientated rather than a moving meditation. There are Satria yoga classes in Richmond of you could get there. Satria is another flow yoga, a moving meditation and it's Indonesian which is quite different from the traditional yoga styles born from India. Although it is actually a yoga form of the Indonesian combat art Silat, the yoga is very good and it's also quite rare. Laarni Benitez is the instructor, Here's a clip

you might also want to look at Sivananda yoga, I've only been to one class a few years ago and fromm what I remember it's quite similar to hatha. Being in London I would imagine you're spoilt for choice so look around, try as many classes as you can and find what suits your needs.

I'm loving it, and finding it increasingly challenging to get every move and position dialled as best as I can. The focus from the correctly timed breathing and getting increasingly deeper into each position is very rewarding.

OP brilliant attitude on sweeping the floor and yes I agree you don't need much for yoga but peace and quiet are important imo

Just a bump for Hora.

Anywhere in Manchester for this?

Sorry to put another "best" option up here, but I've been doing Iyengar Yoga for a few years, it is damn good but I'd guess as with all forms, dependant on the teacher/environment. It is non dancy/gimmicky and structured formal trained teachers etc) and supported by blocks/belts etc when needed.
I'd recommend trying a few different classes to see what/who you like, and don't worry about the chanting clichés!

One of the ladies who works here is a yoga instructor. This is what she says...look at the British Wheel of Yoga website and find someone local. Often BWY teachers will give concessions to people who need it, and they could also specialise in mental health yoga. These teachers have taken over 3 years to qualify, and will focus on what you need rather than on the fitness aspect. Good luck.

Thanks again both of you, that's the second vote for Iyengar. I'll definitely have a look on the BWY site too.

Hi,
I used to live down in Clerkenwell and there is a gym on Goswell Road (so not far from you) that was run by one of the colleges and therefore relatively lower cost by London standards, it used to do yoga classes. I think it has been done up recently so might have gone up in cost, but might be worth a look. Looking on google maps it looks like it's called city sport now.
I hope you find somewhere good and it helps you out.
M

Thanks Mikeys.

To anyone else, like me as a complete novice, I think the BWY site recommended by Zippykona is excellent.

http://www.bwy.org.uk/

Re- Manchester
I've done Yoga in Manchester for quite a few years, but its at a Gym where you have to be a member.
The best instructor I've had is Granville Cousins, absolute legend, really knows his stuff, studied with BKS Iyengar, his classes can get quite tough though. I don't know all the places he teaches though check out yogawithGranville.com

If your starting out I'd recommend trying to concentrate on getting your poses right, in a class having mirrors works otherwise your relying on your instructor making corrections all the time. You can always throw money at it though and get a private class.

Trying lots of different teachers and styles is a great way to find out what you like, I've been in some mad classes, but if you just keep an open mind you can usually get something from it. Like others have said even the most Airy Fairy classes can have positive benefits especially for mental health, allegedly.