All posts by roger

You don’t need to be flexible to do yoga – but doing yoga will make you more flexible

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , ,

One of the popular myths about yoga is that you have to be very flexible to do it. It’s one of the questions I get asked most. And I can see why. In popular media yoga practitioners are often photographed in very advanced poses that make them look like they are bent double with their limbs wrapped around their necks. I’ve seen videos of famous Ashtanga teachers who genuinely look like they can tie their legs in a knot behind their backs. These images scare people.

flexible to do yoga

The truth is that there are many levels for each yoga pose. The aim is not to dangerously contort the body, over stretch it or overload it, but to go as far as feels challenging. For many people, especially beginners, that might not be very far at all.

So no, you do not have to be very flexible to do yoga, but you will become more flexible by doing it.

I remember before I started going to yoga classes, long before I became a teacher, I couldn’t perform a forward fold and touch my toes. Nowhere near touching them actually. Within weeks of practising yoga I could get closer, and now I can get all the way down. As a result I am much more flexible now than I was when I was much younger.

Improved flexibility is just one of the physical benefits of yoga. Others include:

  • Better cardiovascular efficiency
  • Better respiratory efficiency
  • Better musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion
  • Increase in breath-holding time
  • Better dexterity skills
  • Better posture
  • Better strength and resiliency
  • Higher energy levels

Very few of us will ever achieve the rubber elastic bodies of Ashtanga yoga video stars, but neither should that be a necessary goal. All of us can benefit from the physical improvements yoga can bring. And if that means getting just one inch closer to touching your toes then that is an achievement to be proud of.

Over to you: I would love to hear your stories about how yoga has improved you physically. How much difference have you noticed? Please post a comment let me know.

Other yoga blogs:

3 ways to improve hotels – The Indigo Experience

Travel, , , ,

Whilst I am prepared to pay for a luxury hotel when I go on holiday (or at least use rewards points to bag an upgrade), I am not so fussy that I demand, diva like, to receive white doves and rose petals when I travel on business. I have a simple rule. The hotel must at least be up to the standard of my own home.

The mattress in my home bedroom is not made of stone. I do not buy rough toilet tissue and my towels are not made out of bleached iron wool. So I don’t want these features when I’m travelling.

Unfortunately these days a grubby hotel with spartan furnishings may be all the corporate travel budget can bear. If I do get landed with a grim hotel I usually console myself that it is only for one or two nights. But it’s not a hard bed and lack of fluffy towels that upsets me most though. My three main gripes with hotels throughout the world, but mainly in the UK, are as follows:

  • Extra charges for WiFi
  • Cold, congealed breakfast buffets
  • Outrageous charges for mini-bars

In addition I am also put off by sprawling mega-hotels with endless check-in and check-out queues, which teem with masses of humanity fighting for space in the bar or the restaurant.

ways to improve hotels

So I am delighted to have found a hotel chain, Indigo, which hits the spot in almost every way and succeeds in these 3 ways to improve hotels. Indigo Paddington, for example,  is a flawless diamond hidden down a street about 2 minutes walk from Paddington station. This makes it a perfect base for business and pleasure trips. It only has 60 or so rooms so it feels intimate and cosy.

3 ways to improve hotels

The rooms are quite small but they are brimming with lovely colourful fabrics, pictures and decorations. The bed is liberally covered in throws and cushions and is delightfully comfortable. In the bathroom is one of those showers with a head the size of a plate so you feel as if you are standing in the rain. If this is too much for you just use the second hand held shower head.

All rooms have free WiFi and soft drinks from the mini-bar are complimentary.

At breakfast you order from a menu and your plate is prepared fresh and brought to your table by the waiter. This alone would set Indigo above the majority of hotels in London. And they are appearing in other UK cities.

Over to you: What are your hotel grumbles? Have you found a hotel or chain that provides a great service at a good price. Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.

What is power yoga? It’s a good workout and it ain’t easy.

Fitness and Yoga, , , , ,

Why do health and fitness clubs always promote yoga based classes as “easy”? I find this to be the case even if the style of yoga on the time table is a more challenging type like Ashtanga. There are enough pre-conceptions that prevent people from trying yoga without creating any more barriers.

what is power yoga?

Look at the boys. They tend to shun fitness classes anyway because they are seen as something the girls go to. But tell them a class is easy and you’ll definitely never get them to give up the treadmill or weights room to give it a try.

And the girls? Labeling it as the more “sedate” class puts off the ladies who are looking for a calorie busting more intense cardio work out.

I wrote recently that there is a type of yoga for everyone. From those styles that include more of the spiritual elements, to those that offer a more physically challenging, strengthening and high heart rate experience. If the latter is what you are looking for the give power yoga a try.

What is power yoga? Well for one thing it isn’t easy. Let me repeat that slowly so the clubs can hear me. It isn’t easy!

I guess it developed as an Americanised version of traditional Ashtanga. Ashtanga can be tough and is always a set series of poses progressing through the so called standing, primary and intermediate series and beyond. Power yoga takes the physical intensity of Ashtanga but introduces variety. No two classes will be the same. You will do different sequences of poses in a different order in each session all linked together by a flow of movement.

There are variations of power yoga across the world. In the US there is Baptiste Power Yoga (named after a famous yoga teacher called Baron Baptiste – it is certainly worth googling his videos and books). In the UK it might appear on timetables as fitness yoga or dynamic yoga.

What is it like? Well you are going to get hot and sweaty and you will be almost constantly on the move. You’ll start with some deep breathing to calm you down and to get some oxygen into the muscles before they begin to work. Then on to some warm up stretches before the hard work begins.

You’ll do anything up to 12 rounds of sun salutations – which is a linked sequence of between 10 and 20 poses each one held for as long as it takes to inhale or exhale. This raises the heart rate, warms up the muscles and prepares you for the main series of exercises.

What is power yoga

There will be flowing sequences of standing strength exercises, some balances and moves on the floor to strengthen the tummy, the side abs and the back. Each group of exercises will be linked together by a vinyasa which again is a series of poses similar to part of the sun salutation.

The class will last for between an hour and an hour and a half. At the end you’ll relax for the last few minutes and allow the heart rate to return to it’s normal resting beat. And you’ll need it because your body will have been challenged, the muscles strengthened and stretched.

People who have tried my classes have been surprised how tough it has been. There are times when I will look up to find a few participants taking a break in child’s pose as they get their breath back under control. I often wear a bandana when teaching. Not because I think it is cool, but because I sweat like a tap. And I’ve even seen those doubting weight lifters admitting that it’s tough. Everyone seems to like the results. More strength, flexibility and range of movement in the body.

So clubs. Can we drop the “E” word?

Over to you: Have you tried power yoga? Do you agree that it is quite a good workout. Have you seen results? Please leave a comments and let me know.

Other Yoga Blogs:

There are real police boxes in Glasgow – they are not TARDIS props

Through My Mobile Camera Lens

real police boxes

We tend to associate police boxes almost exclusively with Doctor Who and his TARDIS these days. But there are still some real police boxes in Glasgow – a reminder of the past.