Tag Archives: yoga

Great experiences covering yoga classes in Edinburgh

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I love being a fitness and yoga teacher. What motivates me most is meeting so many people and seeing them make a difference to their lives. They get fitter. Most lose weight. They get stronger and more flexible. And by teaching regular classes I notice the changes and that makes it worthwhile.

Covering yoga classes in edinburgh
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Sometimes I cover other instructors classes when they are on holiday or sick. Walking into a class full of strangers is more daunting but it is just as satisfying.

The only slight problem when covering a yoga class is pitching it at the right level. With other per-choreographed exercise classes such as Body Balance and Body Combat you don’t have to worry about this because everyone is teaching the same moves. With yoga you might make it harder or easier than the usual teacher. Getting the balance right is key.

So I’ve just been out on the road covering yoga classes in Edinburgh. It’s been a week of great experiences.

First up was a hatha yoga class. This is usually the gentlest form of practice. But the instructor had tipped me off that the participants like a little more intensity. So I upped the number of sun salutations and introduced more flowing sequences. One lady was new to class and was pregnant and slightly concerned about exercising. With options she did extremely well. She said she’d be back. I hope she continues once the baby arrives.

Next is was power yoga. Due to last-minute problems at the club I had to teach the class in the bar of the functions suite. The room was very hot and everyone was dripping with sweat at the end. I guess we all found out what hot yoga is like.

Covering yoga classes in edinburgh
photo credit: Edson Hong via photopin cc

 

As the sweat dried on my forehead, I drove quickly to the next venue for another hatha yoga class. For this one I knew I had to be more gentle. So I emphasised calmness, deep breath and long stretches. Yoga is so versatile. Tough and sweaty in one class and then calm and collected in another.

I saved the best class to cover for last. More hatha yoga . What was great about it? It was an hour and a half whereas the others were only for an hour. The extra 30 minutes makes a massive difference. You can spend more time at the beginning and at the end really exploring breath. You can hold the poses for longer and really feel the benefits.

One lady came up afterwards to say how much she enjoyed the pigeon and frog poses. These really open up the hips. We stayed in them for minutes and not seconds.

That long class was a great end to a wonderful week of covering yoga classes in Edinburgh.

Over to you: I’d love to hear your stories of covering yoga classes. Please leave a comment or share a link.

Hit tight hamstrings – yoga can stretch muscles and improve flexibility

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Many men have tight hamstrings. It’s common with athletes, particularly runners and footballers. But anyone who exercises regularly and works their legs with weights and machines can find that their hamstrings become shorter and tighter.

I was the same. Well into my 30s I couldn’t bend down and touch my toes. Then I took up yoga, initially as a participant, and then went to train as a teacher and I am now more flexible than I have ever been.

I have written on this blog before that more men should try yoga. Hitting tight hamstrings is one of the top reasons for giving yoga a go. It can stretch the hamstring muscles, release tightness and improve flexibility.

tight hamstrings - yoga can stretch muscles and improve flexibility
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If you were like me then your hamstrings might feel like just one great big knot of tightness. There are in fact three distinct muscle groups. The technical names are the semitendinosus, biceps femoris, and semimembranosus, but to keep it simple just think of them as the central, inner, and outer hamstrings. There are standing and seated yoga poses that let you stretch and release each of these.

Go to a yoga website like Yoga Journal or download a yoga app; look up these exercises and given them a try.

To stretch and release the central hamstrings look for forward folds. You do each of these with your feet hip width apart – I’ve included the old style Sanskrit name of the pose just to make it easier to find the poses on the web. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana), Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana), and Plow Pose (Halasana).

tight hamstrings - yoga can stretch muscles and improve flexibility
Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana): photo credit: myyogaonline via photopin cc

To relieve the inner hamstring take your legs wider to bring the stretch into the inner edges of your legs. Poses that stretch the inner hamstrings include Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend (Upavista Konasana) and Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana – whilst I do not focus on the Sanskrit names unless my classes specifically ask me to I am very fond of this one. It just sounds great to say) .

tight hamstrings - yoga can stretch muscles and improve flexibility
Intense Side Stretch: photo credit: dejahthoris via photopin cc

Finally to work on the outer hamstrings take your legs closer to the mid-line in standing forward folds. Look for Revolved Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana) and Intense Side Stretch (Parsvottanasana) – I particularly love this one. It takes you to the fine line between pleasure and pain – in a good way.

If you introduce a little yoga alongside running, pumping weights and martial arts you can get a perfect balance of cardio, strength, flexibility and stretch.

Over to you: Are you a guy who has used yoga to improve your flexibility and in particular your hamstrings? Many men still see yoga as something that only ladies do. Help me to get more men to try it out. Yoga can stretch muscles and improve flexibility. Share your experiences and stories. Please leave a comment or post a link.

Standing up against those who say that yoga is a religion

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Some people think yoga is a religion (or has religious overtones) and won’t give it a go as a result. I’ve seen churches kick classes out of their halls and community centres when they realise there are yoga classes happening under their roof.

This is a real shame because people could miss out on yoga’s physical benefits if they listen to these ill-informed views.

That said, although yoga is definitely not a religion, it is a way of life for many people. For them it includes elements beyond the exercises and breathing techniques we focus on in yoga classes. These other elements are probably the ones that wrongly create the religious perceptions and concerns.

yoga is a religion
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There are eight elements to yoga. In most western classes, or modern interpretations of yoga, we take part mainly in the third, fourth and fifth elements.

These are the eight elements of yoga:

Yama

This means restraint. Yoga is about restraint from unhealthy actions such as cheating, stealing, and violence.

Niyama

Niyama means observance, or being content, pure, tolerant, remembering and studious.

Asana

Asanas are the exercises that most people recognise yoga for. The poses have names such as warrior 2, downward facing dog, frog, tree and teachers will often use their Sanskrit names like Utanasana.

Pranayama

Pranayama are breathing techniques such the complete yoga breath.

Pratyahara

This is the moment before meditation begins, effectively preparation for meditation. It means the withdrawal of the mind from the senses.

Dharana

Dharana is concentrating on one object for a length of time.

Dhyana

This is meditation, the other yoga element that most people recognise. It involves the ability to create an image of an object, place or person and becoming immersed in that image. Or it could simply be clearing the mind of all thoughts.

Samadhi

Finally samadhi is realising your own nature, or becoming more self-aware.

I do not believe that any of these elements would be at odds with any religion a person may have. They are life choices in the same way as following a certain type of diet, or committing to an exercise routine agreed with a personal trainer.

It’s a different way of looking at yourself and the world. These elements can improve quality of life, regardless of your race, religion or profession. And of course you can find classes involving only the exercise element and nothing else – or classes that embrace all 8 elements. It’s up to you.

yoga is a religion

For me personally, yoga means stress reduction, better sleeping, better posture, greater flexibility and muscle tone, improved energy levels and other things I have written about in earlier yoga posts. Wouldn’t it be a shame to miss out on this simply for fear that yoga is a religion?

Perhaps those who peddle the myth, or those who close down community classes don’t really understand what yoga is about. If they put their prejudices aside and tried to understand it for what it really is then they might find that their main excuse for avoiding it is not an excuse at all.

Over to you: This is a tricky subject. I know some will disagree with my view. Some might take a deeper spiritual view of some of the elements but I still don’t think that makes those that claim yoga is a religion right. What do you think? Leave a comment. Share your thoughts. Let me know.

Update: Since I wrote this blog the UK press published an example of Catholic church banning a yoga class based upon it’s incorrect view that yoga is a religion. Madness.

yoga is a religion
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Seven styles of Yoga you’ll find in UK Clubs, Community Centres and Private Studios – which is right for you?

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If you are thinking of trying Yoga you might be a little confused about all the different styles. On timetables in clubs you’ll see titles like Hatha, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa. On posters in community centres and private studios there’ll be words like Bikram and Ivengar.

The good news is that all of them are good for you. Doing any form of yoga tones and strengthens your body and can refresh your mind. You may find that it helps lower stress levels and improves your flexibility.

Yoga is about 5,000 years old and even though there are many different styles, all based on the same poses, each style has a different focus. Here then is a description of seven styles of Yoga you’ll find in UK Clubs, community centres, church halls and private studios.

Hatha Yoga: In actual fact most styles of Yoga have developed from Hatha Yoga, but if you see this style on a class timetable you can expect a gentle pace and a focus on breathing and maybe a little mediation and relaxation. It’s not too strenuous or difficult and as such is a great style for beginners.

seven styles of yoga
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Vinyasa Yoga: Expect to be constantly on the move and flowing directly from one pose into the next. You match breath to the flow of poses so you will find yourself inhaling in one position and exhaling in another. There may be more of a focus on the “sun salutation” here – 12 or more poses linked together into one sequence. More strenuous than Hatha Yoga you might find that this increases your stamina.

Ashtanga Yoga: In this style you’ll explore more of the “8 elements of Yoga” than the pose and breathing elements of the previous two. The pace is quite fast and there are many push-ups (the fabulously named Chaturanga Dandasana). This is definitely for fitter people looking to strengthen their bodies and improve their flexibility, but it can also allow you to get in touch with your spiritual side if you so wish. Ashtanga usually follows the same set of moves in every practice so you will know what to expect every time.

Power Yoga: This style is a modernised form of Ashtanga and can be just as tough if not more so. The main difference is that the teacher will follow different sequences in each class which means that there will be more variety of exercise. There may also be less or no emphasis on the more spiritual elements of Yoga here as well.

seven styles of yoga
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Iyengar Yoga: The emphasis here is on bodily alignment and precision in the poses. Expect to use blocks, straps and even towels to help achieve the moves which are often held for long periods of time. This is another good style of Yoga for beginners precisely because of the focus on technique. And you’ll explore some of the other “8 elements” as well.

Bikram Yoga: Practiced in a very hot room heated to between 95 to 100 degrees F, expect to sweat buckets and flush toxins out of your body. The heat can help ease tight muscles. If you want to push yourself then this is a good class for beginners and experts. As with Ashtanga the sequence of exercises is always the same – in this case 26 poses over the course of 90 minutes.

Hot Yoga: Similar to Bikram expect that as in Power Yoga the teacher will vary the poses and the routine in each class.

Of course nothing is totally set in stone and some teachers might mix styles. You could see a class called Power Vinyasa Yoga for example.

Over to you: If you are thinking of trying Yoga which of these styles appeals. If you already practice, which do you prefer? Are there any styles that I have missed that you enjoy practicing? Please leave a comment or a link to your favourite.h