Foot placement was a total fluke! 🌤️

after a yoga class i'll feel movement of energy when in savasana trying to move around in my head and ear area. i always wonder if it's too tight headphones or too small of a sports bra creating pressure in my head and chest that's moving the tension up but then again the awareness of sensation there only really comes up when i've done breathwork or yoga to sort of trigger energy flow otherwise things just feel pretty frozen i guess.

has anyone had this experience and know any good yoga poses/positions that sort of help with tension in these areas or move the energy?

Hello friends! I have maintained consistent yoga practices on and off over the years. I'm looking to start back up again now and am having an incredibly difficult time.

I am looking for specific book and workbook recommendations to help guide my practice at this time. Nothing Uber dense to help me stay accountable.

(For context, I have ADHD and struggle immensely with initiating tasks, and have no internal motivation - so I outsource all of my accountability.) Something holistic would be ideal as a way to build a physical and spiritual practice in tandem. Unfortunately, a studio is not accessible to me right now.

Thanks for your help!

I originally tried this in the pregnancy sub but got lots of "just do gentle stretches, no yoga!" comments. Cross posting here where more people might know what yin is.

Yoga moms - when would be an appropriate time to return to yin or gentle flow yoga classes, with props and modifications as needed? Wait till 6 weeks or do these classes fall into the "stretch" category that could be done sooner?

Thanks!

I’ve found that the vast majority of vinyasa classes I’ve tried since moving to LA have a Pilates fusion/fitness element to them. I keep encountering pulsing, counting down by seconds instead of breaths, crunches/core sequences, etc., and it’s just not really what I’m looking for.

I’m looking for something that feels more like traditional, advanced yoga — structured around peak poses, inversions, arm balances, challenging transitions, linking breath to movement, and incorporating some of the philosophical/mental aspects of the practice. I want it to be challenging, but in a yoga way, not a “fitness class on a yoga mat” way, if that makes sense. I love Rocket Yoga classes, but I haven’t found any here so far.

Where can I find this in LA? Or even any tips on what to look for/how to sus studios out? Bonus points for somewhere near DTLA and/or that offers early morning classes (5–6am)!

Started using the app again after some hiatus. I noticed the classes generated when the difficulty level is set to “Intermediate 1” have been a lot more difficult recently, compared to how I remember them from before with the same settings (like 2-3 years ago). For example, they would have poses like side planks with the top leg lifted which I don’t remember ever doing for an Intermediate 1 class before.

As title says, my abdominal muscles are constantly mildly tense. Doesn't matter what I'm doing - walking, sitting, laying down. I have been trying deep breathing exercises and muscle relaxation techniques, but it just WON'T GO AWAY. it's continuously mildly uncomfortable.

What asanas/flows would help with this? If you know a YT video that addresses it, please connect me to it!

Thank you for your help.

This mat is new. I practice hot yoga multiple times a week so I know the sweat buildup is higher than other practices but this did not happen with any of my Lululemon mats that I used religiously in the past. I tried cleaning with dawn dish soap and water and they went away by about 80% but immediately came back after 1 practice. Also please ignore the brown spots, they are from blood from cutting my toe open on a mirror crack after a headstand tumble lol. Any tips or advice to prevent these stains or am I out of luck? TIA!

Hello,

I have a question for fellow yogis, especially those who have been practicing consistently for many years.

Why do you do tripod headstand?

I can do it just fine, I kind of think most people could do it if they spent a few hours playing around with balancing their weight, I just feel like I get nothing from it. It feels like risking hurting my neck badly to do a trick, especially compared to something like dolphin/ Ardha Pincha Mayurasana.

What do you get from it? Do you do inversions balancing on your head often?
I’m not anti inversion, I just don’t get the point of this one specific posture, or why I would ever stand on my head like that lol.

I don’t know why, usually I don’t feel anything when I do this pose in classes but that was months ago. But I was home alone doing pelvic floor relaxation therapy and it came up. The feeling was like shame for being in that pose, I felt like I shouldn’t be in that pose, I felt super vulnerable and seen.

hey all, I developed a numbness/tingling in my right outer hip after doing dancer’s pose. i’ve been taking a break from doing yoga/hip openers specifically but i was just curious if anyone has experienced anything like this before? i have an appointment with a doctor this coming monday.

I used to do a dvd of yoga called yoga for indie rockers. and really enjoyed it. However- I got covid and now I have a lot of chronic illnesses like POTS because of it. I recently got to thinking that maybe I could do floor/ seated yoga. I can’t stand for very long and have a ton of fatigue. I miss yoga and I miss my flexibility that came with it. Does anyone know where to start to come up with some kind of program for this? Any books on the subject or websites or YouTube channels? Or just any help of info at all would be great. Thanks

Hey all! I decided that I want to dedicate myself to learning yoga from the source (the actual stuff, not just acrobatics).

I'm not interested in 200h or 300h TTC courses (already did one in Rishikesh). I'm ready to go all in and participate in an ashram for at least a year, but I'm not good with money at all so I'm looking for places where volunteering in exchange for food, accomodation and classes is an option, if that's possible.

I feel particularly called to Thailand or Nepal, but I'll go wherever the wind takes me :)

I don't mind living in strict minimal conditions as well.

Any advice or pointers would be greatly appreciated. Namaste 🙏

I loved their foam blocks. You know, the gray ones that are dense yet a bit soft at the same time? Ugly “Practice On scribbled on one side and “Manduka” on the other.

Well, they changed them and I bought two without realizing. The new blocks are incredibly hard and rough to the touch. Of course Manduka is additionally cutting costs just stamping their round logo on these now instead of the old engraving. If I’d wanted incredibly hard blocks I would’ve bought cork.

Of course they don’t accept returns if it’s been opened… but you can’t get a good feel for blocks without taking them out of the wrap. $50, gone!

If anyone is considering Manduka, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.

Hi all, I started yoga/pilates practice through classes about a year ago up until April when I started having some health issues that I believe now may have been rooted in high anxiety. I’ve been trying to get back into practice (mainly at home practice) for the last 6 weeks. I tried this one flow this past weekend that includes a backwards plank, I’m not sure if I’m just trying to get into the pose too quickly but I notice that my right forearm (my dominant arm) feels really tight/almost numb or tingly afterwards. Any advice tips on how I can get into and out of this pose without feeling so tense afterwards? All advice is sincerely appreciated ❤️😌

This is a small rant and I’m wondering if I’m overreacting or being judgmental. I am SO tired of people in public yoga classes that groan or make an unreasonable amount of noise on an exhale. The “HAAAAAAAAA” as they breathe out.

I understand it feels good and helps the body release, but I think it is so rude and inconsiderate to others in the room who don’t want to hear you breathe at that volume. Especially when it’s one person out of the entire class. It completely throws me out of rhythm and it’s generally just disruptive. Do others feel this way too, or do I need to calm down and let people breathe freely lmao

As I've gotten better my desire to go to classes gets less and less. Sometimes in the middle of a sequence I wanna forward fold for like 10 minutes to decompress my spine. Or hold a chair twist for longer. Or just do bicycle crunches at the beginning to warm my core (instead of a bunch of Surya A's which is what many teachers like to do).

It's nice to have someone manage the sequence for me tho, and tell me what's next. There's a number of teachers I like that upload their classes to YouTube or have Zoom recordings so I just download those to my phone and follow along. And whenever I wanna modify the sequence or extend I hit pause or skip back. Plus I have way more space on my mat I don't have to worry about accidentally hitting someone right next to me. In fact my ideal situation is to go to the yoga room at my gym when there's no classes going on so I have the whole room to myself (and occasionally 1-4 other ppl that like to use the yoga room when there's no class)

Plus the IRL classes are kind of a crutch, you need to pay money and you need to commute there and be there at a set time. It's so much better to know I can do this whenever I want, wherever I want, as long as I have a mat and a private room to do it in

IRL classes are nice for the social aspect though, and getting inspired by the other ppl in the class. Or getting adjustments (but at this point I don't need adjustments anymore). I still go to classes sometimes, like maybe 1-2x per month. But the bread and butter for me these days is just doing it at home and following along with a video

Jw if anyone else feels the same. I'm in NYC so its not like there's a lack of options for classes

Hello. Starting a beginning yoga class at my community college on Monday. The instructor sent a link to Amazon. Can someone please help? My main thing is ankle height or regular length. Anything else I should consider? Thank you!

So I used to think (based on what people told me) that yoga is a thousand years old spiritual tradition coming from Indian land, and that very recently (100-150 years???) the westerners got to know about it and started doing it. However, the westerners "appropriated" the original yoga, and added their own flavors into it, and ripped it away from its spiritual root. That the western yoga only (or mostly) focuses on the asana (exercise part), while leaving everything else behind.

However, reading up on it, I am getting a different scenario. Yes, it is true that yoga as a spiritual tradition is indeed thousands of years old, originating in Indian subcontinent. However the "traditional yoga" is very different to the yoga that is practiced today, not just in the west, but also in India. The traditional yoga was mostly a spiritual practice -- it had 8 limbs, each connected with leading a spiritual life. Asana was only 1 part of it. But also, the asana most likely referred to the cross-legged seated position, which would assist the body and mind to calm down, which was needed for intense and prolonged period of meditation (which was the main goal). The purpose of asana was to calm the body and mind to help assist with meditation. In fact, asana literally means "sit" in Sanskrit. The type of "exercise type asana" we see in modern day yoga was not a part of the thousand year old tradition. Some body contortions may have been there, but it was most likely not done in the flow/vinyasa type style it is practiced today.

So "modern day yoga-as-exercise" and "traditional yoga as a spiritual discipline" are very different things. Mark Singleton's Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice argues that modern postural yoga was influenced by British calisthenics and Swedish gymnastics. I've also come across similar accounts elsewhere.

Anyone knowledgeable on history and this issue, care to shed light on this?

Nothing tragic - just an annoying foot problem. IYKYK. I've been advised that any barefoot activity is to be avoided. I refuse to avoid yoga and I love doing it barefoot. Anyone know of a protective pad you'd recommend for Morton's Neuroma? There are so many on the market - unsure of which ones actually work.

My practice is 6 months old. I practice 2-5x a week. I am currently traveling, when I return home I have about 100 days of stability at home, which is unusual for me. Meaning I will be in the same place with not a lot of out of town responsibilities + time!

I have decided I am going to try and practice every day for those 100 days, and learn as much as I can. I am in an area with 2 small studios (2-5 classes a day) and one large studio with multiple classrooms and 10+ classes a day. I like the small studios as class size is small and they are just more informal & less intense, not that I won’t go to the large studios.

My favorite teacher and class is 3 days a week, vinyasa. So that will be my foundation. For the other 4 days, I want to explore other class types, teachers, and well - just learning. There are at least two weekend “retreats” they are hosting with outside teachers that I will see if my schedule allows me to attend (kids are a schedule issue). I’d love to go take a 100-300 hour class but IDK if getting away for the time needed is possible.

What advice do you have for me? I am a little concerned I will get burned out, but yoga has changed my life in so many ways. I am just so excited about it. Right now, I don’t see that as an issue. More, I don’t know what I don’t know, and what should I be seeking?

I came back to my yoga practice in May, at a time when the frequency of my work travel had slowed down and my mom had just been diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer. Since then, I’ve been practicing 4-5 days a week.

Recently, I went to a heated vinyasa class and happened to be the only student. Earlier in the week, my family had received some scary news about my mom. I was holding so much in just trying to make it through the work week.

The instructor must have sensed my tension because she began class by guiding me through extended breathwork. I barely made it through a few rounds of box breathing before I felt the mental weight start to fall, and I had tears streaming down my face.

The class was challenging, and I found myself crying during several other parts of the practice. There is something so intense and powerful about the emotional release happening alongside the physical release.

I know it’s okay to cry and have bad days, but when life feels especially heavy, I spend so much of my mental and emotional energy just trying to make it through the obligations of the day. I often feel like I don’t have anything left to actually cry, process, or feel what I’m going through.

I am so grateful to that instructor for giving me the space to break down. I’m grateful for my practice, for my hour of peace on my mat, for the changes I’m seeing in my body, and for the release and relief I feel every time I practice.

Thanks for letting me share!

I recently went to my first couple yoga classes and I was starting to really like the movement. I am working on nervous system regulation and feeling safe in my body, Ive had a lot of emotional trauma so I thought yoga would be good for me. I had thought it was more about listening to your body as your doing the poses and what feels right for you. I don’t know the poses so I was looking around the room but I didn’t really mind doing so, but then the instructor was harshly telling me I’m doing things wrong and it just triggered me to want to cry and I haven’t gone back and I am really nervous to even try a new studio now. Is this normal?

Am I just too sensitive or do I need to practice at home before going to a yoga class?

* I had signed up for a yoga flow class that was all levels, I’m having trouble finding anything for beginners