Beginner's yoga?!
I've done yoga before. I've done quite a bit of yoga over the years. Once upon a time I actually could stretch out and touch my toes. That was about three years ago. Well, I'm back to square one, or is it square minus one?I decided that it was in my best interest to finish up last night's weight routine with some yoga. I put in a Yoga Zone DVD that claims to be a beginning yoga video. Ummm...yeah....riiiiiiiiiight. I have to ask, "what do you people think beginners can do???"
Okay, maybe there are some of those cute college co-eds who are tiny pixie types who can bend themselves into pretzels as soon as they pop in this beginning video, but I suspect there's a much larger group of fatter, non-flexible, inching towards middle-aged (or passing middle-age) people who buy these videos in an attempt to get healthier. These yoga gurus should take a few pointers about the people who are buying their product.
Here are a few things these yoga masters should keep in mind:
- Our fat guts make it hard to see our toes, much less touch them.
- Being on our knees might not be as easy as it is for you. Some of us are clutzes or led active lives which have given us knee trouble. Sitting on our knees for extended periods does not promote a sense of "oneness" with the universe. It just makes us uncomfortable and possibly grumpy.
- I love the child's pose and the corpse pose, but between my lack of flexibility and huge butt, I don't exactly lie flat or kneel back comfortably. Oh, and some people, once they get on the floor have a hard time getting back up!
- That down-ward facing dog, plank pose, and anything that puts weight on one's wrists and shoulders is not exactly for overweight beginners. Remember, we're fat and inflexible. We don't want to add broken wrists to the mix.
- If you're going to have someone do modified moves, keep the camera on them! If the moves are going to be modified, try the move on real beginners.
- Bridge pose is not a beginner's pose. Nor can we bend ourselves backwards and clutch our ankles. That leads to some nasty cramps and possibly a visit to the chiropractor.
posted by darthlaurie @ 6:52 AM
3 Comments:
I love yoga too. I bought a dvd awhile ago, a beginner's yoga dvd with Meghan Garcia, a plus size model. It's designed especially for women with larger bodies and it's really good. I recommend it if you want to give it a try.
Yep, I have that one. I tried it when I first got it, but at the time my knees were really bad from a nasty fall.
I'll definitely be trying it again very soon!
Thanks for all your wonderful comments! Hopefully we'll both be stronger and healthier this time next year!
Several years ago, I bought a couple of video tapes called "yoga for round bodies". It was REALLY good! It was a yoga I could do, and I'm 240 lbs.
I think I'm going to have to pull that back out now.
-Traci
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