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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
Arid-zona
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Jul 26, 2010 - 10:25pm PT
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Seconding Nature. Anusara is the bomb. Open your heart bitches.
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tonesfrommars
Trad climber
California
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Jul 26, 2010 - 10:28pm PT
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Hey Fred:
I could be wrong but I suspect a class called "vinyasa" is going to be ashtanga inspired and not the closest to anusara. You could go to a few and see which teacher you like the most, go and chat with them, find out which ones have a background in anusara.
Have fun!
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Disaster Master
Sport climber
Arcata, CA
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Paul Humphrey here.
I started taking Bikram "hot" yoga after grounding from 80 feet and shattering a bit of my back. Fused and nerve damaged, I was given painkillers by the docs. They nearly killed me.
I crawled into a hot yoga class, went every day for a while, got off of pain killers in 30 days, and don't even take asprin now for my cronic pain.
6 years later, I am certified and teach this style of yoga.
Don't knock it till you try it. But don't do it if you like. Do something though!
I am now going through a new struggle with stage 4 menanoma cancer. But the yoga still helps ground me (in a good way).
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Mike from Phoenix
Trad climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Doug & Daphne, what are the reasons that you recommend against power yoga? I am curious.
Thanks everyone for the yoga history lessons. Good info for the casual student!
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Daphne
Trad climber
Mill Valley, CA
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Tami hit the nail on the head. I based my rec to the op because he is just getting started in yoga. It really pays off to go slowly and learn the poses thoroughly before trying to move through them in a flowing way. I love vinyasa because I dance and vinyasa feels like dancing to me. But I've been practicing a long time.
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JOEY.F
Social climber
sebastopol
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Vinyasa is the only yoga I have done. I didn't hurt myself, but I can see Daphne's point. I would say that in the 75 minute class, we go SLOW at first, the teacher is careful that we are warming up. Then we flow!
Enjoyable thread, here.
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troutboy
Trad climber
Newark, DE
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I'm OK with the hot yoga, but I like most styles. However, I don't buy that "sweat out the toxins crap" that Bikram studios swear by (there is no connection between sweat glands and any toxin-processing body system/organ such as kindeys, liver, etc). And although I have found the Bikram studios to be very friendly and not "stuck up" or fascist as many people say, I would agree that their instructors are much less concerned about alignment. Maybe it's the class size, maybe it's the whole Bikram program where the class is so rigid, maybe it's that most Bikram instructors seem to be new and only exposed to Bikram yoga. I'm not sure.
Our best local studio offers heated stationary sequence (Bikram sequence with a few variations) and vinyasa classes. All the teachers are very diligent RE alignment (probably more than any other studio I have been to).
Excellent advice from the yoga gurus here, but I'll add this:
I travel a lot with work and usually try to find yoga studios where I am TDY for a class or two. If you have several studios available, try several styles, studios, and teachers. It will give you more exposure and help you develop as a yoga practicioner. Similar to climbing crack+face+offwidth. Well rounded with exposure to numerous styles. Settle on one if you like, or not.
TS
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Relic
Social climber
Vancouver, BC
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Jan 31, 2012 - 08:44pm PT
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Bump for Luke
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giegs
climber
Tardistan
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Sun salutations every morning is about as far as I get without a regular class or a particular thing that's bothering me. When I'm on work trips and intentionally ignoring people it's much easier to commit an hour or two.
I'm guessing there's a hip loop or such.... need to research.
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mwatsonphoto
Trad climber
los angeles, ca
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Daphne (or anyone else) up thread you said to avoid mysore yoga. Just wondering why. There is one close to my place and I am considering it but I haven't started yet b/c they expect you to come basically every day for the first month. Too many climbing trips this month to commit.
Thanks,
Mike
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nature
climber
Aridzona for now Denver.... here I come...
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Mysore yoga == Ashtanga.
It's an agressive form that doesn't emphasize enough if at all proper alignment. Strict ashtanga takes an attitude that if you can't do a pose you stop and go no further in the series until you can do that pose. it invites injury by doing so.
k pattabhi jois was a master at snapping hamstrings. can't do the pose? he'd shove you into it.
now that said I look forward to working with Richard Freeman who is in Boulder. He's also from the Ashtanga school however he's being very liberal (gee go figure - People's Republic....) and works from a mind set that Yoga shouldn't destroy your body.
When I was in India a year ago I went to the Ashtanga Institute. What a pile or pretentious yogi's. I walked away disgusted by the attitude. It's changed a lot since Pattabhi Jois passed. Still agressive and somewhat elitest with the added benefit of now going fully commercial.
committing for a month is typical of that somewhat cult following. a little yoga goes a long way. too much yoga is like anything else in excess. The laws of diminishing returns apply.
you are in LA. Go find my friends Noah Maze or Scott Lewicki. They teach from the Anusara method which is much much more accessible and safer - especially for the westerner. Proper alignment in my opinion is the most critical factor when practicing - that applies to the body and the mind.
My entire practice is changing. Between some political BS within Anusara, coupled with the fact that I'm dealing with injury - some caused by yoga, others not - I'm committing to practicing in a way that doesn't cause me pain. There's a difference between pain and discomfort. Pain causes or maintains injury. Discomfort doesn't.
Tami - that was worth waiting for! LoL!
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M and M
Trad climber
California
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I've been doing Bikram's yoga but not in a hot room off and on for 25 years - and only climbing for about 8. I learned Bikram's from his book (not for everyone but worked for me.) I find the combination of stretching and balancing to be most similar to climbing. Not trying to build muscle - just flexibility and balance. Also, to the person who said it did not involve breathing exercises - you weren't doing it right. Just like in climbing, if you hold your breath, you won't get far. I have also found that some pilates helps. Learned it from a book too - Pilates for the Outdoor Athlete see the chapter on climbing. I had a major climbing incident 5 months ago (dislocated ankle -- mind the gap between the gym mats). Pilates was the only thing I could do with the cast on while I wasn't allowed to put any weight on my foot. At least I maintained some core strength even though I had zero aerobic exercise for 8 weeks. Now I am recovering, Bikram's standing moves are doing wonders for getting strength back in all the tiny muscles that are required to balance on one foot. See you climbing!
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nature
climber
Aridzona for now Denver.... here I come...
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if it works for you that's very cool. I will offer my opinion that it's a good thing you don't do it in a hot room.
as one of my teachers says....
Please Practice.
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mwatsonphoto
Trad climber
los angeles, ca
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Thanks for the help Nature. I'll check both of your buddies out and if either of them teach in west LA I'll give it a go. (I just cant tolerate sitting in traffic.)
The whole "every day" bit seemed like too much to start with.
Cheers, Mike
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nasagal
Trad climber
South Bay SF
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I started yoga at the local climbing gym 3 yrs ago not knowing a thing about it;
I now take 5-6 classes a week....my favorite is "yin yoga" where your get into a certain floor position and stay there for 3-6 minutes, breathe, not move and let gravity stretch you out while relaxing into the pose....makes you quite flexible; my yoga teacher says its like stretching the "saran-wrap" around the muscle groups and keeps it from drying up from non-use....alot of climbing guys are in the class...
when I climb, I use the breathing techniques to relax and clear my mind...its good technique for "anything in life" you might be stressing over...I also find I use the breathing techniques in other sports or even at the dentist office...
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John Duffield
Mountain climber
New York
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I use the breathing techniques to relax and clear my mind...its good technique for "anything in life" you might be stressing over...I also find I use the breathing techniques in other sports or even at the dentist office...
+ 1
There's a number of situations where you need to take back control of your mind. Any number of them, a panicked reaction is worse than the situation you are in. Like in SCUBA. Suddenly the organism realizes it's at 4 Bar (100 feet below the surface) and there suddenly isn't enough air in the tank for elevated frightened breathing. Have to make a conscious effort to relax.
Climbing is easier to apply Yogic breathing because you can breathe through the nose. Nasal breathing relaxes the chakra between your eyes.
In fact, the preponderance of scantily clad females in a Bikram Yoga class is a compelling argument in itself.
I look at my 4.5 years of Bikram Yoga Classes 4/5 times a week as a phase. A necessary phase to deal with medical problems like sciatica. But I've gone beyond it. YMMV.
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JOEY.F
Gym climber
It's not rocket surgery
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Yoga for climbing.
Older, and more flexible, not less.
WEE!!!!
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Yoga ta big head.
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