Concept2 Forum

In response to Cindy's post about stretching with child's pose after erging, here's my favorite post-erg stretch:

Lie on your back. Bring your (bent) knees up to your chest and hug them. After doing that, you can let them drop to one side while looking the opposite way. Then switch sides.

This stretch stretches many of the same muscles as child's pose.

Anyone else want to post a favorite?

Downward Facing Dog is my favorite pose. If my middle back is tightening up then I do down dog and it pops my back and stretches my arms and legs as well.

By the way, does anyone have any recommendations on a yoga video that moves slow. One in which the poses are held for a bit before they move into the next pose. I've been studying up on different yoga styles and it seems that the Iyengar style is what I am looking for but I can't find a video of that style. So any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks

~robin

I don't know if they have what you are looking for, but Collage Video has lots of exercise videos. They do a very good job of describing the work-outs on the videos.

By the way, does anyone have any recommendations on a yoga video that moves slow. One in which the poses are held for a bit before they move into the next pose. I've been studying up on different yoga styles and it seems that the Iyengar style is what I am looking for but I can't find a video of that style. So any recommendations would be appreciated.

I would recommend the GAIAM dvds for yoga, particularly Suzanne Deason's. One, called Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss (which I don't think actually will help one burn calories but may help with getting one in the right frame of mind to lose weight), is very good. There are three individuals demonstrating each of the poses and each demonstrates a specific modification. Things move slowly enough for a person to correctly get the pose and practise it. Deason is very good at "talking through" the poses as well.

I believe the dvd should be readily available. The date on mine is 2002 and I think I picked it up through Amazon.

N.

Hmmm, for some reason, this got posted twice, but I'll add this about yoga DVDs: Shiva Rea has one called "Yoga Shakti" that does some slower asana progressions, and the video is stunning to watch because of the location. Shiva Rea also includes some pranayama (breathing) and meditation exercises as well as some wonderful sivasana guided meditation. She includes ways to modify the poses, also.

--Jen

Nan and Robin,

I'll second the motion by Nan on Suzanne Deason's video, "Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss." This video has a yoga workout being done with 4 fitness levels, and even *I* can do the beginner one! The video has women with all different body types--normal weight, apple, and pear. It's amazing how I can do a workout, feel like I've worked, but feel very calm and relaxed afterwards.

Deason has 2 wt-loss DVDs out, and the one I'm talking about above is NOT the A.M/P.M Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss. It's good, too, but the one above is better for covering all body types and fitness levels, and it progresses at a slower pace.

My favorite stretch is wide-legged forward bend. Being an "apple" myself, I have problems doing many of the forward bends. Picture trying to do these things with a pillow on your lap! For child's pose, I have to take my knees wide, and I have my arms stretched out in front of me.

--Jen in WI

I can third the recommendation for Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss. I've liked the three GAIAM yoga videos I've tried out (that one, Yoga for Abs (definitely a great workout for your abs), and AM/PM/Stress Relief Yoga).

Mischa

Thanks for the video recommendations, I will check out the videos. I have taken a few yoga classes at my gym and we hold our poses for awhile, sometimes too long for me, but after trying a few videos I really appreciate that style. It works well for someone like me who is very new to yoga.

On a slightly different note, I am taking my first Tai Chi class on Wednesday night. I don't know if it compares with yoga but I have been curious since trying yoga so thought I would check it out.

Again thanks for the recommendations, I can't wait to try them.

~robin

RE: a comment about not finding videos of Iyengar. That is the "style" of yoga that I've been doing since I found a wonderful instructor. I did a variety of other yoga styles/classes for years, including my husband's extensive yoga video collection (20+ including Yoga in the Water). Iyengar is slow in that much time is spent in doing warm-up poses before the full pose (asana). It is not unusual to spend a 1 1/2 hr class and only do 2-3 asanas. It is also a style that makes great use of props (straps, blocks) to help you achieve progress toward perfecting the pose. But slow does not equal easy! Because it is fairly precise and technical, I would think that it really needs to be done in the presence of a teacher. There is one video available through Yoga Journal of Mr. Iyengar at a retreat, but it is 5 CDs and has a hefty $99 price tag. So unless you can find an Iyengar class with an instructor that you LOVE, finding a video that suits your abilities is probably best. One of my favorites is always Yoga for the Kid in All of Us, which is really for parent-child, but my 12 yr old son still loves it because it is just fun and still uses classic Yoga poses (even if he re-names them to make them understandable to kids).

I've taken some Tai Chi classes in the past and enjoyed them very much. I think both Tai Chi and Yoga will help work on balance, coordination and some muscle strengthening. There is a tremendous variety of Yoga, and it can be everything from a hot, fast aerobic class with loud music to a dark, silent, meditative session. I'm not sure if there is quite that much variation among Tai Chi styles and instructors. What's most important is finding something that you really like and that you can fit into your schedule on a regular basis!

Well I came across Suzanne Deason's Yoga for Weight Loss when I was at Target and decided to toss it in the cart. I did the program this morning prior to rowing and found it to be what I was looking for. Slower paced with the poses held for a bit before moving into the next pose. So thanks everyone for the recommendation. The wide stance forward bend was in there and I agree, that's a good pose. I hope this gets me back to practicing.

~robin

I dug out my 1995 Linda Arkin 'Yoga for Relaxation & Rejuvination' tape this week. Very slow easy stretching stuff. It is 20 minutes of just what I need to do, as long as I skip the last bit about total relaxation and falling asleep on the floor.

Right after the stretching I do the erg-and glory be! I did 2 sets of 5000m instead of only one! Even after that my bod was more or less ok. Go stretching!!

Can anyone recommend a newer very very easy stretching/relaxing tape? This one is pretty much worn out. No standing on one leg pretzel stuff, please. My lower back is still not perfect.

grams

Hi Robin!

Which Deason DVD did you get--the AM/PM version or the one that runs about 45 minutes all together and shows the 4 different fitness levels? They're both good, but I really like that 45 minute one for the modifications it includes. And it breaks up the workout into three segments, so if I don't have time to do the whole thing, I can at least do the first one or two segments.

If you got the 45-minute DVD--after using that DVD, do you think it would be good for Grams' back? I think she'd have to do the poses with the full modification and work up, and skip any of the poses that cause pain. But it might be okay for her. What do you think?

And Grams, if you do any yoga or stretching, you might wanna make sure you hold your lower abs firm to support your lower back. At least that worked well for my back when I hurt it. Hang in there!

--Jen in WI