Yoga Practitioners Struggle with Technique & Philosophy
12 posts across 2 communities in the last 90 days; 92% from r/yoga.
“im a beginner in yoga and i see a lot of people getting into the headstand easily, last time i tried i knocked a plant down X) that the farthest i can go without falling over. i cant stack my hips on my torso at all. any tips?”
“Sounds dumb, but I think I breathe much faster than the average person. It's fine when I'm consciously trying to breathe deeply in savasana, but during movement, I struggle to follow along. Usually the instructor's one breath is the length of my two or even three breaths. Is…”
“Maybe it’s just the studios I'm visiting or the instructors I’ve taken but I genuinely cannot tell Yin and Restorative yoga apart. They both have long holds and similar floor poses. Trying to compare them feels like trying to blind taste test the difference between two different…”
Participants in yoga classes are grappling with various aspects of the practice, including proper technique (e.g., hand/feet positions in wheel pose), understanding historical and philosophical context, and differentiating between restorative and yin yoga.
SOURCES (19)
“I’ve been practicing Udhiyana bandha and Agnisara but I am unable to isolate the rectus abdominis. Any tips? submitted by /u/shimaga [link] [comments]”
“So I’ve been practising yoga for a few years now and absolutely love it. Hatha is probably my favourite way to practise asana, but I’ve noticed that at my studio, the Hatha classes don’t tend to explore many of the more challenging or complicated asanas, which is a bit of a shame. The vinyasa classes are a completely different story because they are SO speedy. :/ Once we’ve done the first couple of vinyasas, it feels like we barely get a breath in each pose before we’re moving onto the next one.”
“I recently started doing Vajrasana and I really like the simple yet grounding feel of it. Still figuring out the right posture and how long to comfortably hold it. For those of you who do this regularly, how long did it take you to get comfortable with the pose? submitted by /u/Admirable_Eye3354 [link] [comments]”
“So im a busy person due to certain life challenges within the family.. I have about 20-30 minutes a day i have been working on yoga.. I am 6 foot 244lbs guy (down 24lbs with yoga and diet help). I started yoga because it was hard to just carry my 6 year old and 2 year old up 13 flights of steps without thinking my knees were going to give out made me feel like garbage.. Yoga has been game changing even for 2 weeks. I started doing 6 poses. 1: Cat/Cow 2: Locust 3: Dolphin 4: Bridge 5: Pigeon Pose”
“Other than its physical benefits, what has your yoga practise done for your mind? If it overlaps with your experience of chakras then pls do share. Ive been doing yoga for years now and recently have been feeling a lot of emotions. Im trying to understand. submitted by /u/Crazy_Translator9014 [link] [comments]”
“Hey guys, I have some questions about yoga, specifically for people who practice for spirituality. What is the most spiritual experience you’ve had during yoga? What type of yoga do you practice? And how long did it take till you had a truly spiritual experience with yoga? submitted by /u/Royal-March1482 [link] [comments]”
“To be precise, is it possible in mid 30s to reach yoga level as same as in mid 20s? I used to be very much into yoga, physically very fit and active and enjoyed ashtanga. Today, I am out of shape, weak and have unwanted weight. Got back on mat 4 months ago with hatha and so far managed couple of times to stretch a muscle and very discouraged by my performance… Is it possible with time and practice to reach the level I once was on, or getting old is happening and no way back? submitted by &”
“Hi everyone! I'm researching how people learn challenging yoga movements like Crow Pose, handstands, float-to-the-top-of-the-mat, and similar skills. I'm looking to talk with people who are actively working toward a more advanced pose to better understand how they approach learning. One thing I've noticed in my own practice is that it's surprisingly difficult to know what's actually holding you back. I spent weeks focusing on shoulder strength before realizing my real limitat”
“im a beginner in yoga and i see a lot of people getting into the headstand easily, last time i tried i knocked a plant down X) that the farthest i can go without falling over. i cant stack my hips on my torso at all. any tips? submitted by /u/Financial-Device-46 [link] [comments]”
“Sounds dumb, but I think I breathe much faster than the average person. It's fine when I'm consciously trying to breathe deeply in savasana, but during movement, I struggle to follow along. Usually the instructor's one breath is the length of my two or even three breaths. Is that okay? It's distracting because I'll try to "fix" my breathing pattern to match what everyone else is doing, but it feels so unnatural. Because of this, I also can't tell when to inhale”
“A spontaneous question (I could benefit from doing something more productive, lol 😀): How challenging do you find yoga as an activity, compared to other things you're doing in life? E.g. compared to work, other hobbies, studying, relationships, etc. Because for me personally, Yoga is one of the most challenging activities I have tried so far in my life, and I tried a number different things. So I wonder if others feel similar. submitted by /u/mercury0114 [link] [comments]”
“I recently started doing yoga from home to improve my strength and flexibility. I’ve never been flexible even as a child, including my fingers which are very stiff. I struggle to keep my fingers laying flat while bending my wrist, which makes it difficult to get into poses where I’m supposed to lay my hands flat on the mat such as downward dog I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for modifications, as I’m worried I will do damage by trying to force my hands and fingers into position Ide”
“https://youtu.be/ndX\_ZDhwmug?si=MBxSE4fYmvu-W5dv So I saw this video So Impressed by him and his wisdom I have heard breath ing slowly is key to long healthy life.. Yogis do it too.. TURTLES breath 4 BREATHS PER min and live longest (250-300 years) How can we better ourselves in all ways Would love everybody's wisdom on this submitted by /u/TheIconic7 [link] [comments]”
“Maybe it’s just the studios I'm visiting or the instructors I’ve taken but I genuinely cannot tell Yin and Restorative yoga apart. They both have long holds and similar floor poses. Trying to compare them feels like trying to blind taste test the difference between two different brands of bottled water. Are the lines just totally blurred in modern studios? Can someone actually clarify the distinction. TIA submitted by /u/Lumpy-Stretch2810 [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone, I’m planning to head to India in September for a three-month stay. As a yoga teacher, I’m finally living out my dream of exploring this country and deepening my spiritual practice, particularly my pranayama, meditation, and asana work. I’m not looking to bounce around between cities. I want to base myself in Rishikesh and the surrounding area. I’ve traveled in Asia for about 5 months before, so I know that when you’re on the ground there are thousands of places to stay and practice”