Greetings Fellow Yoga Enthusiasts!

Community Welcome New Members
#1

Hello! I’m excited to join this community of people who practice yoga. To explain a bit where I’m coming from, here’s my yoga background.

I took my first real yoga class at the gym six months ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. I generally do yoga about three times a week, but am always delighted when I can slip in an extra class. I love the focus that yoga gives me, and enjoy practicing those three wonderful skills: balance, strength and flexibility.

My primary yoga instructor is AWESOME! She mixes up a variety of yoga styles and even what I believe are some martial arts based moves. Every class is different and every class is fun, satisfying, and physically challenging.

I like yoga best when it’s physically strenuous and makes me sweaty. Working my body helps to make me feel better and focus my mind. Ideally, someday I’d like to be able to do more headstand/handstand and crazy balance poses because hey, those are super cool!

#2

Greetings and welcome to the forums. I look forward to talking yoga with you :slight_smile:

#3

Thanks! I appreciate the sentiment!

#4

Hi PurpleYogaMat,

You sound similar to me. Do you do anything else in addition to the yoga? What country do you live in?

Cheers Mike.

#5

I’m in Boston, in the US. Besides yoga, I run for exercise (but don’t really love that). Hobby-wise, I go on an occasional backpacking trip, like to dance, and just got back from a week long canoe trip in the boundary waters of Minnesota.

And you?

#6

Cycling and weights

I live in Sydney, Australia

#7

[quote=PurpleYogaMat;13346]Hello! I’m excited to join this community of people who practice yoga. To explain a bit where I’m coming from, here’s my yoga background.

someday I’d like to be able to do more headstand/handstand and crazy balance poses because hey, those are super cool![/quote]

Hi PurpleYogaMat, welcome on this forum. I see you say you are hooked on yoga. Nice to see you are so enthusiastic about it.
So you like to have challenging pose? i heard swami Veda Bharati said, you want to do difficult things? i 'll give you something challenging,
try to relax your forehead
Wishing you always stay happy with yoga
with love from Louise

#8

I am definitely still working on that forehead thing! Your point is definitely a good one. I strive to do funky, “complicated” poses, but I am quite humble enough to know that I still need to work on the basics. I don’t think I have perfect form at anything, but am always trying to get better!

#9

Hows your flexibility?

#10

I’ve always been more flexible than your average person, but I’m certainly not super flexible in yoga terms. Another long term goal I have is to be able to do a split. That’s not a yoga goal per se, but is another cool thing I’d like to be able to do.

#11

Yeh cool things, I’m with you on that. I’ve been doing yoga for 4 years. In the beginning I was super unflexible, but after 4 years I have quite good flexibility, which also helps with the bicycle racing as I can get in to more aerodynamic positions.

Splits… I’m a way of that, perhaps one day.

Had another go at headstands this morning, I can do them against a wall. I guess with practice I’ll be able to do them in the middle of the room one day.

#12

HI Purpleyogamatt,
Good , you keep working on the foreheadthing, it is one of the most difficult things to do. If you realy want to get into yoga try to find a way of exercises that is balancing you , to work on being more sattvic. relax the effort a bit. You are perfect in your own form already.
It looks to me you are training to be with Circe the soleil?
greeting Louise

#13

As much as I like the more complicated poses, I don’t actually spend much time practicing many of them because I’m not quite ready yet. I respect that and so I practice easier stuff that will eventually lead to harder stuff. That does not mean, however, that i can’t find them to be cool in theory! :wink:

Relaxing your forehead, while a useful skill for relaxation, focus, etc. etc., just doesn’t hold the same thrill for me. You could argue that yoga was not intended to be about “thrill,” but I can still enjoy it from my own perspective on things. Cheers.

#14

Mike,

That’s cool about the headstands. I’ve been focusing on crow/crane poses to build up some balance and especially arm strength as it’s one of my weaknesses. I run on a regular basis, so my legs are my stronger area.

#15

[quote=PurpleYogaMat;13472]As much as I like the more complicated poses, I don’t actually spend much time practicing many of them because I’m not quite ready yet. I respect that and so I practice easier stuff that will eventually lead to harder stuff. That does not mean, however, that i can’t find them to be cool in theory! :wink:

Relaxing your forehead, while a useful skill for relaxation, focus, etc. etc., just doesn’t hold the same thrill for me. You could argue that yoga was not intended to be about “thrill,” but I can still enjoy it from my own perspective on things. Cheers.[/quote]

The story of the forehead was to shake you a bit. sorry for that.
and Yes you are right about that, people can argue about all kind of things.
just enjoy your yoga from your own perspective, that is the best thing you can do . and on your beautiful purple yogamatt that will be easy for you. Be happy
Namaste Louise

#16

Don’t be sorry, louise! You definitely make an important and valid point with the forehead example. I’m just suggesting that even if one hasn’t mastered it yet (or doesn’t want to…For the record, it is on my list of things to practice!), there are other fun yoga poses, concepts, purple mats that you can enjoy! :wink: Thanks for the continuing dialogue!

#17

[quote=PurpleYogaMat;13473]Mike,

That’s cool about the headstands. I’ve been focusing on crow/crane poses to build up some balance and especially arm strength as it’s one of my weaknesses. I run on a regular basis, so my legs are my stronger area.[/quote]

I’m an ex competitive runner, but that was a long time ago.

Perhaps one of the experts can correct my beginner knowledge, but I would say that as a generalisation (excuse the Aussie spelling) that with the head stands that guys are better once they are up and gals are better at getting up. Reasons;
Guys upper body strength is 75% of lower body strength where Gals are 60%
Gals typically have more flexibility than Guys
Gals have longer legs in relation to their body than Guys

And before the Yogi Guys jump on me, yeh I know there’s plenty of flexible guys out there, I’m one of them.

#18

That all makes sense to me, Mike (even though, as you said, there are obviously exceptions to the rules).

#19

Hi Purple yogamat, I am hatha yoga teacher and very interested in what make people so enthusiastic and happy about yoga(like you)
I am sorry, because i tried to see the point of view of others, but realized that i was only trying to make MY point. to try to explain yoga to you, that it is not about bodyexercise
So yes i am sorry. And i could use a little practice in having fun on a yogamatt. i am too serious.
So you just be happy on your mat.
I have a good try in crushing this big ego of mine and than a good laugh at myself after i stopped crying and feeling sorry
Thank you for the lesson you gave me!
much appreciated , with love from louise

#20

[quote=louise molenkamp;13516]Hi Purple yogamat, I am hatha yoga teacher and very interested in what make people so enthusiastic and happy about yoga(like you)
I am sorry, because i tried to see the point of view of others, but realized that i was only trying to make MY point. to try to explain yoga to you, that it is not about bodyexercise
So yes i am sorry. And i could use a little practice in having fun on a yogamatt. i am too serious.
So you just be happy on your mat.
I have a good try in crushing this big ego of mine and than a good laugh at myself after i stopped crying and feeling sorry
Thank you for the lesson you gave me!
much appreciated , with love from louise[/quote]

Some zeal is alright but too much turns people into zealots - definitely not a good thing in whatever system of belief/philosophy.

i am too serious

How long have you known? Relax your forehead.:wink: