I'm new to Yoga and need a little help

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Well, it’s an understatement to say “a little help”.

Hey you guys, I’m Aditya (means “the Sun”) from India and and I’m new to Yoga. Actually, I just know Yoga and I have a book of Yoga poses. I followed Yoga when I was a kid and don’t remember anything of it.
I have been working out in the gym for a good 2 years now (regularly). I used to be a thin guy (thin as a bamboo). I gained 25kg in about 8 months, from 58kg went to 83kg and now I’m at a good 75kg.
So now, here’s the thing. I wanna maintain my muscles (probably get a little thicker at the arms) but don’t wanna lose any. I don’t think I have a lot of fats. But my daily carb and fat consumption is way too high, I feel. I wanna quit working out (if that’s an option) because I started to have joint pains when I was lifting heavy weights (now I do light-weight training). I wanna turn to Yoga for my body health and mental peace and a lot of other reasons.

So could you please help me with the poses I should do? What time of the day? How many times a week? What about cardio activities? Can I quit gym and still gain muscles? If not, at least maintain my muscles without the gym? What should be my diet? If you could refer me to certain threads, that’ll be fine too.

Basically, think of me as a total beginner and help me with what I need to do. I know I’m asking too much but I’d really appreciate your help.

Thanks so much.

#2

Hi Aditya.

You have a lot of great questions and you sound very dedicated to improving your body, health and well being. That’s great!

This process is so very worth while, though challenging at times. The answers will be found in many different ways, through your own investigation and in conversations you’ll have with others.

Because it’s a process, the only advice others can give is a starting point, one that allows you to begin to test out what works for you. We are all so very different, so one suggestion can’t work for everyone.

Eat what feels good… what gives you energy, allows you to sleep well and is good for the planet.

Try a few different yoga classes and see what makes you feel the best. You’ll likely be drawn to a specific teacher’s style. We have quite a few different teachers on our site with free classes you can watch online. Here’s the link:

http://www.doyogawithme.com/

If you want to maintain strength, while encouraging better flexiblity, try a power yoga class. Here’s an example:

http://www.doyogawithme.com/content/foundations-flow

There are so many ways to connect with what your body needs. Look within, trust what your body is telling you and be open to trying new things.

#3

[QUOTE=DoYogaWithMe;65752]Hi Aditya.

You have a lot of great questions and you sound very dedicated to improving your body, health and well being. That’s great!

This process is so very worth while, though challenging at times. The answers will be found in many different ways, through your own investigation and in conversations you’ll have with others.

Because it’s a process, the only advice others can give is a starting point, one that allows you to begin to test out what works for you. We are all so very different, so one suggestion can’t work for everyone.

Eat what feels good… what gives you energy, allows you to sleep well and is good for the planet.

Try a few different yoga classes and see what makes you feel the best. You’ll likely be drawn to a specific teacher’s style. We have quite a few different teachers on our site with free classes you can watch online. Here’s the link:

doyogawithme.com

If you want to maintain strength, while encouraging better flexiblity, try a power yoga class. Here’s an example:

doyogawithme.com/content/foundations-flow

There are so many ways to connect with what your body needs. Look within, trust what your body is telling you and be open to trying new things.[/QUOTE]

Thanks so much! I am inspired! I’ll check them out.

#4

I always love what David has to offer and the manner in which he offers it.
In this case I’d like to add a few things.

First, I caution students lacking awareness from doing only things that “feel good”. I think the underlying point is sound but for many people the habits they’ve built - laying around, eating ice cream, drinking wine, pounding their feet on the pavement, compresing their spine, hyperextending their joints etcetera…all that feels “good” and a connection between such behaviors and that which is manifesting in the physical body rarely gets drawn (by them).

Instead I would point out that there are those things profound to build ego and those things profound to heed the calling of the soul. While a healthy physical body is essential for the spirit to live fully in the physical form, our craving for ripped arms is often ego rather than soul. It is not always the case and it is only for me to say about me. In other words, each person has to sort this out for themselves.

When a person stops lifting heavy weight and substitutes an asana practice it is very likely that the physical body will change. This of course depends on many factors, including but not limited to the type of asana practice adopted. When a person limits or stops machine-based cardio I BELIEVE the asana and pranayama practice have to be adjusted so that the heart muscle is still worked. This will mean different things to different people as it’s a subtlety of Yoga and there’s not much awareness of Yoga’s subtlety in our current landscape. Sadly most understandings are limited to the topsoil.

Since yoga is not a pharmaceutical drug I do not prescribe it. Please consider self-experimentation with the duration, frequency, and type of practice - of course staying very alert as to what is safe experimentation and what might have deeper ramification (here, a teacher is incredibly helpful).

You can quit a gym and retain muscle. Muscle doesn’t require a gym. It requires load-bearing. I have some light weights at home which I have been experimenting with within my practice. But generally speaking the load in yoga is limited to your body weight and that is relatively fixed. So once you’ve reached a plateau where that is easily handled by your muscles you’ll need to find deeper ways to work with muscle fiber.

As for diet, we teach things to eat and things to avoid. Eat an alkaline diet. Avoid CATS - caffeine, alcohol, Tobacco, and sugar. If that is easy and you’re still looking for refinement, consider eliminating or reducing dairy, US wheat (or gluten), corn, etcetera. For most people there’s a lot of work in eliminating sugar and that will take time and mindfulness, not to mention a ton of label-reading.

#5

[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;65779]I always love what David has to offer and the manner in which he offers it.
In this case I’d like to add a few things.

First, I caution students lacking awareness from doing only things that “feel good”. I think the underlying point is sound but for many people the habits they’ve built - laying around, eating ice cream, drinking wine, pounding their feet on the pavement, compresing their spine, hyperextending their joints etcetera…all that feels “good” and a connection between such behaviors and that which is manifesting in the physical body rarely gets drawn (by them).

Instead I would point out that there are those things profound to build ego and those things profound to heed the calling of the soul. While a healthy physical body is essential for the spirit to live fully in the physical form, our craving for ripped arms is often ego rather than soul. It is not always the case and it is only for me to say about me. In other words, each person has to sort this out for themselves.

When a person stops lifting heavy weight and substitutes an asana practice it is very likely that the physical body will change. This of course depends on many factors, including but not limited to the type of asana practice adopted. When a person limits or stops machine-based cardio I BELIEVE the asana and pranayama practice have to be adjusted so that the heart muscle is still worked. This will mean different things to different people as it’s a subtlety of Yoga and there’s not much awareness of Yoga’s subtlety in our current landscape. Sadly most understandings are limited to the topsoil.

Since yoga is not a pharmaceutical drug I do not prescribe it. Please consider self-experimentation with the duration, frequency, and type of practice - of course staying very alert as to what is safe experimentation and what might have deeper ramification (here, a teacher is incredibly helpful).

You can quit a gym and retain muscle. Muscle doesn’t require a gym. It requires load-bearing. I have some light weights at home which I have been experimenting with within my practice. But generally speaking the load in yoga is limited to your body weight and that is relatively fixed. So once you’ve reached a plateau where that is easily handled by your muscles you’ll need to find deeper ways to work with muscle fiber.

As for diet, we teach things to eat and things to avoid. Eat an alkaline diet. Avoid CATS - caffeine, alcohol, Tobacco, and sugar. If that is easy and you’re still looking for refinement, consider eliminating or reducing dairy, US wheat (or gluten), corn, etcetera. For most people there’s a lot of work in eliminating sugar and that will take time and mindfulness, not to mention a ton of label-reading.[/QUOTE]

Wel,l I do do a lot of label-reading. But that’s just so I’m aware of what’s being consumed. Caffeine is one thing that I CAN’T avoid. I have never smoked cigarettes, hookah, or anything similar in my life, EVER. Alcohol, well, in my 22 years, I’ve had 2 drinks so far. So alcohol is not consumed as well.

Can you tell me why “NO” to dairy too? I can avoid sugar but, frankly, right now, I don’t want to. But in a year or so, I’m definitely gonna cut down on sugar too.

My diet consists of fruits, milk, protein supplement (whey - I’ll stop this once I quit gym), chocolates, sweets, tea, coffee, rice, wheat, vegetables/meat/eggs.

I wanted to know if there are some strict rules to follow when it comes to diet. I detest the fact that workout made a sinner (gluttony). I used to have 8 meals or 9 sometimes. Now I’m down to 4-5 meals - 2 heavy. I eat a lot of sweets at night. After 12.

I guess my metabolism is high so it doesn’t show. I can’t say I have a LOT of fats. I can definitely say I have more than necessary. I’m 6’2" and I ain’t huge.

I have 10 kg adjustable dumbbells at home too. I’m still a little confused about the poses/asanas that I should start with or follow. I want to do this early morning starting next week. Gradually I’m going to quit working out in the gym when I am set yoga-wise. (Excuse my language)

I really liked what David said about eating. But I don’t know how it would work out for me. I don’t wanna lose my muscles, my shape. If I do lose, I know only one way of gaining - working out, which I strictly don’t want to follow.

Anyway, I still am confused. SORRY!

#6

No problem. It’s best by the way to not continually quote my lengthy replies. It merely takes up additional forum space and pushes the thread. No one wants to read my stuff twice

Dairy tends to lead to mucous production and perhaps inflammation. Unless you are having goats milk within half an hour of milking. As for sugar it is not only addictive but it creates imbalance in the pancreas and leads to moodiness as well as joint inflammation. Additionally these things are acidic in the body rather than alkaline. From what you’ve listed it is clear more deep green leafy vegetables would be healthful. However there are no hard and fast rules, just what works for you.

You may begin a practice with the classical surya namaskar.Keep it mindful, aware, feeling through the sequence. Done that way you may do it 2 times or twenty two times (or 122 times). This will be a simple way to begin AND add 11 different poses to your living.

Eating for an active body is appropriate, it is not gluttony. Eating for an inactive body is also appropriate and not starvation. Gluttony, much like dogma, is holding on to something for no good reason whatsoever. If you are incredibly active you would logically need more fuel. To deprive yourself of the needed nutrients is harmful.

#7

Thanks for sharing. Yoga is the best and natural way to remain fit and active.