i am very stressed and anxious… my friends said i should try yoga… no offense but i feel yoga (and breathing) is nothing more than SNAKE OIL… and dont do sh*t
i also dont think i can do yoga cuz i never did it before and i do those stretches and balance on one foot. i have back issues too.
Let me speak to all three things you broach here.
Here is a [&recr=Open&flds=Xabmn"]link](http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=(yoga)+[TREATMENT) to current (now recruiting) NIH (National Institute of Health) studies on the efficacy of Yoga on various human conditions. The NIH has never, to my knowledge, funded any research on “snake oil”. Furthermore, recent archeological discoveries (2002 off the coast of India) and subsequent carbon dating place yoga’s origin at 8500-9500 years ago. Even John, Paul, George, and Ringo can’t touch that. Of course not everything old is also “good” however when something is around for thousands of years it is certainly worth an open-minded look.
Yoga and Smoking Cessation
Yoga and High Blood Pressure
Yoga and Type-II Diabetes
Item two; can YOU “do” yoga?
If one finds a well-trained teacher (certified, registered, at LEAST 200-hours of training, several years of practice, and a sound teacher-training including continuing education) AND that teacher can offer a practice that is malleable to the state of the student (some practices require the student to fit the practice) then you are taught gradually and you are not placed in a position to be harmed (assuming you actually listen to what you’re being told). THAT practice anyone can do as it does not require stretches and balance but teaches them to those who don’t already possess them AND want them.
Which leads me to point three…
Whether you think you are right or think you are wrong, you are right. The mind is SO powerful that you could actually think your way into disease - and of course its opposite. No one is helped when they come to any sort of healing modality with the deep belief that it cannot help. So if you are unable to go without a mind that is at least ajar then it’s likely not worth the bother.
ok well i got yur reply… i’ll think about what you said- tho i dont qualify and or live to far for any of the studies…
just one thought for now. if i am HIV+ i shouldnt take my meds and just think positive (no pun intended) thoughts?
let me turn this around - what is yoga supposed to do?
i’m still concerned that i wont be able to do it…
do you have any hard scientific evidence that yoga (and breathing) work?
what should i feel like after?
my (talk) therapist told me to do breathing exercises.
ok so i kept an open mind - what did i have to lose i dont do anything all day (dont work )… so yea i did em… shrug didnt do anything and i did em right and all.
maybe i’m to “western” and would rather pop a pill (better living thru chemistry LOL)
is yoga and breathing going to miraculously make me better? if so how long til it gets better? do i need to keep doing them/it to stay "better"
i think another thing is yoga has a certain image: you know earthy crunchy whole foods crazy balancing and all that “weird” stuff. let me get out my magic crystals… lol… and that i need to learn weird stuff like “flying bird over flower” position… or learn indian.
and not to beat a dead (and buried) horse but i cant balance on one leg and stuff…
another issue is finances are TIGHT…
sorry if my thoughts are random and disjointed and i seem very negative… its been a VERY hard week… my anxiety on a scale of 1-10… has been a near constant 50
i do know i’m tired of feeling like this… and wish to god for five mins i didnt
oh i looked at those 3 links… i dont have those diseases and dont understand whatever that said… do you do yoga? is yur life unicorns and rainbows 
i’m sure i’m gonna get banned from this site
You want assurance?
your friends are correct your difficulties CAN be lessened / resloved / eliminated through yoga.
Just google things like - benefits of yoga. yoga and depression.
yoga and psychosomatic disorders.
Do your research to satisfy your inner skeptic if you must. Build up a little intellectual faith or not . . .
either way go take a class and talk to the teacher about why your in the class.
Don’t do power yoga. Do something nice and gentle and flowing with quiet time at the end.
Peace to you and yours.
[QUOTE=The Scales;45751]You want assurance?
your friends are correct your difficulties CAN be lessened / resloved / eliminated through yoga.
Just google things like - benefits of yoga. yoga and depression.
yoga and psychosomatic disorders.
Do your research to satisfy your inner skeptic if you must. Build up a little intellectual faith or not . . .
either way go take a class and talk to the teacher about why your in the class.
Don’t do power yoga. Do something nice and gentle and flowing with quiet time at the end.
Peace to you and yours.[/QUOTE]
ok so i found a website 77 benefits of yoga… this sounds too good to be true…
i was gonna go to a place tonight but i wouldt know what to do and didnt feel like standing there looking like a fool… i still think its all about standing on one foot etc
how does it work? or do i need not concern myself with that?
what does mindfulness mean? i see this word every five mins
when i did breathing i tried to quiet my mind but it travels a million miles 24-7 and not always to good places
[QUOTE=BLOND37;45752]ok so i found a website 77 benefits of yoga… this sounds too good to be true…
i was gonna go to a place tonight but i wouldt know what to do and didnt feel like standing there looking like a fool… i still think its all about standing on one foot etc
how does it work? or do i need not concern myself with that?
what does mindfulness mean? i see this word every five mins
when i did breathing i tried to quiet my mind but it travels a million miles 24-7 and not always to good places[/QUOTE]
Don’t concern yourself with how it works. just relax.
mindfullness to me means staying “present” your “in the moment.”
Mindfullness means to me to do “what your doing.”
You just practice it. - mindfullness / awareness / whatever you want to call it.
Presence.
Finances are tight? Rent a Dvd. Or check one out from the library.
Takes you outta the class and puts you in the saftey of your home.
Look for one that gives you what your looking for . . . which is peace.
Flowing gentle asana (the poses) with quite time at the end.
You must experience it for yourself. Like Gordon Said. With an open mind.
Give it the college try and you will know for yourself if there’s something to it.
How else would you know such a thing?
Very interesting replies BLOND37.
You asked about snake oil and I directed you to three of about 1,000 legitimate, peer-reviewed studies not so that you’d digest and “get” them or enroll in them but so that you might understand science is actually spending millions of dollars to look at these things rationally. That, in and of itself, dispels a snake-oil paradigm.
Unicorns and rainbows? No those two things don’t hold much meaning for me. I’m a pretty happy fellow who understands how to make mindful choices and what the result of those choices may be - then am able to live with those choices with a grin. I wouldn’t change anything about my practice other than to make more time for it By “mindful” I mean a choice that does not come from rote habit but instead comes from a carefully evaluation of the result and whether the choice supports or detracts from my life’s direction. And “no” I would not go off HIV meds and opt for positive thinking especially if one has no mastery whatsoever of positive thinking. Such things need to be cultivated over time and it is grossly irresponsible for me as a yoga teacher to suggest otherwise.
We, the community, are not attached to whether you retain your current disbelief or not. That is purely up to you and you are the likely beneficiary. You’re welcome here as long as you’re sincere and deal with people as human beings so you’ll likely not get to be banned unless that is your intention.
[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;45758]Very interesting replies BLOND37.
You asked about snake oil and I directed you to three of about 1,000 legitimate, peer-reviewed studies not so that you’d digest and “get” them or enroll in them but so that you might understand science is actually spending millions of dollars to look at these things rationally. That, in and of itself, dispels a snake-oil paradigm.
Unicorns and rainbows? No those two things don’t hold much meaning for me. I’m a pretty happy fellow who understands how to make mindful choices and what the result of those choices may be - then am able to live with those choices with a grin. I wouldn’t change anything about my practice other than to make more time for it By “mindful” I mean a choice that does not come from rote habit but instead comes from a carefully evaluation of the result and whether the choice supports or detracts from my life’s direction. And “no” I would not go off HIV meds and opt for positive thinking especially if one has no mastery whatsoever of positive thinking. Such things need to be cultivated over time and it is grossly irresponsible for me as a yoga teacher to suggest otherwise.
We, the community, are not attached to whether you retain your current disbelief or not. That is purely up to you and you are the likely beneficiary. You’re welcome here as long as you’re sincere and deal with people as human beings so you’ll likely not get to be banned unless that is your intention.[/QUOTE]
not my intention to get banned and to relieve this CONSTANT STRESS AND ANXIETY over gd thing in my life…
unicorns and rainbows was a euphemism… meaning to make my life better.
some yoga place said i could drop by monday when they are open but i dunno if they have beginner classes - and they seem shady (its breathing time yoga in RI if anyone feels like googling it) first they said their gentle yoga is good for beginners… then when i pressed them further they said i should a take a beginner class then they 'dropped it down" and told a very beginner clas - which of course dont start til jan 8… and i am supposed to have surgery soon so dont wan a lay out money and not be able to go. if was to register i might not get a space. thn next class aint til feb…
i wished the breathing stuff worked…
sorry about the articles… i looked at them but it looked like all numbers. over load for me… did anyone look at the 77 yoga benefits (if not you can google -see thats why i dont think this stuff works…)
rent a dvd or check one out from a library.
[QUOTE=The Scales;45767]rent a dvd or check one out from a library.[/QUOTE]
yea was gonna do that but all i do all day is sit in my room alone with my dog (tho we go walks) but a class would get me out of the house (even tho i’m gay and i’d be around str8 people, no offense LOL)
some other random thoughts: ok yea i have psych issues (bipolar, depressin and anxiety and adhd… thats on top hiv and hep c) but i go to my docs and take my meds like a good boy and dont get better…
my therapist told me to do breathing (hounded me for months) so i kept an open mind, did em 3-5x per day… didnt do anything, if they did i didnt notice…
i want to do yoga classes but i am supposed to be having surgery. so dont want to register for classes and then not be able to go and be $$… or other option wait until i know but then classes might be filled- next ones would be mid-feb UGH…
i think i might stop posting here- i feel i am adding negativity to this group and u dont want or need that- besides i am not convinced Y&B (yoga and breathing do anything… nothngs gonna change - the breathing stuff proved that)
lets work this a diff way - what were yur lives like before u started this stuff?
how did you get into it? learn it?
i assume yur lives are better?
the yoga place near where i live said i could come by monday (but they wont have any classes good for me - so what should i do?)
still dont get this whole mindful ness stuff
from wikipedia: Mindfulness practice, inherited from the Buddhist tradition, is increasingly being employed in Western psychology to alleviate a variety of mental and physical conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety and in the prevention of relapse in depression and drug addiction
but they dont tell me how
I’ve never tried snake oil, but yoga works for me. Where can you buy snake oil anyway? I bet there are some benefits to snake oil. I’m off now to google that.
OK. I’m back (within the edit time frame). Seems there are a lot of proven health benefits to snake oil - from blood pressure management, skin care, and heart health to mental and anxiety management. Sounds like a lot in common with yoga.
So, you are correct in saying yoga is like snake oil. Interesting.
Pretty much all the research you will ever read on yoga will say it’s beneficial.
But you’ll never know for certain unless you try it.
Buck up. Make an appointment and just go?
What do you have to lose?
10 bucks?
What do you have to gain? Peace.
If I had to guess - I would say that it is probably the best thing for you, and you are being led this way (towards the yoga) because it will help you.
Mindfulness. It is simply this . . . “Do what your doing.”
If your watching tv watch tv. IF your taking a shower take a shower. Whatever your activity your mind is present in that activity. If your giving your dog a bath give the dog a bath.
The opposite of mindfulness would be you reading what I’m writing but not paying attention to what I’m writing.
Peace to you.
It might be helpful to you to merely go to the studio in question and not be concerned with anything more than a tour and a feel.
I don’t see how one’s sexual orientation is relevant? Straight people, gay people, anxious people, calm people, stiff people, supple people, thin people…they all go to class without an expectation of remaining in their classifications.
Go take a drop in class at the lowest level available on Monday and let the rest go. Everyone gets what being a “beginner” is all about - they’ve all been there, and feeling foolish for it is something to get over not retain. No one really expects you to know anything when you come to class otherwise you wouldn’t NEED to come to class.
If you want the potential for change then go. If you don’t then stay in your room. But don’t beat yourself over the decision. Make one and smile about it.
[QUOTE=FlexPenguin;45772]I’ve never tried snake oil, but yoga works for me. Where can you buy snake oil anyway? I bet there are some benefits to snake oil. I’m off now to google that.
OK. I’m back (within the edit time frame). Seems there are a lot of proven health benefits to snake oil - from blood pressure management, skin care, and heart health to mental and anxiety management. Sounds like a lot in common with yoga.
So, you are correct in saying yoga is like snake oil. Interesting.[/QUOTE]
please be serious… dont appreciate that sarcasm
sorry never mind my comment about gay people. i dont feel like explaining
this is all they have monday
12:05 PM - 12:50 PM *Viniyoga for Strength, Angela Lang (No class December 27)
5:30 PM - 6:45 PM Viniyoga in Season, Aggie Stewart
scales: If I had to guess - I would say that it is probably the best thing for you,
reply: ok hope yur right… wish i could try soon but with the holidays and all and they aint doing much
Breathing Time Yoga Class Schedule
MONDAY
12:05 PM - 12:50 PM *Viniyoga for Strength, Angela Lang (No class December 27)
5:30 PM - 6:45 PM *Viniyoga in Season, Aggie Stewart
*For Winter: January 3-February 21
5:45 PM - 6:45 PM Dancing for Birth, Severine Degnan
*Winter Session #1: January 10-February 7
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM *Moderate Alignment Yoga, Christy Chase
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Viniyoga for Back Care Maintenance, Aggie Stewart
*Registration required
*Winter Session 2: January 3-February 21
TUESDAY
7:00 AM - 8:15 am * Everybody, Rise and Shine! (Alignment ), Lora LoPiccolo
*Journey Through 7 Chakras: January 4 - February 15
12:05 PM - 12:50 PM *Heated Vinyasa, Laura Jaffe Espinosa (No class Dec 28)
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Mom and Baby Yoga: New to Crawling, Karen Lee
*Winter Session 2: January 4-February 22
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Mom and Baby Yoga: Crawling to Toddling, Karen Lee
*Winter Session 2: January 4-February 22
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm *Viniyoga for Brand New Beginners, Laurel Rayburn
*Winter Session 1: January 11-February 15
NEW 5:45 pm - 700 pm Heated Vinyasa, Laura Jaffe Espinosa
*Winter Session 1: January 18-February 15
7:15 pm - 8:45 pm *Viniyoga for Brand New Beginners, Kate Guilbault
*Winter Session 1: December 7-January 11
7:15 pm-9:00 pm Bradley Birth Method, Lauren Amand
*Registration required.
*January 4-March 22
WEDNESDAY
12:05 PM - 12:50 PM *Viniyoga for Stretch, Angela Lang (No class December 29)
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM * Viniyoga for Brand New Beginners, Kate Guilbault
*Winter Session 1: December 8-January 12
*Winter Session 2: January 26-March 2
7:15 PM - 8:45 PM Viniyoga for Back Care, Aggie Stewart
*Registration required for all sessions
*2011 Session #1: January 12-March 2
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM * Prenatal Viniyoga with Kate Guilbault
THURSDAY
7:00 AM - 8:15 AM *Everybody, Rise and Shine! (Vinyasa), Lora LoPiccolo
*Journey Through 7 Chakras: January 6 - February 17
12:05 PM - 12:50 PM *Heated Vinyasa, Laura Jaffe Espinosa (No class Dec 30)
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM *Gentle Viniyoga, Karen Lee (No class Dec 30)
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM *Basic Warm Vinyasa, Tara Comer
*Winter Session #1: December 30-February 3
7:15 PM - 8:30 PM *Yoga for Runners, Tara Comer
*Winter Session #1: December 30-February 3
7:15pm-8:45pm *Yoga for the Curvy Woman, Toni Lynn Bonadie
*Winter Session 1: Until December 23
*Winter Session 2: January 6-February 10
FRIDAY (Studio Closed December 24 & 31)
12:05 PM - 12:50 PM *Viniyoga for Cardio Conditioning, Angela Lang
SATURDAY (Studio Closed December 25 & January 1)
8:45 AM - 10:15 AM *Basic Viniyoga/Vinyasa, Angela Lang
8:45 AM -10:15 AM *Yoga for Men with R. Bobby Ducharme
*Winter Session: Until January 29
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM *Viniyoga for Brand New Beginners , Angela Lang
*Winter Session #2: January 8-February 12
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM *Prenatal Viniyoga , Kate Guilbault
[QUOTE=The Scales;45773]Pretty much all the research you will ever read on yoga will say it’s beneficial.
But you’ll never know for certain unless you try it.
Buck up. Make an appointment and just go?
What do you have to lose?
10 bucks?
What do you have to gain? Peace.
If I had to guess - I would say that it is probably the best thing for you, and you are being led this way (towards the yoga) because it will help you.
Mindfulness. It is simply this . . . “Do what your doing.”
If your watching tv watch tv. IF your taking a shower take a shower. Whatever your activity your mind is present in that activity. If your giving your dog a bath give the dog a bath.
The opposite of mindfulness would be you reading what I’m writing but not paying attention to what I’m writing.
Peace to you.[/QUOTE]
but didnt we say one time wont work?
some more thoughts-
so yoga is just like a series of “poses” and that helps everything really?
do i need to know the names like those weird indian names?
what does a teacher do in a class? do they help you?
you all might have answered this before but i dont recall monday when i go to the yoga place what should i do or ask (doesnt seem to be any classes for a newbie)…figures
mindfulness: is being in the now? and not worrying about the future? yoga helps you with that?
i think i said my mind travels at a million miles an hour and i am a total control freak constantly worrying about the future
ok so i know this guy - and i wont use any identifying info so i think its ok. but he does massages at a local social services org as part of their “touch for life” program.
he once told me that he used to be one of those gay night club party (drug) boys yada yada…now he is all like this earthy crunchy dude uses all these indian words and stuff… i dont know if he does yoga but he knows about paranaya and stuff. drinks weird tea and stuff… i dont know his med history so i cant compare myself to him … i dunno why i mention this…
do you all do breathing? if so how? does it work? what do you feel like after?
i read somewhere that after yoga U should feel invigorated, not all tired and stuff?
i’m TIRED of feeling this way… i’m depressed and feel like crying tonight.