Tips on Gaining Stamina in Poses?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

In the recent months, I have been taking classes at three studios. There’s my after work studio, my weekend studio, and then I’m a drop in at another studio where one of my favorite teachers teaches once a week.

Being able to have many different teachers is a blessing, but it may leave you feeling sore constantly. Teaching styles vary as well as sequences, and the length of time each teacher holds poses.

I had a realization last night that most of my teachers these days have a set vinyasa and they try to squeeze in every pose and flow they have planned for a class.

Last night, I attended a class with only a few series, but the lenght that each pose was held, and the focus on alignment and muscle energy was more intense than the focus on how many asanas we could squeeze into 90 minutes.

I came to the conclusion that my stamina is nowhere near on par with my strenght and I can remember a day when I could hold warrior 2 for 5 to 10 minutes without breaking a sweat.

Not so much anymore. What are some good tips on getting stamin back into one’s practice?

#2

Begin holding poses longer. :slight_smile: It’s the only way.

#3

Concentrate on your breathing to hold the pose longer. Practicing a little longer every day.

#4

The reference to feeling sore constantly gave me pause. Could you be overtraining? Are you allowing for optimal recovery time between workouts? Is your nutrition up to speed? I do hope you are checking in with your medical team especially if you’ve joined the awesome over 40 crowd.

First off check in with your logistics. Have you covered the bases? Warm up, stretching, cool downs?

Are you cross training and incorporating a complementary pairing of cardio and strength building efforts such as weights and trails?

Patience! Stamina builds in increments and the wonderful benefits and blessings of Yoga will not be rushed.

Namaste

#5

I do 1 yoga session each evening (Usually Anusara) after work from 7:00 to 8:30. home by 9:30, in bed by 11:00 up at 4:00am at work by 6:00am.

I’m getting maybe 4 or 5 hours of rest. I have a 1yr old who is getting adjusted to her own room/crib. So, I get woke up at least 3 or 4 times in the night.

Weights? No, Cardio? No, Medical Team? No. Cross Training? No.

#6

I agree with Sapphire on the breathing. Breathe is incredibly important, and as you learn to control the breath in tandem with the poses, you will gain more stamina.

But it does sound like you are doing some over training and lack of sleep is also very detrimental and can inhibit healing. Most of us require 7-8 hours of sleep a night to fully recover for the next day. Couple your 4-5 hours of sleep each night with constantly being awakened, and I really think you could be heading for illness.

I worked a job where I was getting only 5-6 hours of sleep a night for several years. It truly began to wear on me. When I finally quit that job and got a regular 5 days a week regular hours job, my husband said I became a different person, a person he had not seen for years.

If I were in your situation, I would alternate the yoga nights. Perhaps three times a week. You can always do some relaxing yoga before bed on those nights you get home earlier, and it will also give you more time to spend with your daughter in the evenings, which is good for the spirit and for her bonding and learning from interacting with you. :slight_smile:

Your body needs a day in between to recover. Those nights you don’t do the class, just do some restorative poses. Your body will thank you for it. :slight_smile:

#7

There are many issues afoot here.
So I’ll try to respond in a logical fashion.

The first is that as we mature in our practice we may approach posture in a more mature way with added actions such that we don’t remain in the pose as long but that the pose has more juice while we’re in it. Of course there’s a yin to that yang and that is that as we get older the body changes - and this, in conjunction with an absence of rest and the needs associated with child-rearing, could inhibit what we have left to give in our practice (of asana).

In addition it is noteworthy the style of practice being employed in this particular case. I personally do not load muscles that are in repair (read: sore) but instead work those gently (or not at all) while focusing on others. This is available in the practice I have chosen but may not be in the practice opted in by the OP.

A vinyasa practice relies on numerous rounds of Surya Namaskar and as that number increases integrity of the pose inversely decreases. So once the muscles are fatigued, if the asana sequence has little to no variance over time, the energy of the practice goes into the secondary support structure - ligaments and tendons. If muscles are sore near their attachments (origin/insertion) this is a likely indicator of energy in the secondary system.

I would also add that the amount of sleep needed by a kapha constitution is different than the amount of sleep needed by a vatta constitution and that differs from the needs of a pitta constitution. What is important is that the particular student feel rested. If you feel rested and have enrgy throughout your day (presuming sound nutrition) that is a helpful awareness to have.

Remaining in a pose longer than you believe you can is a method of building in the practice, whether it is one second longer, one breath longer or one minute longer.

#8

I would gradually and without forcing it increase the time you spend in the various asanas. Remember to breathe as this is the most important aspect I believe. Without the breath we’re just doing calisthenics!