What styles are low-impact, non-spiritual, and can be done at home?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hello everyone, glad to be a part of the forums. :slight_smile:

I have been doing very basic yoga stretches and techniques for a couple of years on and off, and am finally ready to choose a style and do it seriously. It was my new year’s resolution for 2012 to eliminate all excess stress from my life. So hopefully with the help of the awesome forum members here, I can discover which style is correct for me.

As stated in the title, I am hoping to learn what styles are:

-Low(er) impact; I would like a style that is primarily for relaxation and a great stretch to increase flexibility without being overly strenuous.
-Non-spiritual
-A simple style that can be done at home without the need for instruction at a yoga class
-do not place an emphasis on very strict breathing techniques, as I tend to find this distracting.

If this is not enough detail to narrow down the vast array of styles, please just let me know and I would be happy to clarify. I am a mid-20s male, if that makes any difference.

Looking forward to talking with you all!:slight_smile:

#2

Vinyasa slow flow, yin yoga, restorative yoga, use YouTube and watch the related videos.

#3

You will do well to go to some classes…books and DVDs cannot watch, correct and help you. If you are doing the asana incorrectly then at best it will be ineffective and at worst harmful.
Any class held in a gym is unlikely to be spiritual…just ask the teachers if it is an asana class or if it includes mantra, pranayama etc.
Breathing is important…in asana practice there should be some attention to the breath.

#4

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I just don’t like doing yoga with other people, so I wouldn’t enjoy classes, though I will probably force myself to do a few classes just to make sure I’m not making any huge mistakes. As for breathing, I have tried a lot over the years to do these very specific breathing techniques, but the problem is that while I am certainly capable of doing them, I just can’t relax this way, which defeats my purpose for doing yoga.

#5

[QUOTE=Yogi20XX;72507]Thanks for the suggestions so far. I just don’t like doing yoga with other people, so I wouldn’t enjoy classes, though I will probably force myself to do a few classes just to make sure I’m not making any huge mistakes. As for breathing, I have tried a lot over the years to do these very specific breathing techniques, but the problem is that while I am certainly capable of doing them, I just can’t relax this way, which defeats my purpose for doing yoga.[/QUOTE]

have you tried using a neti pot? changed the whole concept of breathing for me