Yoga + Strength training

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#41

Fair enough Philip. I’ll only add the following:

  1. “fresh, oxygenated blood” is a very common teaching cue in vinyasa or power yoga. And I personally find it misleading, which is why I asked for clarification. The cue relies on anatomical ignorance for without oxygenated blood we’d not live very long.

  2. Any well trained yoga teacher worth their salt is already teaching from a paradigm of what is defined here as “compensatory yoga” (which is really compensatory asana, for this thread). However this is only half a concept. A sound teacher not only helps to move students from undue tension (presuming there’s such a thing as undue) but also from undue laxity.

  3. Just as the concept above is half, so too is this one. In teaching yoga (with the intention of balancing the student) it is not about addressing fear-based reactivity (exclusively). It is about all reactivity, be it from fear or jubilation. Homeostasis is a middle way, balance a middle way. A yoga that only undoes fear-based reaction neglects half of the equation.

#42

Gordon,

I was really trying to be as concise as possible with my earlier posts … thus the analogy of “fresh blood.” Also, I think most undue tension (and there is certainly such a thing as undue, or unnecessary tension in terms of maintaining structural integrity in the field of gravity) implies undue laxity on the other side.

Your point about reactivity is fair. Most of the folks I deal with, though, don’t have negative responses to jubilation holding them back. Most of the people I work with are held back by fear of losing something, or of not becoming what they would like to be. My work is mainly involved in dealing with those issues.

Please excuse the brevity of my posts. That’s mainly a function of just trying to make interaction on a forum more digestible. No need to write a dissertation here :slight_smile:

Peace,

Philip

#43

Raga and dvesha, both obstacles.

We’re good Philip. Thank you for sounding it out with me in such a compassionate way. Brevity is sweet. One day I’ll try it:-)

#44

Aaron – I think you’ve hit on the area where yoga (the whole thing) can help you the most. You said:
it’s usually my own blind enthusiasm that causes me these injuries. That can be tempered.

I highly suggest you start a practice with an instructor (your best alignment might be different from the pictures in a book, especially with joint concerns) who knows about alignment and who can introduce you to the broader work of yoga. Examining your habits (like following blind enthusiasm) might be just the thing.

#45

I strength train and practise Asthanga Vinyasa Yoga.

I am currently in India and away from my gym, so I have been doing some 45 minute short versions of the primary series, several times a day, since I have nothing else to do and am on a health resort. This seems to be working.

For the OP:

I found that doing the full primary series was enough for me, Mon, Wed, Fri.

Like you, I have found that weight-training tires me. So, I make sure that I have a rest day the next day.

According to ayurveda the best, times of the day to take heavy exercise is in the morning, during the kapha period (from sunrise until about 10am).

So I suppose that means, for me, going early to yoga, having breakfast, and then going to the gym before lunch.

So far, I have not managed that, and it sucks… but like yourself, I like to do both. This is because I live and isolated and sedentary life.

Complicated, but just make sure that you give yourself 48 hours after training before yoguing.

Perhaps split routines are not appropriate for you. You will spend too much time resting.

The vedas say that we should not exceed 50% of our maximum capacity, and exercise daily. That would make sense as 50% seven days a week is like exercising to 117% three times a week.

Nevertheless, I am also stuck on exhaust and rest… except that as I am away from home, I have been doing three-four short asana practises daily before each meal and this has been brilliant…

Nothing else to do here… :lol:

#46

i personllay found the effects of the weigh/machine-training or gym tended to cancel out or even undermine the effects of the asana. And i concluded there was plenty in ashtanga to seriously develop the body, muscle-wise ,circulatory-wise, gain strength and leaness especiallyw with all the arm-balancing poses and yang active lifting of one’s body during the various series which are peformed fairly quuickly and repetitively.

The gym just mademuscles feel weird and contracted, and so to speak undid or undermined,canceeled out the mental and physical effects of asana.

also ashtanga is more balnced and allround, in excercising muscles that weigth-training machine s could barely touch on.

Watch swenson’s video- do exactly what he does, providing ( here is the proviso)**** you are perfectly healthy and without any therapeutic issues,have good alignment - then see what i mean.

That is just my experience

#48

Oh no, these are not the answers I wanted at all!

I recently took up yoga in the hopes that it would compliment my weight training schedule. For me, yoga is more about recovery and mental flow - I love it first thing in the morning before work as it seems to give my day a level of calmness that otherwise can be lacking.

It would also allow me to maintain a bit of flexibility as weight training can make you a little ‘muscle bound’ and tight, and I weight train for muscle gain so the tightness is real!

I don’t mind a bit of muscle pain when stretching, to me it is active recovery and actually helps you get past it quicker.

I will just have to wait and see how it goes, but I will be disappointed if I can’t make it work.

#49

This post was flagged by the community and is temporarily hidden.

#50

Recently I've been weight lifting 4 days a week and Yoga 1 day, in the past I've done 2 months Yoga only the 2 months weights only.

I've also combine Charles Atlas Dynamic Tension with Yoga and there's also Maxalding Muscle Control...

https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20110421114608/http://www.maxalding.co.uk/exercises/exercises.htm