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Topic: yoga
| Author | Message |
| sue ellen mischke | Posted – 1/3/2008 11:00:16 PM | show profile So...the Donna Chang has a bit of an eating disorder for which she sought help. The helper told her to do yoga...that it would make her appreciate and become more in tune with her body. Well, Donna Chang bought a yoga DVD because she was too intimidated to go to a class. And, Donna Chang must say that yoga is stupid. I am sitting here watching the damn DVD and some guy in bike shorts is stretching and doing all kind of weird new-agey crap. Bleh... Is there something Donna Chang isn't getting? 'Cause ... this shit is lame. Donna Chang is third personing because it is difficult for her to say: "I have an eating disorder." Plus, she likes the name Donna Chang. And...is the name "Downward Dog" not a little sexual? Seriously... |
| HisGirlFriday | Posted – 1/4/2008 12:10:48 AM | show profile Yoga sucks *snort* His Girl Friday, who also had an eating disorder, also thinks yoga is seriously eff-ed up. Instead of making me calmer and more at peace with the Universe, I wound up wanting to bash those new-agey skinny bitches in the head with my yoga mat because they were so God-damned at peace with the Universe. F the yoga. Keep seeing the shrink, er helper. Try to eat some good food as often as you can. Realize it will take a while to slog through this but you will get better. But then again, in the interest of full disclsure, His Girl Friday is also fairly certain she has a drinking problem so perhaps she is not the best one to give advice. |
| Astera | Posted – 1/4/2008 12:29:44 AM | show profile Astera does not have an eating disorder, but she does suffer from anxiety and depression, as well as what her doctors have termed a "delicate constitution." Apparently, that's where you get sick all the time and have weird illnesses such as collapsed lungs, pleurisy, migraines and cancer, even though you are quite young and should be healthy and vibrant. Her doctors forced (okay, strongly encouraged) her to take a meditation class to enhance her mind-body connection. It did not really help, mainly because she kept falling asleep. However, she did really enjoy Pilates on the Reformer. Not the mat classes at the gym. Those aren't as good. The Donna Chang may enjoy Pilates more than yoga. It's less about om and namaste (although there is some of that), and more about how your muscles and posture function and support you. Plus, if you have the money, you can take individual sessions, so you can stretch and release with only your instructor watching. PS--Astera tried writing this in the first person, but it sounded better in the third person. So there you are. ------ www.adventuresofastera.blogspot.com |
| Nikongirl | Posted – 1/4/2008 12:42:42 AM | show profile Donna Chang should fageddabout yoga, meditating, or even pilates and take a great dance class instead. NOTHING is more fun, helps you to strengthen, tone and lose weight than a good hour and half dance class. I promise, you will NOT be bored. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 1/4/2008 3:25:53 AM | show profile Yoga helped cure some physical ailments I was having. I do it more for the physical aspects than the mental. There are many forms of yoga, and many that don't have much of a New Age aspect to them. If you are interested in exploring the benefits of yoga, I'd suggest you first find a style and instructor that you feel comfortable with. There have been a lot of medical studies of yoga, including for eating disorders, and it has been shown to be beneficial. At the same time, if you are completely closed off to the idea of yoga, you probably won't get much out of it. |
| Mag Girl | Posted – 1/4/2008 11:43:32 AM | show profile The Mag Girl likes pilates more than yoga as well. Yoga makes the Mag Girl feel inadequate. |
| Stanley_Milgram | Posted – 1/4/2008 12:54:31 PM | show profile is yoga the problem or is it donna chang's hang-up about going to a normal class and buying a random dvd (from the $0.99 bin?) instead? does donna chang even know that there are dozens of styles of yoga and countless teachers? could donna chang even compute how representative of the totality of yoga her one DVD is (even the brilliant stanley_milgram can't do this). the downward dig can be interpreted as sexual only if one operates in a system where the sexual exists in a hermetically separate realm than the rest of body's energies -- a system which most yogic worldviews reject. is donna chang even aware of this? perhaps donna chang is a bit lazy about her self-improvement and won't take the time to pursue anything beyond that which gratifies immediately. |
| Stanley_Milgram | Posted – 1/4/2008 12:57:08 PM | show profile downward dog, that is. downward dig would more characterize the tenor of stanley_milgram's post vis a vis donna chang. freudian slip, no doubt. stanley_milgram believes there is value in freud as well but is at loss to recommend a dvd which would adequately convey this. |
| sue ellen mischke | Posted – 1/4/2008 1:13:22 PM | show profile Donna Chang simply believes that yoga is a waste of her time, and that she would rather be doing cardio because it accomplishes results. I can breathe and stretch without having to think about it consciously for 45 minutes. It may not be a waste of your time, and perhaps you get something out of it; but for me, there is no point... |
| Stanley_Milgram | Posted – 1/4/2008 1:20:53 PM | show profile hmm, well donna chang has changed her tune. in her OP, donna chang said 'yoga is stupid,' not 'yoga is a waste of her time.' the difference being, that the former can be interpreted as insulting to those who do yoga and feel they get something valuable out of it. |
| beenthere | Posted – 1/4/2008 1:22:48 PM | show profile Do not judge yoga by a DVD. Go to a class before you slam the benefits of yoga. A few years ago I went to a continuing adult ed class held at a local high school. Ten 2-hr classes for $50. Unbelievable -- the instructor was a real person, slightly chubby, not a thin stick talking head and was so informative she made everyone from beginner (me) to experienced (never knew people could bend that way) feel welcomed. She had just opened her own studio but apparently had been teaching adult ed for years and didn't want to desert her following there. Seriously, everyone should try yoga just once, but not via a DVD. You NEED the class experience. Can I say this again? YOu NEED the class experience. Anyone who thinks yoga is "easy" either has never tried it or has no understanding of the practice. It is far from easy and you will break a sweat if you are doing it correctly. |
| sue ellen mischke | Posted – 1/4/2008 1:33:01 PM | show profile The Donna Chang is not saying yoga is easy. She is not saying that she is afraid of not feeling welcomed in a class. She is not saying she is intimidated by ultra-rail-thin instructors (and in fact, she would prefer such instructors). She is expressing the fact that she does not understand what yoga is supposed to accomplish. She is suggesting that until she understands the purpose, that it is a waste of time. That's all. And, as far as The Donna Chang saying yoga is stupid, she was simply upset with the DVD last night and how passive yoga appeared to be. |
| rhino writer | Posted – 1/4/2008 1:49:17 PM | show profile It sounds like Donna Chang may be looking for a cardio workout rather than a meditation-ommmm session. Check out hot yoga (Bikram), or ashtanga. They're vigorous and less ommm-y. Donna Chang would have to take a class in person, though. At practically all studios one can walk in and take one class without having to sign up for a bunch. On yogajournal.com there's a state-by-state listing of yoga teachers and studios and an overview of the different kinds of yoga. The DVDs are always crappy. Give a vigorous class a shot. |
| wineaux | Posted – 1/4/2008 2:03:55 PM | show profile Bikram yoga kicks ass. I think I might get back into it. It really improves your skin, your alertness, and your mental wll being. It's hard going to those classes for the first time. It can be so intimidating. |
| Village Gal | Posted – 1/4/2008 2:35:14 PM | show profile Village Gal has been doing yoga for many years. You can't learn it from a DVD. Yes, there are many styles- I prefer classic hatha- and people do it for different reasons. But for anyone to label yoga stupid based upon such limited experience is absurd. Donna Chang just sounds angry at herself. |
| Village Gal | Posted – 1/4/2008 2:39:23 PM | show profile FYI, yoga generally implies union of body, mind, spirit. |
| Janetblueyes | Posted – 1/4/2008 2:43:51 PM | show profile JBE enjoyed ashtanga for a period of time before her back went out. It was a very vigorous practice that had her sweating profusely. She also liked the use of the word Prana, which reminded her of Pirhannas. When the instructor would tell her to remember her Prana, the image of a toothy fish always popped in her head. Downward Dog is not as provocative as Skyward Pussy. |
| df | Posted – 1/4/2008 2:46:38 PM | show profile donna chang could go to shivanada yoga in NYC - if in the city - and get her ass kicked. though they don't call it 'ass kicking' but focus on a better health. But never mind what it is called, it kicks ass. When done properly, yoga tones absolutley every single part of your body and has absolute incredible results. Because: a healthy soul needs a healthy body. so if your body is sick, better fix that first. Though one could say that after working on ones yoga positions many people have actually all of the sudden 'understood' what yoga is about. So how does that sound for Donna Chang: Enlightened through a kick ass body? |
| Astera | Posted – 1/4/2008 3:23:27 PM | show profile Without knowing what sort of eating disorder Donna Chang has, is it possible that her preference for cardio over yoga is a manifestation of that disorder? Yoga is supposed to get you to tune into your body, whereas (and this is just me) when I do cardio, I tend to let my mind wander and not really think about how my body is working. Maybe Donna Chang's helper suggested yoga as a way of really getting her to focus on how her body works, not on how her body looks. Again, that's why I like Pilates. It feels less passive than yoga (to me, anyway), but you still need to be concentrating on your breath, and you really feel how all the little muscles in your body work to support you. Also, it's not as easy to tune out as it is while doing cardio. If Donna Chang has a disorder like anorexia, then cardio, or even "hot" yoga, is probably not what her doctors would be recommending, even it if is what she prefers. Just a thought. |
| sue ellen mischke | Posted – 1/4/2008 3:52:13 PM | show profile Donna Chang will not go to NYC for a yoga/pilates class. The Donna Chang lives in Chicago. But thank you for your help. |
| astrahook | Posted – 1/4/2008 3:58:18 PM | show profile is there anything that bring donna chang true joy? I don't have an eating disorder (unless overeating is a disorder now), and I don't particularly like or even get yoga for that matter. I do however have things I love to do that I make ritual that take me calm/relaxing/elated that make me appreciate life a bit more. Could be yoga, surfing, knitting, whatever..just tap into it |
| Nikongirl | Posted – 1/4/2008 4:02:58 PM | show profile Nikongirl still thinks The Donna Chang would love a good dance session, be it in a good dance class or even in a great dance club on a regular basis...either or it is a great workout. |
| Katie | Posted – 1/5/2008 1:29:01 PM | show profile | email poster Yoga helped me through the the stages of ALS that my husband died from. Check out the yoga video at kdonnell.com. There is one for kids as well. Nothing fancy, just real people at a real place doing Hatha yoga. It is the Whispering Springs link. |
| Rulebook2 | Posted – 1/6/2008 1:04:27 PM | show profile Studio Suggestion? Hi- Don't want to hijack the thread, but I'm looking for a good yoga studio, and since there is a congregation of yoga proponents here, thought this would be a good place to ask. I'm male and relatively in shape. I am a beginner. I believe in the mental benefit of yoga, but am more interested in the physical, which means I'm looking for something that will kick my ass. Any suggestions in NYC, ideally in either in the West 40's or the East Village? Thanks. |
| maggirl | Posted – 1/7/2008 1:22:02 PM | show profile midtown west yoga I've been looking for a studio near my office, and found Levitate Yoga (levitateyoga.com) and Sonic Yoga (sonicyoga.com) which are both in the Hell's Kitchen area. I'm planning to try Levitate this week. Anyone have experience with either of these studios? |
