Question:

Right on, betty. It cracks me up the way that leftists can get to be as dogmatic and narrow-minded as far-right bible thumpers. I don’t give a damn about enlightenment, stu.  I want a yoga butt.

Mr. Beans: I was under the impression that this was a usenet discussion group with *discussion* being the keyword here. Flaming is undignified. ____ ~Stu

Response:

That’s what happened to me.I’ve been involved in Boxing ,Running Cycling,Powerlifting etc …..yadda yadda.So I thought I’d give Yoga a whirl.And after my first time it felt like the closest thing to dropping acid or a religious experience I’ve ever had.I thought I was in great condition till I started Yoga.I think anyone who wants to try it for whatever reason be it TONED BUNS or the like will be pleasantly surprised of the spiritual benefits and I think anyone who tries it to reach NIRVANA will realize that to reach NIRVANA you will become strong,toned and acquire great endurance as a by product.

Response:

Could anybody tell me which type of yoga would be better and would make you physically more stronger with a toned look, Astanga or Ivengar?

I wouldn’t say that one style is better than another (both are different interpretations of Hatha yoga), but if you want a real physical workout, Ashtanga may be what you’re looking for. Iyengar is slower paced and starts from the bottom to make sure you approach all the postures correctly, whereas with Ashtanga, the philosophy is that you learn by doing. If you have the chance, you might want to do both. They seem opposite each other, but Iyengar will give you a good foundation that will help you with the Ashtanga. Make sure you join a beginners Ashtanga class–you don’t want to jump into the middle of that. You have to build up to it strengthwise. There are also a lot of other forms of Hatha yoga that you might want to look into. Best wishes. . .

Response:

Thank you Betty.  I only object to the reduction of Yoga to that of exercise.

I know you’re a good guy, Stu! My personal view is to get them on the mat, and then they’ll figure it out later. I think a lot of people who go into it for sheer physical benefits are surprised by the way the spiritual benefits start seeping in. Not in all cases, but hopefully in many. Namaste!

Response:

I have not heard any people from this tradition suggest  hatha yoga for a stronger toned look. I guess Stu does not like yoga to be linked with the word "exercise" at all. That’s ok, but I can assure you that in addition to the mind and spirit, yoga asanas will exercise your body and you will get toned all over. You might even sweat and get your heart rate up!

Thank you Betty.  I only object to the reduction of Yoga to that of exercise.  I would like the newbies here to understand that it is much more than "bun of steel.  I feel I have an obligation to say something when a poster refers to yoga a path for a toned look or that meditation is not yoga at all (refried beans yesterday).  I am sorry if in my few corrections ppl took me to be another inlight.  That was not my intention. ____ ~Stu

Response:

Erica, Sorry I forgot to answer your question in my post above.  If you want yoga but, Astanga is definitely the way to go.  It is rought starting out in Astanga if you don’t know the asanas and have at least a moderate level of fitness. But it all depends.  If you’re young, healthy, and reasonably fit, I’d say go ahead and do Astanga right off the bat.  You’ll have trouble keeping up at first, but it’s the same way if you try to do step aerobics. If you’re older or in poor shape, I’d start off with a softer, less vigorous form of yoga. If you’re somewhere in the middle (like me), then you’ll probably be OK in Astanga, esp. if you work at home with a book like Beryl Birch’s _Power Yoga_ or some of the Gaiam / Living Arts DVDs like "Yoga for Weight Loss" or the Stamina Rodney Yee one.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, Could anybody tell me which type of yoga would be better and would make you physically more stronger with a toned look, Astanga or Ivengar? Best regards Erica

Response:

Right on, betty. It cracks me up the way that leftists can get to be as dogmatic and narrow-minded as far-right bible thumpers. I don’t give a damn about enlightenment, stu.  I want a yoga butt. Yes, I’m joking.  But what if I wasn’t?  Who is stu to tell everybody what yoga should be for them?  Who the hell does he think he is?  President of Yoga Fascists of America?  I’m sure some neo-nazis or racist groups would be happy to have him join. Damn, yes, I’m still joking.  But I think if you remove the pine cone from your ass you’ll find Warrior II more fulfilling.  No pun intended.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i know   i know — but i wish people would go a little easier on the "newbie" questions.  some of these folks are just kids.  and who cares why we started.  we all end up someplace. I agree. If someone expresses an interest in yoga for whatever reason, we should encourage them. Why turn them off with a bunch of holier than thou stuff?  I started because I was looking for some kind of "exercise" to do while I was waiting for a torn hamstring to heal. I had no idea how it was going to change my life!

Response:

 They seem opposite each other, but Iyengar will give you a good foundation that will help you with the Ashtanga. Make sure you join a beginners Ashtanga class–

I agree entirely w/ bettyrubble2001.  My advice, given my experience, would be to start w/ Iyengar to learn to do each pose correctly, then   move to Ashtanga.  I find Ashtanga classes more satisfying b/c they work out every part of the body, & I love the flow of movement w/ breath.  Too often in Iyengar classes there’s a lot of time standing around watching the instructor demo the asana.  But I’m glad I took a year of Iyengar yoga classes first.

Response:

Could anybody tell me which type of yoga would be better and would make you physically more stronger with a toned look, Astanga or Ivengar?

I regard myself as a proponent of yoga practice and of course believe everyone should at least experience yoga (any style).  But if your real goal is to "gain physical strength and a toned look," I would suggest doing something else like Pilates or weight training.  Either will accomplish that goal faster and more efficiently. Personally, I believe that if you are looking to yoga for just physical benefits, you will be disappointed and quit.  To me, the benefits of yoga practice come to the brain.  I know that is what keeps me going. But, by all means, try yoga.  Be open to what you learn and don’t think of the physicality.  Style, I believe is unimportant.  It is a personal preference. My advice is to find a good teacher no matter his or her style. Gary Echternacht

Response:

i know   i know — but i wish people would go a little easier on the "newbie" questions.  some of these folks are just kids.  and who cares why we started.  we all end up someplace.

I agree. If someone expresses an interest in yoga for whatever reason, we should encourage them. Why turn them off with a bunch of holier than thou stuff?  I started because I was looking for some kind of "exercise" to do while I was waiting for a torn hamstring to heal. I had no idea how it was going to change my life!

Response:

I have not heard any people from this tradition suggest  hatha yoga for a stronger toned look.

I guess Stu does not like yoga to be linked with the word "exercise" at all. That’s ok, but I can assure you that in addition to the mind and spirit, yoga asanas will exercise your body and you will get toned all over. You might even sweat and get your heart rate up!

Response:

Hi, Could anybody tell me which type of yoga would be better and would make you physically more stronger with a toned look, Astanga or Ivengar? Best regards Erica

I would suggest about 20-40 minutes of cardio and 20-40 minutes of free wieght repetitions 3 or 4 times a week.  Also it would be desirable to have a high protien low fat diet. This willl get you a strong and toned look.  An hour with a good personal trainer once a month to guide your progress will insure you use the wieghts correctly. Both Ashtanga and Iyengar methods of Hatha yoga come from the same root teacher, a man named Krishnamacharya.  I have not heard any people from this tradition suggest  hatha yoga for a stronger toned look. ___ Stu

Response:

 Hi, Could anybody tell me which type of yoga would be better and would make you physically more stronger with a toned look, Astanga or Ivengar? Best regards Erica

Response:

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