|
|
| Hey,
I want to know how the other Iyengars in this forum are feeling during their pracitse heartrate-wise? I'm sweating and panting, but always just as long as I am in the pose. My heartrate does never exceed a moderate pace. Is this ok?
Take care Babsi |
|
| |
|
| Hi Babsi,
>> My heartrate does never exceed a moderate pace. Is this ok? <<
I'm far away from being an expert but after all what I heart about Iyengar it's more than okay, it's the goal of iyengar to keep calm and cool, keep on with breathing through the nostrils only and have everything under control. Iyengar is certainly no cardiac workout, that's maybe one of the reasons why so many people nowadays prefer the more sporty forms of yoga. To be perfectly honest, I'm also very seriously thinking about joining a bikram class again  |
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Sweating, oh my yes. Panting - breathe in and out through the nose smoothly and evenly. BKS is known to have said you are welcome to breathe through the mouth as long as you are ok with being fed through your nose! (eeesh! I can only get the emoticons to go to the end of my message - insert LOL here...) But seriously, the smooth breath is the goal and just not always doable when you are working hard.
To me one of the beauties of the Iyengar method is that you can work to suit your own current needs. If you want to work aerobically - go for it! Just do more poses in less time with shorter holdings. Do sun salutes to work up a sweat and then do lots of standing poses. Personally I'm not into the sweat and grunt thing and I have a spouse who does triathlons and adventure races so I figure he sweats enough for the both of us! I also have a tendency to migraines when I get my heartrate up and get hot so it is just not my cuppa tea. So I like to work my practice at a slow, steady pace. But the improvement in aerobic capacity has come through freedom in my diaphragm and strength in my muscles which makes them operate more efficiently plus losing some weight and pranayama practice to improve the breath in general.
So my question is: what are you going for in your practice? Do you want to be more aerobic or are you happy working the way ou are currently? |
|
| |
|
| Hey guys,
I'm in so many sweating and heartrate pushing sports as running, cycling, rowing and Aerobics, that I do not need this in my Yoga. This is what attracted me to Iyengar . What I also like it to get it "right". So concentrating on the alignment is wonderful for me, because I have to work my weaknesses but on the other hand accept them to a certain point. The little I know from other yoga styles the go throught the asanas in a flow, and for me that makes it less accurate (probably I'm wrong, correct me on that). Also the resting and finding ease in a strenous pose is bringing some mental work in, that I really enjoy (that is weird, isn't it). May be I'm all wrong as to how it is supposed to be, I just describe my feelings and perceptions.
My moodswings (with the kids) are a lot less, I'm staying a lot calmer in every day life, and I've really come to appreciate the moment. Hugging my kids, without running mentally the next errand. "Enjoying" the consolidation in my special pose of the week (this week Uttanasana and Headstand). Hard to speak about it, with not being English my native tongue.
Have a wonderful weekend
Yours Babsi |
|
| |
|
| If your heart rate does not change, that is the BEST. It should not change in the Static Poses. In fact, when it changes, due to an effort in a pose, for example first time head stand, you should attempt to bring the heart rate to normal.
As for sweating and panting, Sweating is due to Impurities in the Body, and also due to effort required to get the pose. Same with panting. You should do the pose within your limits, slowly increasing to your desired perfection.,
Neel Kulkarni
www.authenticyoga.org |
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Babsi - you are right about not needing more sweat in your life  It sounds like you have found the perfect yoga style for you to create balance and harmony in your life. I was also "lucky" to find Iyengar right away and didn't have to go searching for that "home" feeling.
May I ask what your first language is? I am always curious about things like that  |
|
| |
|
| Hi Tourist,
I'm not Babsi but I know for a fact that her mother's tongue, like mine, is german. Or let's better say kind of german, it's probly rather a yodeling coz she's originating from Bavaria |
|
| |
|
| >> Do sun salutes to work up a sweat and then do lots of standing poses. <<
Oh, sh*t I forgot about the freakin sun salutations. Yeah, that's one of the few ways to bring your heart rate up and wet your skin a little in Iyengar. And Babsi, I also forgot to tell you sumthin about the breathing: I expereienced it through a bikram session, when I felt like I had to pant all the time. The teacher told me to calm down and just go back to my normal nostril breathing and just stay coll and don't panic. She was right, after only a few deep breathes in and out the nostrils I had enough air supply again. I didn't had to stop but could do it right in the middle of an asana. Seems, when we feel the need to pant it's more like a psychological trick that our mind is playing on us. It's just stupid panic. If we just keep on with relaxed but deep breathing then we'll have enough air to fill our lungs.
The other day i tried it when I had to climb a steep stairway, that usually makes me huff and puff and it worked. When I reached the upper platform my breath wasn't any faster or flatter and I felt great. Another way how to make yoga work for you in everyday situations  |
|
| |
|
| Hey Stefan,
luckily I found out about the breathing right away, as I was wandering through "light on Yoga". And you are right again about the panic, sometimes it hits you, and you think you can go any further, but stepping back and taking an extra deep and calm inhalation does the trick!!
Yes my mother tongue is German, and Bavarian!!....and I'm proud to be a Bavarian!!!
Have a nice sunday,
Babsi |
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | In addition to the Sun Salutations, you can get the
heart rate up with arm balances, deep back bends,
or a sequence of standing poses. You can sustain
a high heart rate if you keep moving from pose to
pose.
But breathing should be nasal and steady, no matter
what you are doing...if you lose your breath, take
Savasana until you have control again. |
|
| |
Iyengar and heart rate
