|
|
| ... calanetics???
Yesterday no teacher was available for yoga class, so in the beginning, while everybody was standing around and wondering where the teacher might be, the headinstructor entered the stage and announced that the class will be done by a calanetics and stretching instructor. "It will be like yoga!", he proudly declared while some of us were busy trying to kill him with the evil look or wishing bad kharma on him. 'What a stoopid *****', I thought. But like everybody else I decided to stay and give it a try.
What followed in the next 60 minutes was not exactly like yoga but very instructive nonetheless. I never spent such long time balancing on one foot as during that class. Imagine the tree, but moving the up leg back and forth, lifting it up and down and kicking it around. All the time without touching the ground! It took at least 3-4 minutes. And then we repeated it with the other leg, while the instructor kept on telling us how good the balance of the people in this class was.  She probably thought it to be a funny remark about yoga, while I was in killer mode again. Then we did some more of heavy things, repeated over and over ... and slowly with every drop of sweat my arrogant yoga attitude dilluted away. I never felt so sore after a yoga class and realize now that yoga alone is maybe not the best way to get in shape.
Q: Has somebody of you honorable members of the board ever tried calanetics before? What do you think about it? Is it a good additive to yoga or is it counterproductive?
Thx
|
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
 
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Don't you remember the 80's trend of Callanetics?? Is was developed by a woman named Callan Pinckney who had severe problems with her back...doctors told her she was basically doomed. She wrote a book, had videos and then I think studios popped up in some places. It was a very big thing for the 80's. I remember trying it from her book and video tape after my pregnancy...it wasn't too bad, but it didn't hold my attention and I got bored with it and quit..it was out at about the same time Jane Fonda was doing her workout series. But I do remember it was very similar to Yoga - not quite but faguely familiar... perhaps you could call it "YogaAerobics". |
|
| |
|
| I had heard of it before, yes, but never tried it out though. Indeed I never did any workout prior I found yoga, or let's say before yoga found me.The 80s I spent underachieving in lots of jobs, quitting university and primarily spent my life at the beach, surfing, sailing, boozing, crashing cars and bikes and headbanging. Generally I remember them only very blurred as a continuing big party. For me the 80s are a bit like what my older sister says about the 60s: If you can remember what you did then, you weren't there!
Edited by afroyogi 2005-02-22 4:22 PM
|
|
| |
|
| Well, two days later and finally I developed very strong mucle ache. Wasn't even able to do the downdog with stretched legs. The boat almost killed me. Everything hurts and I'm walking hunched like a cave man, to avoid more serious pain.
And I thought my yoga practice made me strong ... wrong!
|
|
| |
|
| Afroyogi,
Yoga practice probably HAS made you strong. Any time you switch activities and use muscles in new ways, you challenge them and can have soreness. That is why 'cross training' is so important for athletes.
I think it is great that you had the sense of adventure to stay and try the class. A beginner's mind is a BEAUTIFUL thing! If one practices enough yoga, one can find something positive in almost anything (perhaps anything...but I personally haven't practiced that much inner yoga).
Amy |
|
| |
|
| Sure there are some benefits in callanetics but my experience was not good for yoga. Today I still have sore muscles and sucked completely in class. Downdog was a torture and I feel generally stiff. My wife thinks it's great though. She always knows were I am coz she can hear me walking: "Ouch ... ouch ... ouch ...". 
Anyway, I talked to another teacher today and she suggested, although callanetics is good, I should rather do pilates in addition to yoga. One year ago I tried one pilates class and it certainly was more fun than callanetics. I shall do that.
|
|
| |
Has anybody ever tried ...
