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Frustrated! :(
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Empress Echo
Posted 2005-03-28 1:56 PM (#20305)
Subject: Frustrated! :(


Today I tried a new workout from my dvd ("Power Yoga for Every Body" with Barbara Benaugh & Jason Gordon) called "Strength & Balance". I feel I failed to a large extent - I fell out of almost every pose, though I kept trying (in between having to collapse into child pose over and over again to regain my composure...)  This workout culminated in crane pose, which nearly killed me! LOL (Not really, but my wrists and thighs hurt like hell, I must admit...and I was unable to get my feet entirely off the ground...) So I'm a bit disapointed in this.  Granted, I am no lightweight - perhaps I just don't have enough upper body strength for this?

My dvd has beginner, intermediate & challenging workouts, and I've been able to do all of the other beginner workouts (there are 8 of each) except for Strength & Balance. Frustrating! I don't know if I should keep trying this or just go on with my other workouts & come back to Strength & Balance at a later date? Any ideas?

Also, some of these poses really hurt my wrists... am I doing something wrong or do I need wrist braces or somthing?

Gosh, I wish I could afford classes! UGH!  Advice much appreciated!

Hugs, Namaste!
Echo

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Bay Guy
Posted 2005-03-28 2:03 PM (#20307 - in reply to #20305)
Subject: RE: Frustrated! :(



Expert Yogi

Posts: 2479
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Location: A Blue State

Hi Echo,

I'm not familiar with the dvd you mentioned, but it sounds as if there
were several arm balances in it. Many of those do require strength in the
forearm flexors, and if you haven't go it yet, then they will be hard to
get in or stay in and your wrists can definitely get sore. I'd suggest taking
it easy on that aspect of the dvd..maybe pick one easy arm balance and
work on it for 5 minutes several times a week until you build up enough
strength to feel comfortable. After a month or so, the poses will probably
be less frustrating.

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YogaGuy
Posted 2005-03-28 2:10 PM (#20309 - in reply to #20305)
Subject: RE: Frustrated! :(


I'm back, everybody!

Echo

I don't want to be rude, but you're post brings up a great point about yoga and many people that try yoga.

Here is the key to yoga: YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE!!!!

There is some misconception, that you can buy a dvd and all of sudden master yoga in 6 weeks or less and then be done with it and move on. Well that's not how it works and, frankly, the fact that you try your dvd once and feel frustrated by it and think that you should be able to do it in one sitting is insulting to those of us who have practiced for years and continue to learn every day.

Yoga is not much different than learning a language or learning to play an instrument. You have to practice it a lot to get proficient at it. You have to do the boring stuff like playing scales and conjugating verbs. The fact that you are so easily frustrated speaks volumes about your state of mind and your need for a humbling practice. Many people come to yoga and are easily frustrated and give up because they lack the sticktoitiveness to keep at it and gain the rewards that only come from continued effort.

Always remember:

There is no success where there is no chance of failure and there is no art without the resistance of the medium.

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tourist
Posted 2005-03-28 3:06 PM (#20321 - in reply to #20305)
Subject: RE: Frustrated! :(



Expert Yogi

Posts: 8442
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Echo - It is true - yoga takes a LOT of practice and many of the "easy" poses are major preparations for the more advanced poses. And you may need to work on them for a long time to get there. It isn't so much about "doing" the pose as getting there, being there and being finished. If a gymnast took your dvd and easily performed every pose with grace and agility, it would not make her a yogi.

It is also not about upper body strength. Most of the balancings are much more about physics and enganging the correct muscles in the correct sequence at the correct time. In fact, many people who "muscle" their way into poses sooner or later find out that they have either been injuring themselves or holding themselves back from progress by doing it that way.

So yes - take a break and work on this another time - maybe 2 or 3 months time. But, as usual, we (ok, I) have to lecture about finding a teacher! Maybe what we need is a virtual studio (I think this has been discussed before) where we are all on webcam and have a class that way!
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Empress Echo
Posted 2005-03-28 3:14 PM (#20323 - in reply to #20309)
Subject: RE: Frustrated! :(


Bay Guy - thank you very much - I appreciate your advice and will indeed try that.  The workout did include many arm balances.  I watched it several times before trying it and worried that I might have problems with the crane pose - actually, I'm a little impressed that I did as much as I did - however I worried that I just had weak wrists or was doing these poses incorrectly.  Your words reassure me.

Yoga Guy - well frankly, I think that IS rude, and that you have made some assumptions about me and my practice that are completely incorrect.  While I do appreciate some of the things you said, I have not suddenly picked up this dvd and tried it once before starting this thread - I have been practising yoga for a couple of years now, every day at least.  Only this particular dvd is new to me, and these poses that I mentioned.  If I gave the impression of whining and giving up, then my words were either mispoken or misinterpreted. 

I take my yoga practise very seriously.  I do not have your experience, and I apologise for "insulting" you and your peers.  However, your assumptions insult me as well.  I posted this seeking help from people exactly like you - more experienced and perhaps more insightful.  Instead I am spoken to as if I were an ignorant and shallow person flitting from one thing to the next with nary a thought for what I'm doing.  I don't believe that was called for.

Might I suggest that you take the advice you advertise in your signature?

Namaste,

Echo

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Empress Echo
Posted 2005-03-28 3:23 PM (#20325 - in reply to #20321)
Subject: RE: Frustrated! :(


Thank you tourist, I do appreciate your advice as well.  I realise that it's more about the journey than the destination, and have been diligently practising.  I thought I was ready for this particular workout, but obviously wasn't.  I'll come back to it at a later date.

I would LOVE a teacher, a class, a guide, but I cannot afford one.  I feel that at least I'm doing what I can to improve myself.  I'm sure I'm not the only one here without a teacher - in fact, it's the main reason I joined this forum - to learn from others more experienced because otherwise I'm on my own - which, as this thread demonstrates, definitely has its drawbacks!

Thanks again, Namaste,

Echo

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tourist
Posted 2005-03-28 8:18 PM (#20348 - in reply to #20325)
Subject: RE: Frustrated! :(



Expert Yogi

Posts: 8442
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OK Echo - do you have or can you borrow a digital camera? If you can, get some photos ofyour poses and email them to me and I'll see what I can do with giving you some advice
One of my personal mottos is "there's ALWAYS a way..."
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Bay Guy
Posted 2005-03-28 10:01 PM (#20366 - in reply to #20323)
Subject: RE: Frustrated! :(



Expert Yogi

Posts: 2479
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Location: A Blue State

Thanks, Echo. Hope this helps.

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