Which Yoga?

[David]

After the huge response to my last thread I think I'll give up on Taoist Yoga simply because I can't find any.

So, I am now looking to decide on a more standard yoga style. I'd appreciate any pointers regarding strengths and focus of different types of yoga. My own desire in the first instance would be asanas for flexibility etc. Of course, the style I select mustn't hinder my kungfu progress - but I'm sure that's impossible and nothing to worry about.

In the meantime, I'm starting a Hatha Yoga "sun salutation" exercise just because I have a photocopy of the instructions.

Your views appreciated.

-David

[prana]

well I think Hatha Yoga is a very good start.

[guohuen]

I'll second that.

[David]

Would another yoga method/style have been a bad start in my case?

-David

[ZIM]

I'll third that.

Hatha is the 'plain vanilla' yoga. Yoga is a broad term and encompasses things that are not always bodily... so I'd say that if you got into, say, a mantra yoga, then that'd be a 'bad start'- considering your goals!

You're doing OK with Hatha.

[Cheese Dog]

I'll fourth that. Hatha is a great start.

[Serpent]

Fifth!

Find a good teacher if you can.

[David]

Yikes, I never been 'fifth'ed before. hehe nice to know I can make the occasional good decision!

A friend teaches. I shall go and get my sun salutation adjusted asap. Hope she doesn't laugh

rgds,
David

[Serpent]

Originally posted by David
Yikes, I never been 'fifth'ed before. hehe nice to know I can make the occasional good decision!

A friend teaches. I shall go and get my sun salutation adjusted asap. Hope she doesn't laugh

rgds,
David

Excellent. Best of luck!

[cmorey]

Hatha being 'vanilla' - hehe.. I like that.
There are many styles of Hatha Yoga. There are also people teaching Taoist yoga - ken cohen for one - B.K. Frantzis - lots.
Also some interesting results if you do a search on 'yin yoga'.

If alignment and meticulous attention to detail is your thing I'd find a good Iyengar teacher. I'm Guessing your interest is primarily in the asana work (postures) - specifically standing.

I've practice Asanas for about 28 years. For the last five or so I've dropped the asana practice and done Erle Montaigue's Old Yang Style taijiquan (Yang, Shou Hou). One interesting thing is I've lost almost no flexibility.

Some of the standing asanas are almost like stylized versions of the taijquan postures - single whip is kinda like side warrior, bow and arrow stance is kinda like front warrior - particularly if they are done very low and extended. But they do not contain the kind of potential for movement the taiji poses contain - not being designed to generate strikes.

I've allways thought of Hatha asana practice as being more like Shaolin - from the energy perspective - lately I've started to change my view on this however - I think it contains the potential for both ways of working.

[ZIM]

Hmm...you certainly have a lot more experience in this than I. I'd like to ask: I was under the impression that Hatha was a branch/section of Raja, thus the 'vanilla' comment. It seems that when I run across Hatha it is structured the same, though I'll agree that there are many differing interpretations [Iyengar, as you mentoned, being one].

What I'm getting at is, there are other branches, also called yogas... meditation, mantras, kundalini, Agni, etc.? They don't seem to have a lot in common.

[cmorey]

Hatha Yoga is kind of a discreet entity these days. Technically it is a yoga that relies on manipulation of body and breath - as well as visualization and various other practices - it's classical goal is actually physical immortality and awakening an intelligent energy called Kundalini (Daoist thrusting vessle maybe?).

Of course that's not what's being done in this country. Within what is now being called Hatha Yoga are many many approaches.
Some emphasize flow, some alignment, some are done in hot rooms etc. etc. They also differ in how they approach asanas, their general mood and feel and what they envision as the purpose. There is even a 'yin yoga' which is purpotedly based on a Daoist asana-like practice.

One drawback with yoga is that it is not a martial art. So there really is no sort of bottom line test of skill and knowlege - it has the drawback of being much more a theatre of passive-aggression - in my opinion.

As one of the 8 branches of classical ashtanga yoga (not to be confused with the popular form of hatha yoga that is called ashtanga) posture - asana - is employed as a preparatory practice for breathwork and seated meditation.

I could speculate on the origins - and how things tend to specialize over time - witness chinese martial arts for example - but you probably get the gist.

Hope that's somewhat de-ambiguitizing. I really did like the vanilla-yoga comment - nice perspective.

[yuanfen]

Best to geta decent teacher to get started. Iyengars basic Light on Yoga is nota bad refernce point. He does basic hatha.
There are many kinds of yoga- varieties of hatha, kundalini, astanga, various pranayama sytems, then functional karma yoga, raja yoga etc.....a big and deep subject.
Yoga asanas are not directly martial... but the breath, body, joint and posture control that is involved provides the foundations of many martial systems...

[TkdWarrior]

sixth that........
starts with Sun Salutations or Surya Namaskara
i like BKS iyengar but i'll prefer getting a teacher. me being practicing it from 8-9 yrs...
-TkdWarrior-

[yenhoi]

Ever heard of BodyFlow?

www.rma.tv I think.