For those of you who do Yoga, do you find it to be a good stress reliever?

No, I really don’t. Everyone else seems to, so maybe I’m doing something wrong?

I find it really soothing. Every muscle of my body thanks me for it. When I’m in class, I really find that “inner peace”. Its an amazing feeling. The moment I get into bed I fall asleep. I’ve been doing it for years and I love it. It keeps me sane.

Masterbating is a good stress reliever. You should try that. And its perfectly natural. :)

(Ahem. It’s “Masturbating.”)

I do floor and standing yoga and start by lying on a heating pad for 10 minutes. It saves me from chronic lower back pain and also gives Milo a chance to lie on top of me for a while. I get to lift an extra 11 lbs. during that interval.

If you’re stressed while doing yoga it means you’re not concentrating on your breathing. That’s probably the most important part of yoga. When you’re not thinking of everyday life stressors you’re focussing more on your poses and getting more out of your yoga session as a result.

I find it calming. It makes my body feel better, and I feel like I’m doing something good for myself, especially since I don’t get to do stretching very much. I can see how it could become a meditation fairly easily, but I’m not much into the religious aspects of it.

I work in a yoga studio, and have only done one yoga class. It is very difficult, and not calming to me. But, I had just done 30 minutes of spin sooo, that might be why I wasn’t soothed by it.

Our yoga classes are done in rooms up to 95 degrees, so you sweat a lot, but get a great workout. There’s always a message of the day, which can be very calming and inspirational.

I do find it calming, but not always. Sometimes, I feel like I have been turned into a pretzel.

I find that by focusing on the breathing and on the proper form for each pose, I can’t think of anything else… so it teaches me to alleviate my stress by being in the moment.

Depending on the style of yoga you take, it can be very athletically challenging or it can be more relaxation-oriented. The final corpse pose at the end of each session is where I actually feel the releif… my body feels longer and looser; and when I am done I feel better prepared to face the trials and tribulations of my lie.

@cak That pretzel feeling is the best. :-)

Walking into a humid room with temps in the upper 90’s starts me relaxing right away, probably because I know what’s coming next. 45 minutes of vinyasa (athletic part), zoning in on the long slow breaths, lets the day disappear from your mind. Another 45 minutes of yin poses (pretzel part) allow total relaxation and a chance to meditate with a touch of discomfort to keep you in the moment. Last night, I felt so good after the first session, I stayed for a second. This morning, I feel like butter. Yeah, I find it relaxing.

@ru2bz46 I wouldn’t mind the pretzel feeling, but it seems to only be one the days after I have done some serious physical labor in the backyard. I’ve already suffered through the pain (usually induced by one of my bright ideas!) from the work, then I go and pay to contort myself!

I was just thinking of this thread a few minutes ago while driving home from my daily yoga class(es). I had my head propped against the head restraint with the heater and heated seat keeping me nice and warm. There was no traffic, and I was happy each time I hit a red light so I could relax and watch the world around me. I still have that peaceful feeling from class. Life is good. :-)

@cak Try going to yoga before the hardcore labor. It can loosen you up and help you avoid injuries. This Saturday, I’m going to a 2-hour “yin” workshop that ends just before my regular “yang” vinyasa class. It should be a fun 4 hours!

@ru2bz46 I do need to get better at scheduling! I’m out of it, for now, anyway. Right ankle in a cast is slowing me down. I’m sticking to basic moves, that I can do at home. The klutz strikes, again! :)

@cak I’m sorry to hear that. Get better, soon! I hope you didn’t roll onto your ankle in a botched Warrior II…