Slow Mo' Yoga Really Is the Way to Go! IMHO....

 

 If you do the ankle to forehead stretch in SUPER slow motion, you will really feel the stretch!

During childhood, many of us became acquainted with the classic Aesop fable of the tortoise and the hare. A key interpretation of this tale is that often one can "win the race" (perhaps of life...) by moving forward slowly yet steadily.  The tortoise wins the race by plodding along wheras the hare who sprints ahead initially, falls behind, albeit by getting sidetracked.

This fable came to mind as I thought about the value of the gentle, slow motion yoga that I practice daily in the family room you see above.  You do not have to do the more rapid, flowing forms of yoga taught in many studios today to gain energy, flexibility, and serenity.  Sometimes yogis can get sidetracking by trying to perform beyond their abilities or going too fast too soon.

As I have explained ad nauseum in this blog, I was the consummate klutz growing up. I learned yoga as one way to stay in shape.  And WAY back in July 1970 when I began learning and practicing yoga, gentle s - l - o - w yoga was the type I encountered.  It appealed to me because even a klutz like me could do it!

I never heard of the much more intense forms of yoga such as "power yoga" or "ashtanga yoga" or Bikram yoga (practiced in a steamy room) that cause you to sweat profusely and your heart to palpitate. 

However, gentle slow yoga appealed to me as a teenager and I believe it is especially valuable for the yoga beginner because slow motion allows you to really F - E - E - L  your practice.  As Charity Ferreira, editor of the venerable Yoga Journal says in her June 2013 editor's letter, 

"One of the great things about the physical practice of yoga, of course is that its value lies not in what it looks like to the outside observer (even when that outside observer is you), but what it feels like-and how it makes you feel."

I could not agree more!  And you can really FEEL yoga when you practice it gently and slowly.  When you move slowly, the practice can become quite "sensual" as some women observed in an introductory class I gave (please note I am not a teacher - I just share information) at an Hispanic woman's conference a couple of years ago.

Here are some additional reasons that the yoga beginner should consider practicing yoga in "slo mo." Please note that I am not saying that you don't gain these benefits from other forms of yoga, it's just that they seem to happen more easily for people like me with slow, gentle yoga.

*  When you move slowly, you feel the physical movements of a pose converge and you notice the soothing impact the movements have on your mind and spirit.

*  Moving super slowly allows your body sufficient time to assimilate all the moves and stretches of a pose.  Your body can more easily "memorize" the movements of a pose when you move in slow motion.

*  Moving slowly allows you to "soak in" the sensations of your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints and increase your body awareness.

*  A slow yoga practice encourages introspection rather than athleticism (in my humble or not so humble opinion).

*  Finally, a slow practice allows you to more easily avoid injury!  

I have heard that with yoga's explosion in popularity have come more injuries.  However, when you move slowly, you minimize the chances of getting injured because you have a heightened awareness of your body and its vulnerable points.  For example, I have a small spot in my lower back that I am mindful of because I can feel an ever so slight sensation that if I am not careful, I could pull a muscle there.

In conclusion, in my view, especially for the yoga beginner, "slo mo" is the way to go!

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Yoga at Home Coach for Beginners

  ^TM

Also see:  http://www.DoYogaAtHomeNow.com

Comments

[Tina]

I have to tell you, the yoga style I practice is diametrically opposed to yours. I'm still advancing in it, too. But I've developed diabetes and have to low-carb to within an inch of my life. Understandably, the intensity of the practice has to now be kept mild. And I have to avoid all inversions or holding downdog too long. Luckily, I never took to inversions very much, AND finally found a class that I can take, budget permitting being the main constraint to taking it often. It took YEARS to get to the wannabe general area I live in ... before, it had all been boot camp yoga at studios before ... only the gym had the mild stuff!

[Laura Rodriguez]

Wow- thank you so much for sharing this video, Tina!

[Tina]

The commercialized vinyasa yoga world is catching on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RGOtGraNUg&feature=youtu.be

The vinegar those studios used to put out yesterday is certainly not catching today's flies ...