Questions about Floor Burn

[kristinamy]

Okay - now that i have done this one a couple of times, i have some questions. First - in general - how do you know which side is your dominant. Is it always that if you are right handed that it is dominant? I know that is not true of eyes ( you can be right handed but left eye dominant ) so i was wondering the same of legs. I really can't tell which leg is stronger, except to say that my right thigh is 1/2 inch larger. Don't know what that means.

Next, I am really having trouble with the yoga. I have never done yoga before and maybe that is it. First when she lowers herself down to the floor (face first) i feel like i am going to crash and burn (hence - floor burn?:D ) , then she goes up into cobra, which i can do, then she lifts her thighs off the floor, which i can't. my arms are already stretched all the way out. How is it possible to do this. Then when she is all the way face down on thefloor and goes into downward dog, i cannot peel myself off the floor. this seems impossible. Another thing is she seems to leave her hands in one place and they never move. I keep having to adjust my hands and knees and feet for placement. is this okay?

Next ( and last:o ) i cant seem to do the second set of pushups where she says to line the hand up under the "nipple line"? is that what she says? It looks like her hand are close together. If i put my hands where i think they are supposed to go, i cant really do a push up with any kind of good form at all. it kind of collapses my back into itself. I can feel my shoulder blades moving toward each other. I didn't know if i am just a weakling (which is possible ) or just doing it wrong.

Sorry for the long post - but thanks for reading -

Kristin amy

[Redeye]

Dominant side: your strong side.

If you are right handed, it's probably your right side. How about curls or shoulder presses? Is your right side or left side stronger? It's possible you don't have an obvious dominant side. My DH doesn't. I suggest you alternate sides if you can't decide which is dominant.

Yoga: Yoga is hard. It looks easy, but it's not. I have to adjust my hands and feet where Tamela does not. She's an expert! I suggest you do your best and try to do as much as possible. If you have to make corrections or you can't do the pose like Tamela does, just do what you can.

I can not do Up Dog either. It hurts my arthritic wrists too much. I just do Cobra in that part.

HTH

[Rhonda]

For Floor Burn I mirrored Tamela and then figured I was using the wrong side because I didn't start off with the ND side. Oh well, I figured it was floor work and I don't know if I have a more dominant inner or outer thigh.

I don't recall those push-ups your talking about - guess I just did them the way I could. I have wrist issues (tendonitis) and some days it acts up more than others so I have to do what I can.

Yoga is tough. I have to adjust myself when going to downward dog, moving the hands and feet so I am comfortable. Upward Dog (where you lift your thighs off the floor) is a very tough one, I can barely do it, but I cannot hold myself as long as they do so mainly I am doing the cobra pose.

Hope this helps -

Rhonda

[snora]

HI!
I take a live yoga class at least once a week. I strongly recommend taking a couple of classes. Correct form is difficult to discern from a tape.
As for lowering to the floor, that takes upper body strength. Make sure you hold your core tight so that you aren't leading with your stomach.
Cobra is not just about your arms. You are also doing a modified backbend. That is what allows you to peel your thighs from the floor. Don't worry if you can't lift your thighs. Yoga is about doing what you can do. What you can do with good form is "right".
Hand adjustment - at a live the class, the yogi always tells you to adjust your hands as necessary. So if you need to move your hands to obtain good form, then do it.
HOpe this helps.

[THastie]

Hello

remember to do what you body can - you do not have to look just like the instructor. Whhoo what a relief!
As to dominant and non-dominant - dominant will be the side that seems stronger and in yoga it will be the tighter side, or the side that helps you balance the most.

You just have to get into your body and this can be a journey for you - making your workouts more enjoyable and catered each day to how you are feeling

Tamela Hastie

[kristinamy]

Thank you, everyone, for your replies.

I have thought about ( as someone mentioned ) taking an actual class. This would really be something for me, because i have really gotten used to working out in the comfortable privacy of my own bedroom. I am not sure how comfortable i will be taking a class with actual PEOPLE in there with me! But like i said... i am thinking about it!

It seems like there are several different kinds of yoga - is this right? if so what are the different kinds and what should i look for? if this is a "whatever is right for you" answer, just wondering what that is, and how i know, never having done yoga before?:confused:

kristin amy

[THastie]

The questions to ask yourself are: what feels good to your body and what intensity do you want? Are you prone to health issues? What do you want to do yoga for?
You will find that there are many forms and all can find the right one - it may even be that you stick with one for a year and then move to another or practice one style one day and another the next.

All forms of Yoga stem from Hatha yoga

I have listed a few:

*Kundalini(awakens the spine) and there are many breathing techniques and meditations invoved.
*Restorative type yoga - geared twords issues medically or during certain time in life that require a slow down,
*Anusara( heart opening yoga and "said to be cookie cutter style" -
*Iyengar- B.K.S. Iyengars yoga based on alignment( beginner type yogas) *Ashtanga( pure from Mysore India) some would also call this "cookie cutter style as well" - the key with Ashtanga is to build up the heat in the body and to work into cellular memory - this is vigorous and good for balancing your weight and using your body to strenghthen inside and out. Vinyasa flow ( derived form Ashtanga Yoga)
*Desikars Viniyoga ( more philosophy and restorative )
*Kriya yoga ( more meditative)
*Power Yoga - a derivitive from Ashtanga -
*YogaFit - (form for gyms)
*Bikram Yoga - 26 set postures -wonderful -"cookie cutter style" -Done in 105 degrees for 90 min. ( I really like this style however sometimes can be draining)
* Hot Yoga - Bikram was suing people who did his bikram and also taught any other style of yoga - so hot yoga was born- 90 min.

Most yoga ends in savasana (corpse pose - the "death of the practice and much needed r&r.)

Hope that this helps it will atleast open you up to what is out there for you.
Tamela Hastie

[kristinamy]

Wow Tamela !!! Thank you! Who knew there was so much? Well, you of course - I had no idea!

Thanks for the great info - i will take it and use it wisely. I am probably going to start looking for a class to take after school starts here again.

Great to have you posting - thanks again

kristin amy

[THastie]

Thank you and you are very welcome

Tamela