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India's oldest yogini: V Nanammal, 98
- Mountain_Skies 7y agoI don't go to yoga for authenticity. I enjoy the stretches and flexibility that comes from it. The endorphins are a nice side effect too. I can understand if some in India or even those around the world who practice traditional yoga or see it as a spiritual practice dislike western variants using the name yoga. Changing the name however wouldn't push me into traditional yoga. I'd still go to "Hot Core Power" class and enjoy it.
- souterrain 7y agoI prefer the more “mental” aspects of yoga practice. (I acknowledge my complete naïveté.) Where I practice tends to be “American vinyasa”-centric however. I try to keep an open mind. There are a few classes from teachers who deviate from this, and I simply try to vote with my attendance at classes I prefer.
- achow 7y agoIn India, do yoga, workup great sweat. There are thousands of path reaching to the same goal - in some you workup sweat, in some not so. All good. Go to office, raise family, give 100% = Karma Yoga.
- tingletech 7y agoI was in India once and spent the night in an ashram. One of the monks told me that yoga literally just means "practice" and that there were many different types of yoga including spiritual yoga and yoga for clearing out your nose etc. etc.
- z3phyr 7y ago"Yog" is a concatenation of all the things you do, and "Bhog" is the concatenation of consequences you get depending on your yog.
- Ididntdothis 7y agoWhat we call “yoga” in the West is actually “asana” which is only a small part of the yoga path. It’s preparation for higher practices like pranayama, mediation and sense withdrawal. On the spiritual path asana is really not very important.
- rramadass 7y ago>actually “asana” which is only a small part of the yoga path "Small" only in the "Raja Yoga" path.
- nprateem 7y agoApparently "yoga" means "union" [1]. There are practices for clearing out the nose (neti) but they're not yoga in and of themselves. If you follow Patanjali [2] the ultimate aim of yoga is spiritual, and there are multiple paths to reach the same experience. [1] https://www.quora.com/What-does-the-word-yoga-mean-in-Sanskrit https://www.quora.com/What-does-the-word-yoga-mean-in-Sanskr... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_Sutras_of_Patanjali https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_Sutras_of_Patanjali
- openfuture 7y agoThis is correct but Patanjali explicitly defines the yogic path as synonymous with 'perfect discipline' so while he acknowledges other paths he says this one is the one of discipline (so saying yoga means practice gives the right intuition imo)
- 5partan 7y agoIt’s not only about spirituality but about health. Sure, a hot core power class gives you flexibility for that time because breathing more makes your body alkaline. But afterwards you crave acidic food to balance the body. The food you crave is high in protein, table salt, processed, leaches calcium from your bones and makes you stiff in the long run and for the rest of your day.
- superpermutat0r 7y agoFood does not leech calcium from the bones. High protein foods improve calcium absorption and increase calcium in your urine as a side-effect. No bone lost there. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/12936953/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/12936953/ Can't find the study, but they made people eat irradiated calcium, and those with higher protein just peed out the irradiated calcium. Bones stay intact.
- 5partan 7y agoLet me summarize what I took away from the study you posted: > One mechanism by which high dietary protein could induce bone loss may be related to the metabolic acid load engendered by such a diet. Meat and fish, which are high in sulfur-containing amino acids, generate appreciable fixed metabolic acid loads, whereas fruits and vegetables generate little acid and, in fact, may under certain circumstances generate more base than acid. > Paradoxically, when fracture is the principal outcome, low protein intakes are associated with lower rates of fracture in most epidemiologic studies My point about craving processed food high in table salt and sulfur-containing amino acids—which ought to be also high in protein—after an alkalizing high intensity training is still valid.
- superpermutat0r 7y agohttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15546911 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15546911 Here's the study I was looking for. It's all radioactive calcium. There might be an effect on muscle tissue but it's still quite unresearched as to how does the body counter the acidity.
- adamsea 7y agoI personally didn’t interpret the article as arguing for authenticity in and of itself, more that this lady beliefs her approach provides health benefits of a particular kind. Nothing spiritual is prominently mentioned. They do briefly mention her diet, which sounds Ayurvedic. I too like the endorphins from yoga and hot yoga.
- amriksohata 7y agoWhen I explain to my english friends there are 4 types of Yoga they give me blank faces. I try and explain that if you believe in the science of the physical yoga that you do, invented by Hindu sages, then they clearly knew something and were onto something, try the others. But unfortunately I find most people will only follow something if its commercialised and mainstream.
- haxterstockman 7y agoThis just in, person who is 100 years old thinks the old ways of doing things are better
- dang 7y agoPlease don't post unsubstantive comments here.
- PopeDotNinja 7y agoOr maybe you (and by you I mean me in 2015) are so out of shape that standing for a while is itself a workout.
- newnewpdro 7y agoI can't count the number of times I've had people tell me I'm doing $activity wrong, and learned long ago to completely ignore them because all that matters is that I enjoy doing the activity enough to not quit doing it daily as part of my routine. For me, adhering to some kind of rigid protocol or model of perfection just ruins all the fun of it. I always strive towards making whatever it is feel good and fun, so I'm inspired to do it more, not less. Doing anything physical every day is infinitely better than not doing it at all, even if done "imperfectly". My $.02.
- koolba 7y agoI think this applies to just about everything except dead lifts. You really don’t want to do those wrong.
- notus 7y agoTell that to this guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R01rQSdsPs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R01rQSdsPs
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- newnewpdro 7y agoI'm not really referring to weight lifting at all. I've had people cricitize me for doing pullups underhand instead of overhand, telling me my ability to do 10 of them is only because I'm "cheating" by doing them underhand. Nowadays I do them overhand, but when I first started exercising decades ago, it was easier and more fun to do them underhand so that's how I did it until my fitness improved. The same thing has happened in consequence of some bro learning I do hundreds of pushups daily, but when I demonstrate it they criticize my not doing them "properly" because I don't go entirely to the ground on every rep. rolls eyes Then I went distance running with someone and they criticized my slow pace as being the only reason I was able to run so much further than them, that I'm doing it wrong because I run too slowly. It's important to ignore these folks, they're simply not helpful, and they're not saving anyone from injury. Keep your activities fun for yourself and you'll do them more often, and doing them often is far more important than meeting the expectations of others.
- mekoka 7y agoI'm not a yogi and I admit that my view of yoga as practiced in the west is skewed toward categorizing it more under "fashion and marketing" than "spirituality". But whenever I read something like this article and start delighting myself with the strange joy of seeing something I disagree with being ridiculed, some inner bell tolls the signal that I should know better and that something in the message is probably missing. I just have to look for it a bit longer. What if all these new age yogis with their sweating ways turned out to be able to perform their 100 surya namaskaras well past the age of 105, would it validate their form of yoga then? Do most people who practice the "traditional way" get to do it way past their 90s? Every time I see someone pushing the "you're doing it wrong, here's the one true way" message, I have to remind myself that even Buddha insisted that he can only help to guide you in your own quest, but he can't be your master. There is certainly something to learn from all of the ways that yoga is practiced, claiming that you know better simply turns you into a nearly full jar. I'd rather take some and leave some.
- sremani 7y agoThe traditional yoga has stood the test of time. The Neo-Yoga is fragile to begin with, you need an artificial environment for those "hot"-yoga stuff. Any good exercise should be accessible, the american "peleton" way of doing things is at best gimmiky. The only redeeming quality of neo-yoga is its much accessible, given the profitability aspect of it. For maximum return of value stick to the traditional, if it is accessible to you.
- mekoka 7y agoStanding the test of time implies that you're doing something right, it doesn't mean that you've reached the pinnacle. I absolutely agree with you that the accessibility of traditional yoga translates into tremendous value, I also would admit that "neo-yoga", as you called it, seems exploitative to me. I would not go as far as claiming to know all of its benefits.
- sremani 7y agoSomething that stands 1000 years has gone through multiple refinements. It may or may not be pinnacle, but any twist has high probability to making it sub-optimal than optimal. "Neo"-Yoga greatly misses on the mental aspects, and reduces a comprehensive system to a physical training. But, even in this diminished form its better than many alternatives. That was the point. I do not consider "neo"-yoga exploitative, I just consider it neo-mania, appealing to our urge for novelty.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- z3phyr 7y agoThere are different schools of yog though. There is no single traditional Indian school. There are variants, that do infact promote high energy movements. Having said that, their observation is strict and mixing and matching them in single session is a no-no
- davmar 7y agoi've been to india twice to study yoga for months at a time, and i've done all kinds in the US. ok there are my creds. yoga asana - the moving aspect - is only 1 of 8 branches of yoga and it has evolved significantly over time. Even BKS Iyengar, the man who brought yoga to the West, changed his practice over time from a strong, powerful and probably sweaty style when he was younger to a slower style as he aged. there isn't a "right way" to do yoga, but if you're looking for authenticity then follow a lineage that has ties to India. Iyengar yoga is probably the closest in the US and even those expert teachers will have different styles. at any rate, find an instructor that gives detailed instructions. you shouldn't have to look at your neighbor to figure out what your body ought to be doing, and the point isn't for your hand to reach that one hard-to-reach place on day 1. that's why there are props because everyone's body is different.
- rramadass 7y agoAs i point out in another post of mine, many people here are confusing "Hatha Yoga" with "Raja Yoga". The problem with BKS Iyengar/Krishnamachar/Pattabi Jois etc. schools is that they have mixed up both and sold it to the West and thus the resulting confusion. Patanjali in his "Yoga Sutras"(main text for Raja Yoga) only says "posture should be steady and comfortable" (note asana = posture). Thats it. He also says nothing detailed about Pranayama. It is the internal mental aspects that are crucial in his system. Whether you do it sitting in a Chair, lying on a Bed is immaterial. On the other hand, in Hatha Yoga the physical aspects are all important and are defined by Asana, Pranayama, Bandhas and Mudras. Here is where the forceful exercises come in. By a combination of body and breath, you try to induce certain sensations in your mind which is often defined as "Laya" i.e. "dissolution".
- hereme888 7y agoWell, I guess I'm doing something other than yoga. Works for me though.
- dang 7y agoMany comments were posted when the title was "You’re doing yoga wrong if you’re working up a sweat". We replaced that with the less baity (and more interesting) part of the article title.
- crucialfelix 7y agoI've studied yoga for 20 years. The style in the west was developed during the Raj, influenced by European physical exercise. Classic yoga takes Asana as mainly the precursor to loosen the body and correct the flow of prana (where minds meets body). Pranayama and meditation and are more central. Patanjali's defining text makes very little mention of asanas at all.
- achow 7y agoHatha Yoga is primarily physical can be traced to 1st century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatha_yoga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatha_yoga
- crucialfelix 7y agoYes, but it's but one of the 8 limbs of yoga. What is recent is for people to refer to yoga as primarily asanas and European style exercise sessions. BKS Iyengar was the one who really revitalized and established yoga in the modern era, but know it's been over run by pure Hatha Asana.
- crucialfelix 7y agoThis year I started practicing Qi Gong. It emphasizes slow conscious movements and soft breathing. You are supposed to do this in yoga as well but it's very easy to make mistakes, even injuries. Qi Gong has solved all of my lower back problems and the tensions in my shoulders and arms. You loosen and breath rather than pulling and stretching.
- abledon 7y agocheck out "Spark in the Machine" if you want the anatomical analysis of how Qi travels through our fascial planes.
- nprateem 7y agoQi Gong tends to put more emphasis on working with "environmental qi", drawing it in from the outside (Earth, nature, space, your imagination). It can be great for charging yourself up when combined with a practice like 5-point breathing. The kicker is that you can also do it while doing yoga asanas. Yoga pranayama typically only works with prana in the body or uses mechanical breathing techniques (e.g. bhastrika, etc) to draw in prana as a by-product. But it'd be impractical (and probably dangerous) to do a practice like bhastrika while performing yoga asanas. Doing Qi Gong practices while practicing yoga can really supercharge them. On the inhalation draw energy in from deep in the Earth through your feet to your lower dan tien/navel, and on the exhalation send it out your hands wherever they're pointing (probably the sky or Earth). Then on the next round inhale from where your hands are pointing, taking the qi/prana to the lower dan tien and then exhale out the feet or crown. Keep repeating this, always inhaling in through the 'gate' you just exhaled from. Do this for 5-10 minutes at first and build up. It'll really charge you up. You should learn the Macrocosmic Orbit first, but hopefully you already know that if you've been learning Qi Gong. If not, check out Mantak Chia's Awaken Healing Energy through the Tao.
- saravana85 7y agoahh she belongs to my place... very famous... True inspiration
- calibas 7y agoShe also says you're doing yoga wrong if you're practicing any time other than between 3 AM and 5 AM in the morning. She's part of a strict school that focuses on pranayama, breath-work, a major part of yoga in India but rarely mentioned in the West. I recommend the Wim Hof method if anybody's interested, it's similar to the Indian and Tibetan practices.
- amriksohata 7y agoSpot on! This is called Brahmamuhurtha in Hinduism, when I explain to my english friends there are 4 types of Yoga they give me blank faces. I try and explain that if you believe in the science of the physical yoga that you do, invented by Hindu sages, then they clearly knew something and were onto something, try the others. But unfortunately I find most people will only follow something if its commercialised and mainstream.
- dvfjsdhgfv 7y agoThe title is misleading: there are many forms of yoga, and there are older people than her in India practicing them. She might be the oldest person teaching Hatha Yoga, now commonly called "yoga", focusing on asanas and maybe some pranayamas - that's mostly it. Hardly anyone is teaching the complete eight limbs because most people are interested only in asanas, and, more importantly, there are very few people who achieved mastery over all eight branches and are able to transmit their knowledge.
- pergadad 7y agoI had a yoga teacher course myself. One of the lessons I took home is that there is no one right or original yoga. There are many kinds and most of them have their justification for existing. Hundreds of branches of yoga that have developed over time through series of different teachers. And why shouldn't new ones come along as well? Nothing wrong about goat yoga if it's healthy and enjoyable. But I want to stress that yoga is not body building. It's not about bring beautiful, although that tends to be a side effect of health and happiness. The aim of yoga is to make you healthy, so healthy in fact that you can just forget about your body for a few days and meditate. Yoga is also not just about asanas. It's about eight limbs (hatha), that include asanas, but also cleansing, right eating (vegetarian, and not too much), breathing exercises and a few other things. It's about doing what's good for your body so your mind can focus on what's important - meditation, doing right, ... But what should be avoided is any harm. This is where for example hot yoga falls short - the heat is meant to increase flexibility, but it's also the most risky kind of yoga that sees frequent injuries. There's no reason to force your body to go beyond its current limits - rather you should slowly work to develop your flexibility, rather than force it with 'tricks'. Do as you like, but don't try to do anything that is against your body. You only have one body. Make sure its healthy but don't try to do things you are not ready for or that might be harmful. E.g. an obvious one: crow pose is amazing but can for women put quite a bit of pressure on the ovaries so for any woman still planning to have kids it's not something to practice too intensely. Yes, do it, but don't force it and don't try to get to the point of pain. Enjoy yoga - in all its forms.
- rramadass 7y agoI see here people quoting "Patanjali Yoga Sutras" as a definitive text on everything Yoga. Not so; it is definitive only so far as "Raja Yoga" is concerned. In fact, it has got far more in common with Buddhist texts rather than Hatha Yoga (also Tantra) which is where you should look for insights on everything physical. To that end, the three main Hatha Yoga texts are; 1) The Gheranda Samhita 2) The Hatha Yoga Pradipika 3) The Siva Samhita
- person_of_color 7y agoWhat are some good beginners resources on pranayama? Wondering if it can help my sleep apnea.