18 replies to this topic

[Robert C]

I'm sure others will have different opinions and I'm not a Yoga expert but an experienced Iyengar Yoga instructor recently told me that Iyengar teaches that the "downward dog" pose is considered to be the single most important pose. (Iyengar is mostly a static-type yoga that holds poses for flexability and strength.) She went on to say that if you are in a hurry and only have a few minutes for your daily exercise simply hold the downward dog pose as long as you can. It is a static strenghening and stretching pose that has many of the benefits of other poses she said. Since it's static, it has good application for those with joint problems and anyone in a hurry to do something good for you. She said it is considered to be a mild "inversion" and that if you can hold the pose for 2 plus minutes it has antiaging effects.

If you google it there are tons of pics and info.

[Thomas Wayne Jr.]

I practice the old Indra Devi lessons and do some of the reverse pose and camel pose. As I've gotten older I practiced the headstand or any variant. In my 30's I can feel the benefit of that most of all. Called the "King of Asanas" it effects four of the most important endocrine glands-the pituitary, the pineal,the thyroid, and the parathyroid and gives a nice sense of balance.

I also do some of the plough movements. Which I know is a safety concern. However I practice judo and wrestling and being stretched out like that saved me countless neck tweaks and pinched nerves being stacked from a "guard" position. Doing the headstands then eventually unassisted ones also helped me with bridging movements with my shoulder and head. It also gave me a very nice perspective of balance.

Although I never do headstands to warm up in front of my training partners as it looks a bit hokey lol.

[Ben]

Yoga is a bit gay dude.

[icyT]

I think the "best" pose depends on people individually, like what our posture is and what muscles are tight, weak, etc.

Yoga is a bit gay dude.

Really?

If you think it's gay, come at me bro.

[Robert C]

I think you are right that there is no "best" pose but I think what she meant was that the downward dog pose gives you a lot of yoga benefits in a short time if you only have a few minutes to exercise.

[Ben]

If you think it's gay, come at me bro.

I'm flattered, but I'm not into that.

You can take your downward dog, pseudoreligion, incense and touchy feely new age nonsense somewhere else. A more immasculine activity I cannot imagine.

[akhileshneo]

Downward dog pose is one of the main yoga asanas.It is named as such as it resembles the shape of a dog stretching itself out, this pose helps to strengthen, stretch and reduce stiffness in the legs while strengthening and shaping the upper body. Holding this pose for a minute or longer will stimulate and restore energy levels, regular practice will helps the entire body and gently stimulates your nervous system.

yoga teacher training

[goatz]

+1 downward facing dog

[cyrusbrian]

wasn't knowing this that there will be so many pictures in google

[Dataguru]

YOGA ........... good for health..........

[platypus]

If you think it's gay, come at me bro.

I'm flattered, but I'm not into that.

You can take your downward dog, pseudoreligion, incense and touchy feely new age nonsense somewhere else. A more immasculine activity I cannot imagine.

Yoga makes one better in bed. I guess you don't strive to excel in the bedroom

[platypus]

I think downward dog gives a lot of stretching benefits and it's also a partial inversion, which should be good. If one buys into the traditional health beliefs in hatha yoga, inversions are believed to to be especially beneficial (to the heart, nervous system and the brain). Therefore the headstand and the shoulderstand are called the king and queen of yoga asanas.

[Ben]

If you think it's gay, come at me bro.

I'm flattered, but I'm not into that.

You can take your downward dog, pseudoreligion, incense and touchy feely new age nonsense somewhere else. A more immasculine activity I cannot imagine.

Yoga makes one better in bed. I guess you don't strive to excel in the bedroom

Yes. I bet the downward dog makes you better in bed.

[platypus]

Yes. I bet the downward dog makes you better in bed.

Flexibility, suppleness and heightened body awareness & control never hurts. However the major benefits are for the ladies through the amazing pelvic floor muscle strength that yoga develops.

[lifebuddy]

Yoga is 'gay'? Time to move with the times... The cult of masculinity encourages male violence, mistreatment of women, & the emotional vacancy of men. Yoga is not new-agey either. Modern day Yoga may be practiced mainly by women, but men have a long and rich history of involvement with it. A few rounds of yoga and your body feels incredibly energized. It is an incredibly powerful exercise for the mind and body.

[fifth]

If you think it's gay, come at me bro.

I'm flattered, but I'm not into that.

You can take your downward dog, pseudoreligion, incense and touchy feely new age nonsense somewhere else. A more immasculine activity I cannot imagine.

Your not thinking right. Yoga=woman, lots of good looking ones. Sit in the back look up during certain poses and damn what a beautiful sight! It can't get any more manly then that. Plus you get fit as can be. Win win if you ask me.

[Ben]

If you think it's gay, come at me bro.

I'm flattered, but I'm not into that.

You can take your downward dog, pseudoreligion, incense and touchy feely new age nonsense somewhere else. A more immasculine activity I cannot imagine.

Your not thinking right. Yoga=woman, lots of good looking ones. Sit in the back look up during certain poses and damn what a beautiful sight! It can't get any more manly then that. Plus you get fit as can be. Win win if you ask me.

Lift weights. Do some physical labour.

If you think just chasing women makes you a man (or is a masculine activity in and of itself) you're wrong.

Yoga is 'gay'? Time to move with the times... The cult of masculinity encourages male violence, mistreatment of women, & the emotional vacancy of men. Yoga is not new-agey either. Modern day Yoga may be practiced mainly by women, but men have a long and rich history of involvement with it. A few rounds of yoga and your body feels incredibly energized. It is an incredibly powerful exercise for the mind and body.

Da cult ov mathculinity encarages lotz of hate and violences againsth women and other peopl.

Pleasth. Do yoga. Itsth good for you mind and your body.


("Time to move with the times..." what a dumb non-thinking plattitude. Progress is not, in and of itself, a good thing.)

[fifth]

If you think just chasing women makes you a man (or is a masculine activity in and of itself) you're wrong.

Did physical labor, hung out with good ol boys in Kansas, drank beer and turned into a better man down there then any place else. Tell me though what man thinks chasing woman is something only a boy should do? Have you seen 30 nice looking all in one room? At the end there all relaxed and so so easy to talk to. That is in place of high strung woman or man like yourself?

[OpaqueMind]

Yoga is actually a great adjunct to weightlifting. It majorly increases bodily awareness and body/mind integration, which are very important for avoiding injury and maximizing strength gains. Plus it makes you feel absolutely amazing in it's own right.

And Ben, dude, how childish are you? These gender stereotypes are so outdated. I guess you think all men should be hench as fuck, join the army and never shed a single tear, lest they be relegated to the league of 'pussies' forever more? Please, don't answer that. Simply by the fact you say that bedding women doesn't make you a man shows thse are societal norms you're affirming and not biological in nature. I think we're all aware how arbitrary societal norms are. Even you seem to imply this by your statement -' "Time to move with the times..." what a dumb non-thinking plattitude. Progress is not, in and of itself, a good thing. '


Most of the original Yogis were male. Just because it's been commercialized and now you see old ladies doing it at the local gym doesn't detract from the incredible health benefits it confers. I partake in a fairshare of 'manly' (haha) sports like squash and kickboxing, and adding yoga to my routine has made me so much more agile and flexible. Not to mention the positive effect on posture, which in turn has a profound effect on mental wellbeing.

Does anyone else find after doing yoga for a few days in a row that bodily perceptions are massively heightened all over? Is it possible to make this a permanent thing with more practice?

Sorry I can't add anything in relation to the original question, I am not yet experienced enough to help in this area.