The great yoga adventure

@soul Giggle. I think you are right about everyone doing yoga without knowing they are doing yoga.

By the way @Adge I forgot to mention in my previous post how super impressed I am that you survived the retreat. The conditions you described do not sound fun to me. From what you were saying, most of the people went along as couples, is that right? Does that mean there was a fairly even mix of men and women? That would be novel, given that there seems to be a notable lack of men in yoga classes generally. I wonder if anyone does men's only classes anywhere? I'm sure they would. I wonder if @TheVorticon would go to a "blokey" yoga class. By the way, what do you wear to do yoga @Adge? The few guys that appear in my class wear t-shirt and shorts. I have become more comfortable wearing yoga pants, but I definitely wouldn't wear them anywhere other than yoga class. The other day I had to go to the shops after my class and I took a pair of tracksuit pants to throw over the top of my yoga pants. The idea of wandering around Coles in my yoga pants super doesn't work for me.

Hi @Phoenix_Rising

I'm not a T-shirt or shorts sort of person. I don't wear them out in public, or I would feel very under-dressed (& uncomfortable). Yes shorts to yoga when it's hot weather, but never a T-shirt.

It's always a collared shirt & trousers or neat shorts for me to yoga, & everywhere else. I don't have any special yoga clothes.

Sometimes trousers can be a little uncomfortable to do yoga in (because they're not very flexible), but that's okay.

I would never wear track-suit pants out in public, or to yoga - for me that would be the same as wearing my pyjamas in public. So I guess that means no yoga pants for me, eh?

I've only seen men wearing yoga pants once or twice - mostly they seem to wear tracksuit pants or ordinary pants to yoga class.

In my Thursday yoga class I'm the only man, amongst 10 or 12 women. In my Saturday morning class there are 2 of us men, amongst about 15 to 17 women.

All of the yoga classes where I go (a yoga teacher training academy) - have only 1 or 2 (3 at most) men in the class.

I can feel a little "outnumbered" at times, but that's fine. Mixed groups are the most comfortable for me. I would never go to an all-male yoga class, even if there is such a thing.

I've had many unpleasant (& victimising) experiences in all-male groups, even though they were personal-growth & group therapy groups (supposedly with a positive purpose). Also in all-male work environments (in plant nursery & horticulture).

I don't like a "blokey" or hyper-masculine social environment (culture), can't really stand that. It's okay for others to like that, but it's not for me.

No, the numbers on the retreat were not even, sorry it's hard to explain.

There were only 3 men (including me), & 14 women. The 2 men were both there with their wives (partners).

Nearly all of the women came with their female friend, & shared a room together. Only about 3 people inclucing myself, came on their own.

Everyone except me (& one lady in a tent) was in a shared room with one other person - in the main house, or in a separate cottage with its own bathroom & heating. The main house was very well heated (almost too hot).

Only myself & the lady in the tent, were out in the cold with no heating, & no nearby toilet or bathroom.

Although the woman in the tent was much closer to the main house & bathrooms, than I was - she actually chose to sleep in a tent! Surprise, surprise. She was about 20.

I can't do the tent camping out thing anymore, I need a bed.

It really was very cold out in the hut at night, so cold that I had to get straight into bed to stop myself from shivering (& wrap myself up). I couldn't sit in the hut & do anything - except under the doona quilt in bed, where it was warm.

Gee, you gave me lots to think about & reply to.... That's a good thing.

I haven't been in a good state since I got home, I'm getting there, but it's going to take some time.

My favourite 14 year old cat Minx being gone (passed away) since last Wednesday hasn't sunk in yet. I received a condolence card from the vet today, & I went to pieces (burst into tears).

The retreat was rather heavy about (on) the Hindu religious practices (& beliefs), which is at the heart (or origins) of many yoga practices.

That's okay, because it was a goddess retreat, in honour of a hindu goddess & her 9 day festival, which is at this time of year. So I expected some of that.

I was there largely for the physical yoga practice & meditations - & there was many hours of that.

Adge

Thanks so much @Phoenix_Rising for being impressed.

I was actually very impressed with myself for managing that. I got such a shock when I arrived there, & found out where I was sleeping.

They gave me no other option, & there was no spare accommodation or rooms, so I didn't ask for something else.

It certainly was not a good way to start a retreat, & not a good first impression at all...

Oh by the way - I was terribly self-conscious when I first went to yoga classes, almost 6 years ago. About what I was wearing, but mostly about not knowing any of the postures or moves (asanas).

I kept getting lost during the class, or being several postures (moves) behind everyone else.

It was very anxiety-provoking or uncomfortable, until I learned enough of the postures to know what I was doing (most of the time). That took me several years.

In the meantime, I kept wanting to give up (& not go). But I kept on going - I really surprised myself.

I really wanted to get back to my yoga classes when I was physically very weak, & had a stoma & a bag - after my first 2 emergency bowel surgeries. It was difficult to get back into doing yoga, but I really looked forward to it.

It was such a relief to finally get rid of the stoma & bag, after my reversal surgery (3rd). Although any postures that are lying on my stomach, can still be a problem (difficult).

Adge

Thanks for sharing your experience of the yoga retreat @Adge. I once went to a health retreat on my own and found that the group consisted primarily of couples and women with female friends or sisters.

I am considering going on a yoga retreat probably in SE Asia but they seem to be luxury type arrangements with a price tag to match. I may just head over there and seek out a yoga studio that I can visit each day. Not sure yet.

The classes that I attend now have the token male or two. It seems to be a female dominated domain.

Sorry to hear that you are sad over the passing of your cat. Pets have a habit of burrowing their way into our hearts and when they leave, a huge hole appears.

I hope today has some happy moments for you.

@soulIt sounds like you've had similar experiences, with being on your own on retreats.

Yes, Yoga retreats do seem to be pricey - even here.

Apparently the $600 I paid for 3 nights staying there (2 & 1/2 days total) was not expensive - but it does seem expensive to me.

Adge

That does seem expensive considering your standard of accommodation @Adge. You could stay in SE Asia for a month on that. Food would be extra but that's cheap enough.

Hi @Phoenix_Rising and everyone. After not treeing or childing for a while, today I treed again. What is the pose this week? I saw my psychologist again yestersay and she again encouraged me to start a class. So more research on that coming up. Meanwhile I hope to get a bit more consistent with doing a little at home, in response to this thread. Cheers to all. 🙂

Since I have been doing a Meditation workshop at the same place, I have opted to do the Wednesday class right beforehand. It's a bit more challenging than my usual ones. I really get a good workout. We did Warriors and Trees and lots of Downward Dogs and off course we ended with Shavasana or Savasana as it is also known but here on this thread - Sleeping Beauty or Dreamer's Pose.

Where is everyone today? Maybe they were doing the Pose and fell asleep 😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴

Good afternoon everybody, I was a dreamer yesterday and I fully intend to be one later today too.

@soul I think you are right - I think everyone has started being a dreamer / sleeping beauty and now they are all asleep! {Wanders around Forum Land poking people... @TheVorticon @Shaz51 @CheerBear @Amour_Et_Psyché @Rockpool @River9 @Chamomile @Lauz @frog}.

@Adge I'm super glad you have been able to get back to yoga classes after being unable to go after your surgeries. It sounds like it is VERY common to be super anxious starting out in classes. I really had been wanting to go for a super long time before I got brave enough.

It was really interesting what you wrote about male culture etc. I hope I didn't trigger any icky feelings with my chatter - I'm super sorry if I did. I pretty much live in t-shirts and shorts (or jeans in winter). The tight fitting yoga pants and singlets that most women wear to yoga class was a hurdle for me. I ended up buying quite an expensive pair of pants which feel much more comfortable than the bazillion cheaper ones I tried on. I'm glad I ended up going with the yoga pants because my quirky flexibility means anything else wouldn't work so well. I wear a t-shirt with a singlet underneath to the class. In the last two classes I've got brave and taken my t-shirt off part-way through the class. Part of the reason this is tricky for me is that in a singlet it is very apparent to the world that I self-harm. However, I'm getting more comfortable with the idea that everyone actually isn't staring at me in class. I still always put my t-shirt back on before leaving the room though.

@Mazarita This week's pose is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc-38vuwE1Y We decided to re-name it because, well, we can. Some of us are being Sleeping Beauty all week and some of us are being dreamers. Either way, it's a pretty good pose to work on for the week.

I'm thinking we should go with the shoulder stand next week. What do you think @Adge and @soul?

Happy yoga-ing.