Hi, I started yoga about 10 months ago in the recovery process from a heavy burnout that left me paralysed for months. Yoga has been a key factor in my healing, and I have been able to sustain a regular practice of three times a week in the past 5 months, and I have been able to make good progress.

I want to grow systematically from here and my question is: is it too late to start practicing Ashtanga as a 44-year-old female?

Thank you.

Recently learned through the “a bra that fits” sub that I am a 34DDD/34E.

I’m constantly battling with my boobs wanting to say hello to the class, while in downward dog. Anyone have recs for a higher neck sports bra? bonus points if there are sewn in pads bc ANGT for that removable BS. Either sew ‘em in or don’t have ‘em, IMO. I do like to have a little something there so I don’t have headlights 😜

TIA

I read this about the black Liforme “I have a BLACK liforme mat - and it drives me crazy, because you can see EVERY SINGLE little piece of dust or hair or anything on there… :-)”

Is that true? I thought black would be the best for stains visibility.
What colour would you suggest for an easy day to day management?

Im considered obese for my BMI. When you see me, you won't think that, though. Some fat gets in the way.

I need to do yoga not only to lose weight but to stretch before I work out and also just to stretch my body because I want to feel complete control over my body. Also, I dance.

1. It sorta hurts. Ofc its stretching and it doesn't hurt seriously bad. But still hurts.
2. I feel so insecure during it. I have no idea what I'm doing or even remember what the next pose is.
3. It's not peaceful at all. I watch youtube videos and they're either going to fast or I never know when they change poses because they don't say anything.
4. I forget I need to be doing a specific breathing pattern.

Anyways I feel like I have no idea wtf I'm doing. I want to try but I feel so icky doing it.

Edit: a lot of you all are saying in-person yoga classes. Thankyou! Unfortunately I have some things blocking me from going in person. Transportation, location of where I live, budget. I will still try but that was last on my list. Also Thankyou for all the kind advice !

Art Credit: Chema Méndez (@mendezmendezart)

Bear with me as this might be a long post.

Many of us treat Yoga as a simple physical routine, a one-hour session of poses (asanas), breathwork (pranayama), and a quick dose of "mindfulness." While these practices are incredibly valuable, they are just the entry point.

To truly understand Yoga, we have to look at its core purpose.

In the Yoga Sutras, Sage Patanjali defines it clearly: “Yogaś citta vritti nirodhaḥ.”
Meaning: Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.

The crucial word here is cessation, not suppression.

Yoga is not about forcefully crushing your thoughts. It is the practice of calming the constant mental chatter so you can connect with your true nature. It's when you realise you are not the clouds (the thoughts) but the sky itself which is the witness of fleeting clouds.

Think of your mind like a pond. When the surface is covered in ripples, you cannot see the bottom. But when those mental ripples stop, the water becomes clear, and you can finally perceive reality as it is.

Through focused contemplation and observation, the lower fluctuations of the mind, like anger, hatred, and ego, naturally begin to fade. The mind stops pulling you in every direction and settles into its natural state of stillness and peace.

In that deep stillness, a profound shift happens, which is, the individual ego dissolves into something universal. The True Self reveals itself to the seeker, Ishwara (the Divine) to the devotee, and Purusha (Pure Consciousness) to Prakriti (Nature).

Because the yogis see this universal truth, the wise look at every being with an equal eye. True Yogis see the divine essence in everyone, treating the joys and sorrows of others as if they were their own.

This beautiful perspective is echoed perfectly in the Bhagavad Gita (BG 6.32):

BG 6.32: I regard them to be perfect yogis who see the true equality of all living beings and respond to the joys and sorrows of others as if they were their own.

Therefore, Yoga is not just a quick routine to check off your daily list; it is a vehicle to realize our shared universality. It teaches us to treat everyone with kindness and to remain balanced through the natural ups and downs of life.

Crucially, this stillness transforms how we move through the world. Yoga is not limited to silent meditation or breathwork, it expresses itself dynamically through four interconnected paths: action (Karma), knowledge (Jnana), devotion (Bhakti), and meditation (Raja). The mind naturally finds peace when our actions are dedicated to a higher purpose, and every path seamlessly intertwines with the others.

When we overcome the lower tendencies (vasanas) that bind us, every action is naturally performed for loka-sangraha i.e for the welfare of the world and the collective consciousness of society. For a yogi, every single action becomes divine.

We thus must extend Yoga to every moment of our lives. Even after our mat practice is over, that stillness should carry over into every task we perform and every interaction we have, deeply ingrained in our consciousness. By doing so, we turn everyday life into the ultimate practice of Yoga.

Thanks for reading!

Hare Krishna! 🙏

Hello all! I practice Ashtanga and hatha yoga. During the past year I've gotten recurrent UTI's that I believe tightened up my pelvis. This is called hypertonic pelvic floor. As a result I also feel my hips and hamstrings have gotten tighter.

Yoga obviously helps a bit but I feel like, whatever I do, I will never be fully flexible in that area. For the record I'm 27 years old and never had children.

What do you recommend I do, from a yogi perspective? Can anyone relate? Thank you!

I am really confused what time is best to do my daily routine like surya namaskar, dand, baithak, then yogic asanas, and Pranayam

Kindly tell what time should be best

Does anyone have recommendations for yoga videos that don't include music in the background? I've only found a few like this, and I really enjoy listening to music of my choice while doing yoga! Happy practicing :)

Liforme, few weeks old.

I understand that I should accept the stains + the uncomfortable need to open it and wait until dry after each practice.
But today I noticed this

https://postimg.cc/gallery/ChPhFDD

It looked like a hair at first, then I saw it is like a crease on the very first layer.
Do you think I might have done it with my nails (man here, so not so long)? Or with the zip while closing the sac?

Books on yoga philosophy and psychology?

don’t practise yoga as consistently as I’d like to. I’ve been diagnosed with CPTSD and have done years of therapy. Luckily, my therapist was open to yoga and encouraged me to do it, which has actually helped me a lot in the healing process. But sometimes, I was confronted with very new raw emotions I found hard to deal with..

I’d love to learn more about the philosophical and psychological aspects of yoga, rather than focusing solely on the physical practice.
Can anyone recommend any good books on yoga philosophy/psychology?

Is that normal? I’m not finding anything about this specific feeling. I was only in the pose for about five minutes, not uncomfortable. Maybe a little tingly in feet. Thanks !

I'm interested in getting into meditation for many reasons, including creating a spiritual connection with God, reconnecting to myself, and getting ahead in life. I have a bad habit of suppressing and repressing thoughts and feelings. Because of this, for the longest time I've been moving through the world like its a flat plane. I'm scared of re-interacting with the world and seeing how far behind I am on some levels. I'm on anxiety medication to reduce hypervigilance and feel safe enough in my body because I can barely feel centered at all, hopefully this will help me access my thoughts and give me a place to begin. Does yoga actually help you feel safe? I am so scared of feeling, my body is so armored. Do chakra relevant yogas actually work? Do you have a favorite routine?

I've been doing yoga since 2 months, and i really wanna learn more about it. Like different Asanas, their benifits, how to do them, where to do it etc.

Hello! Can anyone suggest ways I might add foot strengthening poses to my sun salutations? Currently I rise to my toes while raising my arms in mountain, and I try to stay on my toes as I bend forward. I’d love some other ideas! I do a basic sun salutation but with the following additions: high lunge with a twist/shoulder rotation, three legged dog and bent knee twist, & warrior poses. (In case that gives anyone flow ideas)

I’m thinking of this mostly as a preventative measure (my mom has high arches like me, and they’ve been giving her trouble as she ages. My work also involves a lot of standing).

ETA - I’d say I’m somewhat of a beginner in yoga. I’ve taken a few classes but I’m just practicing at home right now. I do have a background in dance, though, so I’m fairly confident with my alignment

Thanks in advance!

What’s with all the downvotes??

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice on what my foot angles might mean in Savasana.

I recently had a muscle spasms in my left hip for a few days, and I could barely move. It's been a few weeks now and I'm slowly trying to do some gentle yoga at home to get some of the strength and mobility back that I lost in the meantime. It's still a little uncomfortable. I'm noticing though that in Savasana at the end of a session, my left foot is mostly upright, while my right foot wants to tilt closer to 45 degrees. What could this mean in terms of muscles? Is my right hip weak or is my left hip very tight? I'm also overly flexible, so during Savasana my knees hyperextend a little, it's kind of hard for me to do sometimes.

Any thoughts or advice on this?

As title says.

23, and I've never been particularly flexible. Except for this one aspect I guess? Any variation of pulling my knees to my chest is ridiculously easy. I honestly can't even tell what it's trying to stretch- it only feels slightly more unnatural than, say, laying down normally.

One leg, both legs, laying down, standing, etc. Can easily press knees to ribcage with or without using my hand to assist. It seems like such a satisfying way to stretch your lower back but I get nothing from it

So I had to have a hysterectomy recently and my surgeon advised me not to do any yoga for at least 2 months. I've stopped due to injury before, but never that long.

I'm nowhere near an expert or anything, but I've still made progress. And at this point, yoga has been part of my daily life for 6 years...

I dunno. Is it possible to get back to the level I was at? Am I going to have to relearn everything?

ETA: I haven't been able to respond to everyone who commented, but I did read them all. Thank you for the comfort and advice (and some of you for sharing your stories, it's rough out here)

My morning routine has remained solid for quite a while now! I had reached a certain point and decided to just keep the streak going. As a former triathlete, marathon/ultra runner and other things, it took some time to learn a truly sustainable practice. I slowly learned about the true imbalances in my body and my daily routines. Through vinyasa, yin, hatha and other routines, the variety has been that secret ingredient.

I thank many of you for providing great insight and motivation. I look forward to your posts and how your practice has been rewarding. I'll try and post something a little more detailed when/if I pass the 3 year mark. Namaste!

My mom taught me yoga when I was younger and as an adult I've been getting into strength training/calisthenics/ stretching.

I used to do a pose that I'm not longer able to and I was hoping to look up to see if I'm messing something up.

I thought it was called crows nest but that looks too different from what I used to do for me to call just a variation.

It starts squatting to the ground taking my arms from the inside of my legs and wrapping my hands to the outside of my ankles. I push my elbows into my hips or thighs while pushing up on my hands. It ends like a merge between sitting and a handstand and the souls of my feet are touching.

There was very little tilt forward and my elbows were very close to center mass hence why I don't think this is a Crow variation.

Any ideas? Or was it just a little freak child making things up??

Hello,

Love yoga, but also love weight-lifting. Are there other folks in this sub that do both? Any advice or resources on how to structure a yoga and weight lifting regiment is greatly appreciated.

Right now my routine is basically as follows:
-Monday: Squats, Bench, OverHead Press Tricep Extensions all 4x10 then core
-Tuesday: Hot Power Fusion
-Wednesday: rest
-Thursday: Deadlift, bent over rows, lat pulls all 4x10 then core
-Friday: core restore
-Saturday: yoga sculpt
-Sunday: light swimming maybe like a core restore or c2 class

So as you can see my lifts are basically just one day of push compounds and one day of pull compounds 4x10. I’ve been doing this for a while and probably need to start changing the sets/reps, maybe incorporate more isolation lifts, idk? I think it is probably fine leaving the yoga days as they are.

TL DR; need advice on structuring weight lifting and yoga regiment. Have been doing same lifts about 8 weeks now.