ObesityHelp

Ok, I"ll post. I love Yoga, but actually did it far more before my surgery. Pre-op I felt it was the only form of exercise that really worked for me. Now I have so many more options. Still, I know I would be healthier mentally if I got back to the yoga.

I love Yoga, but I find that I don't do it so much anymore because it's hard to do some of the poses. I expect that after my surgery I will start going on a regular basis again. I mainly did Hatha Yoga & Meditation, which is hard because my cat's always want to join me!

Liz, Congradulations at this, the start of your journey! Neither yoga nor pilates will be too much for you. If the tape or instructor you start with is presenting material that's too difficult for you, just put it on the shelf (or on vacation), find one more suited to where you're at right now, and begin there. It's always the trying to 'jump in at the deep end' that sabotaged all my attempts at an active lifestyle. My love affair with yoga began and continues now almost 7 years because we took things SLOWLY! The primary difference between yoga and Pilates is that Pilates is a brilliant set of physical exersises that, when performed correctly and dillegently, can produce astounding affects on the physical body. Yoga, on the other hand, is an ancient method of self-care that attempts to bring the body, mind and spirit into harmony and in doing so improving both the physical, mental/emotional and spiritual aspects of our lives. Namaste, BrianClt

The main thing about either is to listen carefully to your body. For example, tonight is normally my yoga class but because I really overdid it this weekend I chose to not do the movements because there was alot of challenging inversions (headstands) that we've been working on. My body is telling me to rest and do gentle movements - some stretches and walking and then get some good sleep. This is a part of yoga - really being in tune with your body, including your breathing. I personally prefer yoga but my boss swears by pilates. I like yoga because it is a daily practice that unites all the different parts of you - my boss like pilates because it is sheer physical movement. I've done both but I'll swear by yoga. Namaste Ro