Any advice for a guy who wants to start Yoga for the first time?

[Gaius]

I've been raw for over 2 months now and in that time, I've been quite sedentary, mostly because I wasn't comfortable exercising with the excess weight I had.

Now that those 30 extra lbs are gone, I've been looking into a way to exercise in a way that is more compatible with my diet than hitting the gym like a typical meathead jock.

This is a big jump for me because I used to be quite the anti-vegan, meat and potatoes kind of guy, but I've matured these past few years and I've been looking for a way to center myself, and since I saw a trailer for a yoga documentary called "Enlighten Up!" I think I want to do what the subject of that documentary is doing since I identify with being a skeptic.

I've been thinking about doing Kundalini yoga. Anybody out there have any tips or other recommendations?

[gabriele]

Can't really help you, but i too have ordered some beginner Yoga tapes. Should be interesting, because i still have a lot of weight to lose and i laugh inside just imagining myself doing some of these moves! I read somewhere online that yoga injuries are becoming more common, and of course they had to mention aortic ruptures, so naturally that's all i can picture in my mind doing to myself. :( But i will forge ahead nonetheless....

[Dimond]

View Youtube videos of various styles to figure out which you prefer and also to practice. Yoga websites often post videos as well.

[RawSar]

I haven't tried many different types of yoga but the one that I noticed the most men in a class is the Bikram Yoga.
A lot of my guy friends as well as my boyfriend love Bikram yoga.
Its a pretty intense type of yoga which is why I think most men prefer it !

[spicyfull]

I am so excited that you matured and found the Green side of Life. The gym has meatheads and sprouts working side by side. Congratulations on the 30 lbs. I plan to try yoga, which has been on my list for a long time. I orded a CD from "Forrest Yoga" and a Friend wanted me to order her one, so I gave her mine....THE END

[DwightLight]

Rather than get a tape or DVD I'd suggest looking for a class or teacher in your area. That way you'll be getting instruction, and adjustments, so you can have proper alignment etc... which is important so that you don't hurt yourself, and get the most out of the practice.

[Gaius]

I'm definitely going to join a class fairly soon, but I'm going to try a dvd first so I don't fly completely blind the first day. Anybody have a dvd they prefer? I've settled on Kundalini yoga as my preferred type.

[Johnny B]

I'd definitely try out a few classes in a few different styles to find the one that fits what you're looking for.

Videos are great; that's how I started. But there's nothing like in person instruction, as it can make a world of difference. I practice Prasara and Eischens yoga and love them both. The one thing I was able to get from in person instruction that just didn't come through on the videos was proper engagement. It's one thing to eye up a pose and be able to mimic it, which I did well at, but when I received instruction as to how to properly engage in that pose, it became a completely different ball game.

I'd first start by asking myself what I want out of my yoga session.

[Stina]

Good for you! Just wanted to reiterate that Bikram yoga rocks! But I've never tried Kundalini and I'd like to shop around some too.:p

[DwightLight]

If Kundalini is the type of yoga you've honed in on, then definitely go to a class. Kundalini yoga is a very intense style designed to get prana moving very quickly, and having an instructor to guide you through the experience will help to prevent any sort of problems that may arise due to the intensity of the practice. Rather than prana and apana meeting gradually and moving up shishumina nadi, Kundalini yoga uses certain practices to turbo charge the meeting of these two opposing forces, which without purification and strengthening of the nadi's first could cause some problems, which is why having in class instruction especially for this style is ESSENTIAL. It would be like plugging a 120 volt appliance into a 220 volt plug...

[RawLibrarian]

If Kundalini is the type of yoga you've honed in on, then definitely go to a class. Kundalini yoga is a very intense style designed to get prana moving very quickly, and having an instructor to guide you through the experience will help to prevent any sort of problems that may arise due to the intensity of the practice. Rather than prana and apana meeting gradually and moving up shishumina nadi, Kundalini yoga uses certain practices to turbo charge the meeting of these two opposing forces, which without purification and strengthening of the nadi's first could cause some problems, which is why having in class instruction especially for this style is ESSENTIAL. It would be like plugging a 120 volt appliance into a 220 volt plug...

Um ... I think that's a tad extreme, and I teach kundalini yoga. I know many people who practice kundalini yoga with videos to no ill effect.

However, I do think you should try a live class rather than videos--having a teacher present makes a huge difference. Also, I can assure you that every live class I have ever taken of any kind of yoga has been way better than any video. The energy is different and live classes are longer--most yoga classes I've attended are 90 minutes, while many videos are less than that.

Here is a list of kundalini yoga teachers in the US. If there is one in your area, I urge you to check out a class:

http://www.kundaliniyoga.com/Clients/ikyta/Members.nsf/Members%20Directory?OpenForm

If you opt to try kundalini yoga DVDs, my recommendation would be to try practices by Nirvair Singh Khalsa. He is a very gentle teacher, very mellow, and has been teaching kundalini yoga since 1975. I use his teaching manual all the time, and I love him. Plus, he's in great shape and he is well into his 50s.

http://www.kundaliniyoga.net/products.htm

Nirvair's DVDs lack razzmatazz--they were shot in his home--and his use of music could be better. If you want glamour, Nirvair is not your man, but he is a very solid teacher and that is why I recommend him. His practices are done in voice-over with his daughter demo'ing the postures. In 'Kundalini Yoga for Athletes' one of Nirvair's male students is demo'ing the postures and he is a really strong, flexible guy. This DVD is just about my favorite by Nirvair.

Ravi Singh and Ana Brett are probably the best-known teachers of kundalini yoga on DVD. Ravi has been teaching for decades and he really knows his stuff; his wife Ana demonstrates the postures and she is very graceful and lissome. Their DVDs are much different than Nirvair's. I am not nuts about them myself--you could easily injure yourself by following Ana without modifications--but many, many people love Ravi and Ana. They have lots of DVDs out.

There is a popular DVD by Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa called 'Kundalini yoga with Gurmukh'. Gurmukh is probably the biggest star in the kundalini yoga firmament--she has a huge studio in LA, a huge studio in NYC, and does workshops constantly and has zillions of fans. I just went to two of her workshops. She's a very inspiring teacher and is a living exemplar of what a yogic lifestyle can do for a person. She is well into her 60s and looks great. I would not recommend this DVD for someone who has never done kundalini yoga before, but I mention it because of Gurmukh's fame in the yoga community.

Hope this helps ... but really, I hope you will try going to live classes rather than settling for practices on video.

[Gaius]

Thanks, Rawlib. I found a good Kundalini place about a 20 min walk from where I live and I'm starting this Wednesday! I've already done 2 sessions of video by Ravi and Ana so that the classes don't kick my butt the first day.