TATTOOERS: Yoga?

[Perez]

I started doing Iyengar yoga a few months ago, I have scoliosis and I'm a tattooer so my back is fucking SHOT. After a few weeks, I felt like a new man. Pretty remarkable how much better I felt almost immediately. I've ben going a few times a week pretty consistently now, I find that not only am I physically feeling better but I'm also a lot more mentally focused. I highly recommend it. The real shit though, like Mysore or Iyengar style, not that jazzercize bullshit they do some places.

Any of you other dudes into it?

[Perez]

I can't wait to see how many times the phrases "pause." and "nohomo" make it into this thread.

[mario desa]

i've thought about doing some form of yoga for a while, but i don't know much about the different types or which would benefit me the most, as far as my main concern of my back pain from tattooing. i also run often and would like to just be more flexible and get a good stretch i guess. my other problem is all the hokus-pokus, mythical new age bullshit superstition involved. i don't want to hear any of that shit, i just want a good stretch and to feel good. any atheist yoga out there????

[tammy]

Dari is yoga queen and an instructor. i hope she chimes in.

[Erica]

I do bikram yoga, the studio heats the room to 105 degrees. the place i go to has yet to make mention of magic or dungeons or dragons... its pretty simple movements & i leave feeling more relaxed... i wasnt looking for any crazy results, just added flexibility.

[Dean Schubert]

I've had great success with yoga as well. I've taken classes in several styles over the years. If you check out different instructors, you can kind of tell who is more or less on the spiritual trip. The last few years I've done less yoga and more weight training, and mountain hiking combined with a focused diet. I think diet is number one, then your choice of activity. I've logged a lot of hours running and have done a half-marathon. I find running a bit hard on the body but the cardio rush is awesome. I hope to more fully commit to yoga in the future because I find it to be( and excuse the new-age lingo) , holistic. It works the body from every angle. It also activates hormonal activity which can lead to the whole euphoric/spiritual. feeling. Compassion in my estimation is not exclusive to religion or the idea of"god". And if you practice yoga you will realize your own weakness, thus allowing for more "compassion" when dealing with others. And it will create more self critique in your own life. wow that sounds sappy! But hey , when I was a fat and hating tattooer, I made lesser tattoos and I made less money. Good food in the right proportions, daily exercise, and good family life makes me an all around better tattooer with virtually no physical pain ever! And I can't stand touchy feely yoga classes. to me its science not emotion. Emotional imbalance is directly related to nutrition and exercise. And of course dealing with a world of morons. But hey we are all beacons and we will draw in others like ourselves based on our own activity. I think I'm gonna puke now.

[mario desa]

hahahha....all excellent points, dean! thank you!

[Lochlan]

Who would of thought a thread on yoga and tattooing would appear on this site? Not me but love it. Way to put it out there Perez! I think exercise is very important for both the body and mind, self care. I have always been a very physical person between skateboarding and surfing among other things but as I've gotten older and now live in Northern CA the water is too cold for me to surf and the concrete is too hard to fall on everyday. I still enjoy a good skate with my nephew and friends every now and then as well as a fun surf session when in warmer water but my daily workout is run to the gym, lift weights or yoga, then run home. I find my health (physical and mental) is so much better as long as I find time to practice my self care!!

Dari, where you at?

[Dean Schubert]

No doubt Lochlan its all about preserving now rather than destroying it. We go to early funerals for those who can't figure that one out. But hey maybe I'll get hit on my way home today.

[Perez]

i've thought about doing some form of yoga for a while, but i don't know much about the different types or which would benefit me the most, as far as my main concern of my back pain from tattooing. i also run often and would like to just be more flexible and get a good stretch i guess. my other problem is all the hokus-pokus, mythical new age bullshit superstition involved. i don't want to hear any of that shit, i just want a good stretch and to feel good. any atheist yoga out there????

I also run, but I've been doing it less since yoga kicks my ass now in the same way but with very low impact, which is good because skateboarding destroyed my knees. As far as New-Age-y shit, there's really nothing overly granola or religious about where I practice. Class begins and ends with guided meditation, but that shit is basically just a mental exercise, atheists can meditate. Plus it's hell of relaxing. She's "spiritual" but it doesn't bother me too much, it's her trip not mine. I mean I guess some people can go overboard with the crystal gazing shit, but when you take it at face value, yoga is rooted in science. All the "Chakras" correspond to glands in the human endocrine system, the vedics just figured it out by observation then hundreds of years later when people started dissecting corpses, boom, there's a gland that does ___ there. Iyengar yoga is the best for me since I'm trying to reduce back pain and increase flexibility. With Iyengar you hold the poses for a prolonged period of time, it's pretty intense. I've been doing headstands lately and it helps my back so fucking much it's nuts. But yeah Mario you should give it a shot, if you're into it when you come out to Three Kings in November the joint I go to is just a few blocks away.

...Then afterwards we can go to temple with Ray Cappo and John Joseph.

[dari]

Perez,

Wow, and thanks for bringing up yoga!

I don't have any simple answers, any more than any of you could answer "What's tattooing?" in a few sentences. I am a yoga teacher, and have been studying for about 15 years or so, and I've tried many styles and gazillions of teachers. I'm going to be honest, there are a lot of crappy teachers out there, and if you suspect that a certain teacher isn't for you, than they're probably not. One huge turn off for me is if someone is speaking in a sing-songy "yoga voice," instead of their own authentic voice. You might need to try a few different studios and teachers until you find the right fit, or maybe you'll get lucky the very first time. But ask around with everyone you know who does yoga, and hopefully someone will at least point you in the right direction. Try to find a place where the students and teachers are talking and laughing instead of trying to look "spiritual."

Mario, I did make a Chicago teacher recommendation to Nick, maybe you guys could do some semi-privates with her? You also might want to check out some Forrest yoga or find some basic vinyasa flow classes. And as far as "new-age" bullshit, there really shouldn't be any. Yoga's a super old system, and I know the concepts of chakras and karma have been misused by some new age folk, but chakra discussion first appeared in the Upanishads, and pre-dates Buddhism, so it's far from new. And I'm going to let the cat out of the bag, the translation of the sanskrit word "yoga" is "to yoke," meaning to yoke oneself/to unite with the divine. But don't worry, it'll take a lot more than a few hours on the mat to get there, there's no threat of instant enlightenment. In the mean time, you find relief from your body's aches, have more energy, get better sleep, be stronger and have more endurance.

Personally, when I'm teaching, I'm concerned with my students breathing and physical alignment, not if they aspire to align themselves with the divine. That's their personal business. A good teacher will meet you where you are, and wouldn't try to impose any of their personal beliefs on you. If one rubs you the wrong way, move on quickly, it's hard to throw a rock and not hit a yoga teacher these days.

One of my favorite teachers is my friend Stephanie, this is her DVD. It's amazing, and I have a TON of yoga DVD's, and sometimes I watch them as a sleep aid, generally not to practice. There is absolutely NO spiritual content whatsoever on this DVD, it is what it's called, yoga for strength and toning, although her core sequence just might have you crying out for Jesus!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JYPV7W?ie=UTF8&tag=lasspatat-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JYPV7W

[Jake]

I've had great success with yoga as well. I've taken classes in several styles over the years. If you check out different instructors, you can kind of tell who is more or less on the spiritual trip. The last few years I've done less yoga and more weight training, and mountain hiking combined with a focused diet. I think diet is number one, then your choice of activity. I've logged a lot of hours running and have done a half-marathon. I find running a bit hard on the body but the cardio rush is awesome. I hope to more fully commit to yoga in the future because I find it to be( and excuse the new-age lingo) , holistic. It works the body from every angle. It also activates hormonal activity which can lead to the whole euphoric/spiritual. feeling. Compassion in my estimation is not exclusive to religion or the idea of"god". And if you practice yoga you will realize your own weakness, thus allowing for more "compassion" when dealing with others. And it will create more self critique in your own life. wow that sounds sappy! But hey , when I was a fat and hating tattooer, I made lesser tattoos and I made less money. Good food in the right proportions, daily exercise, and good family life makes me an all around better tattooer with virtually no physical pain ever! And I can't stand touchy feely yoga classes. to me its science not emotion. Emotional imbalance is directly related to nutrition and exercise. And of course dealing with a world of morons. But hey we are all beacons and we will draw in others like ourselves based on our own activity. I think I'm gonna puke now.

This sounds like it could have been paraphrased from my shrink. Definitely some good concepts touched upon here Dean. It's crazy how much the self basics of diet, exercise, balance, and self-compassion correlate to your interactions with the outside world as well.

[tammy]

One of my favorite teachers is my friend Stephanie, this is her DVD. It's amazing, and I have a TON of yoga DVD's, and sometimes I watch them as a sleep aid, generally not to practice. There is absolutely NO spiritual content whatsoever on this DVD, it is what it's called, yoga for strength and toning, although her core sequence just might have you crying out for Jesus!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JYPV7W?ie=UTF8&tag=lasspatat-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JYPV7W

i am so glad Dari chimed in. great words of advice especially about:

One huge turn off for me is if someone is speaking in a sing-songy "yoga voice," instead of their own authentic voice

because i thought it was just me....

also, i can't wait to try some of stephanie's videos. i hear she is a really amazing teacher which i totally believe because she is so sweet and calm in her day to day life.

[dari]

Oh, for the record, I'm not recommending Stephanie Snyder's dvd for a complete beginner, because she will kick your ass! This DVD is for someone who's had some classes and has a basic understanding of sun salutations who might not have the time or opportunity to get to a good class on the regular. If you've had no classes, you need to take some beginners yoga classes where the instructor can see you and give appropriate corrections.

Tammy, if you were to start out in Steph's class, you would no longer think that she's sweet! Her "all levels" classes are for "all levels" of fit, strong, experienced yogis!

[mario desa]

thanks, dari! i do really want to look into it, and honestly, i'm stereotyping without even checking it out yet. i want the benefits, just not the other stuff.

[dari]

This is from a 108 Sun Salutations event-

[Lochlan]

Anyone done yoga lately? Dari, thanks for putting that photo up of Scott...from what I heard he hung in there pretty damn good!?!

[myleskarr]

pretty interesting thread..ive been looking into starting yoga for a while now, its really just about finding the time to do it. i also find it to be extremely intimidating to jump into a yoga class with no prior experience. andy, what days do you go? maybe ill roll over there with you some time.

i actually started getting acupuncture about 7 months ago, and its amazing how much its helped me..i get points in my wrists and hands (my main stress points from tattooing) and general wellness points as well, and i leave feeling completely revived. has anyone tried this at all?

[Lochlan]

pretty interesting thread..ive been looking into starting yoga for a while now, its really just about finding the time to do it. i also find it to be extremely intimidating to jump into a yoga class with no prior experience. andy, what days do you go? maybe ill roll over there with you some time.

i actually started getting acupuncture about 7 months ago, and its amazing how much its helped me..i get points in my wrists and hands (my main stress points from tattooing) and general wellness points as well, and i leave feeling completely revived. has anyone tried this at all?

Thanks Myles, I know I was enjoyed the thread as well. Here's a thread Valerie started on having a painful wrist due to tattooing.

[Lochlan]

Here is a related post:

Exercise/Fitness Thread

[Scott Sylvia]

ok so i do some yoga not as much as my wife would like but i do it as much as i can. first i cant stand walking into the room. i feel like i am the only one who doesn't belong. even when my wife works there and i tattoo the owner, so i just do it because i know its more important than my idea of self, which is a good reason to be in the room. second if you have never met me or seen me i am built like gimly from lord of the rings. i think the gods intended me to be a blacksmith or something. i am however very flexible but lack stamina in my legs due to sitting on my ass for a living for 21 years. but i will say this never have i walked out of a yoga class and wished i had not gone. the breath, the stretching and the intention is awesome. really opens your hips from sitting in your chair leaning over people with bad breath and the shoulders which as i have come to find out directly affects the wrist. so i say try it. i don't recomend the hot one i sweat enough i don't need the 105 heat it'll make me want to puke. but thats me my buddy damien loves that shit. proof there's an ass for every saddle.

[myleskarr]

i acutually made it out to a class with perez this weekend, and it sure kicked my ass in a good way. i agree with scott, that when i first walked in, i really didnt feel like i belonged, but the class was only 6 of us (2 tattooers, our spouses, a pregnant lady, and one of my best friends who works at a tattoo supply company) and by the end, i felt amazing. i definitely want to keep going, and i whole hearted recommend it to anyone, especially tattooers.

[jebbriley]

I back this 1000%. (Saw this post linked from the wrist pain thread.) I do Bikram yoga regularly and have for a few years now. Before starting my apprenticeship i built guitars and the hours spent hunched over a vacuum table, hand sanding guitars really did a number on me. It gt so i had to 'plan' how i was going to pick up my keys or a pencil if i dropped it. After a week of Bikram i felt like a spry 17 year old: SO much energy, flex, my strength REALLY improved as did my endurance and overall mental attitude. Got my PMA back. I say try it.

This pretty much nails how i feel about it...

YouTube - Introduction to Bikram Yoga

[walter mcdonald]

ive only done yoga via dvd with my ladyfriend, but it definitely made me me feel good and knocked my dick in the dirt. i do train jiu jitsu and that seems to help my flexability as well as cardio,endurance etc. ive only been doing that a few years but its changed my life-- i lost 30 pounds and feel like a kid when im on the mat, and when im rolling i cant think about anything else so its relaxing too. i would never have tried it if my boss josh ford hadnt sent me down that path. i have a 12 old boy who trains as well and is the currrent state champ-its a great way for us to bond as well. i would bet you could find a no nosense straight ahead yoga class without god being a part of it. i know at our school you get to try it out for a couple weeks for free--i bet yoga joints are the same.... as it ever was

[G.Uristti]

yoga is soooo good...i havent done it in a while cause ive been lazy but it def helps. i maintain some form of stretching regimen for now and it helps my back tons