In recent years, I have added yoga to my "body list." For the uninitiated, it likely sounds foreign, but the strength, flexibility and mind-centering aspects of a yoga practice must be experienced to be fully appreciated.
I'd like to take a yoga course which focused on strength and flexibility, without all the hippie mystical BS that seems to infect most of the yoga I've seen.
There's power yoga. I prefer Vinyasa, but the classes I've been to and the DVDs I've watched all have had some mysticism to them (for certain definitions of mysticism). That doesn't bother me, though. I enjoy the meditative aspects of it. I just ignore it when it starts to get a little too out there.
I found power yoga, where I did to be a bit too soft, I swastia is very good type of yoga to do. Also found something that around here they call pilates-mat, which is pretty close to the yoga that I didi without any of the hippie things.
I know a few people who felt Yoga sounded a bit "soft" (I know it doesn't have to be) but for those who want something a bit more physical you might want to look at pilates.
As I say, I know it isn't necessarily easy (perhaps gentle would be a better word), but that is a perception and for those people Pilates might be an alternative.
I am in a pretty good shape, working out and playing basketball multiple times per week. Still, the few times I tried yoga it literally kicked my ass. I've grown a lot of respect for those old ladies doing it.
