Grumpy after Yoga?

[Dogmama]

I had a yoga class today and emerged in the WORST MOOD! The instructor over-instructed the class. It was anusara and he was constantly talking...."OK, left leg back, hug leg muscles up from knee, inner spiral your thigh, tuck your tailbone, open your hips..." etc. Just trying to follow him was a job and guess what...I already have a job!

I've had overly-chatty instructors that wanted to control every single move - but this guy focused on the pelvis (1st & 2nd chakra) and I'm wondering if my chakras rebelled? Seriously, I wanted to rip somebody's throat out for a couple of hours afterwards.

Has anybody else ever had an experience like this? Or maybe he just rubbed me the wrong way? Although, I'm very tolerant of a**holes -- after all - I'm a cyclist!

Grrrr....

[snapdragen]

I've never been grumpy after a yoga class, but then I've had good teachers in the few classes I've taken.

I did do a relaxation/meditation thing once. I found the speaker so irritating! We were supposed to be visualizing paddling a canoe down a peaceful river -- All I could visualize was whacking her upside the head with my oar!!

[spokewench]

Never had a problem with a yoga instructor before BUT A SPINNING INSTRUCTOR - Heck yes!

One of my instructors was always trying to tell a story that one upped the last once told! Oh, my god, just pedal the bike!

:(

[trailrunner]

hey Dogmama,

I am a runner/yogini just getting into cycling. It is definitely possible to be grumpy after yoga even though we normally consider it to be a relaxing experience. I practice ashtanga regularly, and my teacher says that forward bending tends to release anger (I'm sure your instructor's rambling didn't help :D ) but this could in part explain your reaction.

As far as chatty teachers...yep, had those. But my worst experience (spokewench, your mention of spinning instructor reminded me of this) was having an instructor who would openly flirt with the men in our class. Of course the men didn't mind flirting back with her. UGH.

[JmcG]

I just saw this thread while perusing "other sports" - yes yes yes! I thought I was the only person who didn't come from a yoga class all relaxed and happy. I come out in the worst mood - and I've tried several times with several types of yoga. The more intense the class, the worst mood I have and the longer this mood lasts. My DH has banned me from yoga (not really, but it was affecting our relationship). If I do decide to do a class, he avoids me several hours afterwards. I'm not sure why, but I think it's because I feel like I'm bottling up everything, not releasing it. I'm used to dancing (have danced ballet, jazz since I was 4), tae kwon do, running, cycling, swimming - all things that release your energy. I think with yoga I hold it all in while I'm holding in all those poses. And don't get me wrong, I have fun while doing it, but as soon as I'm finished - and the cool down part is really bad for me - I am not happy. When instructors have you lay there with the lights off and cool down - that's when I start to get pissy. I originally thought that maybe that was the source, so would leave before we laid there, but I still got home in a bad mood.

Now, pilates is a different story - I leave relaxed and happy from a pilates class. And a dance class, and even an abs class!

It's nice to know at least one other person in this universe is grumpy after yoga.

[spokewench]

I usually do yoga after spinning class so I think I already got the endorphins going, the hard work done, so when I do yoga I'm just glad to be in a more or less relaxed mood!
So, I come out feeling pretty good

Don't think I've ever done yoga without a cardio workout before or after.

[Kitsune06]

I get kind of irritable after yoga just because I get into my head pretty far and get used to the calm peacefulness of the movements, positions, etc, when allofasudden for nofrickinreason afterward I get told to do laundry, do the dishes, whyareyouwastingtimedoingyogawhenyoucouldbecleaningupTHISHOUSE?! grr.

oh... and this is Grumpy after Yoga.

http://www.things.org/~cjgibb/portfolio/Images/disney/snoWh/grumpyWeb.gif
Notice the position of his legs, the curve of the spine and neck... he must be pretty loose to be able to do that... :D

[Dogmama]

Kit - isn't that the

I'mpissedoffasham pose?

[indysteel]

Dogmama, I SO feel your pain. I generally love the yoga instructors at my studio, but there's one that sometimes subs at my Friday evening class who positively drives me up one wall and down another. In fact, I'm promised myself to just leave the next time I see that he's teaching. He's a nice enough man, but like your instructor, he talks nonstop about body position and his sequences are just needlessly confusing. One of the other instructors takes the Friday class and even she looks lost at times. The last time I had the misfortune of taking a class from him, I was in THE WORST mood. I'm usually flying high after class, so it was a big let down.

Kate

[LBTC]

I have been to one ashtanga class, which I hated and found myself feeling completely unbalanced after (all hamstrings and shoulders, nothing else felt like it had been used), and watched another ashtanga class. I know this is not the style of yoga I want to do.

I do yoga on my own mat in my sun room every morning when I wake up. I get up at 5:30 am on workdays to make sure I can fit it in. This is a very relaxing, stretching yoga that just helps to make sure I've done something, practiced my breathing and patience, and moved my joints around a bit. I also do many yoga poses as my stretching routine after weights, or cycling, or kickboxing.

It's a far cry from the yoga I used to do, where I learned various power poses - arm balances and the like, and moved much faster through the poses. It's been difficult to accept that I need to move slower and need to do this every day, but now that I do, I can't imagine doing something else....

Well, I can. I can imagine doing yoga for an hour or longer and moving from my usual routine into more complex poses....I just usually do not have the time to do it.....

As for emotions, well, yes, especially when I was doing the stronger poses, I would get very emotional. For me it was generally sadness, I'd just want to cry, and I would usually move past it by the end and would later feel somewhat drained, but better for it. Of course, I've noticed being emotional on a mountain bike ride or in a kickboxing class, too. During those I've found a bit more anger, in addition to the teary eyed feelings, and usually, if the class or the ride is long enough, I'll work right past those feelings and feel stronger and happier at the end.

I have another friend who tells me she can't do yoga because her chakras are blocked and she becomes an emotional wreck. She loves pilates too.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's a chakra thing....and if you want to keep doing yoga, you may want to try some chakra balancing exercises (anything from meditation to colour therapy), during or before or after your yoga sessions...but you may just need to do something more agressive to let that anger OUT.

I see it's been months since you posted this....have you been to any classes since?

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[Dogmama]

I see it's been months since you posted this....have you been to any classes since?

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

I think it was the instructor. I normally enjoy yoga but my life has been too hectic - yeah I know - but a new puppy, plus a killer job and trying to keep things together at home - it's been really really hard. That's one of the reasons I haven't been on this board much.

[Flybye]

I think it was the instructor. I normally enjoy yoga but my life has been too hectic - yeah I know - but a new puppy, plus a killer job and trying to keep things together at home - it's been really really hard. That's one of the reasons I haven't been on this board much.

I am cranky after any sport if I don't have enough rest to begin with. Heck, I wake up cranky if I am not getting enough rest. With all of the new stuff are you overtraining??? I don't like anyone, even myself, when I am tired. Just a thought :)

[redrhodie]

I've stayed in some yoga classes that were frustrating me, and I've come to the conclusion that it's more beneficial to get up and leave. Why suffer through a bad class?! Life is hard enough! Yoga should be fun.