I am in the 3rd week of phase 1 and the Yoga X seems to be getting harder. In some of the moves it feels as though I am going to tear a muscle. I am not very flexible at all and have noticed some improvement. Does anyone have any advise? This is also my firsts experience with yoga. Thanks to all who reply.

Many people have mentioned struggling with Yoga X. I'm in the 4th week of Phase 2 and it's still hard. But, I'm considerably more flexible than I was when I started the program. It's gonna be a little uncomfortable until you gain more flexibility. That's why you focus on your breathing. So it may take a while before it becomes easier to do, but keep at it and you will see more benefits from it.

Personally I love yoga, even though yoga X does kick my butt. With time and patience, it will get easier and you will gain flexibility. If you feel like you are going to tear a muscle in some of the poses, then you need to back off that pose. Bend your knee a bit or straighten it, do whatever you need to do in order to not feel like you are tearing something. The goal is not to pull muscles or tear tissue. If you can't mirror the people on the video, so what? I've been doing yoga for years and can't exactly copy them. Do what you can, bend as far as you can, hold the pose as long as you can. Every little bit you ARE able to do is beneficial and with each time you do it, you will realize that your downward dog gets better and warrior 2 is held longer.

i just posted this in another discussion. so i'll just copy and paste:

QUOTE:
talk to seasoned Yogi's, and they will tell you that Yoga X is pretty advanced as well. so for a beginner? this video is uber tough. my one complaint is that Tony does not provide enough modification for the moves. so here's a few tips from a class that i took:

for upward dog (which really isnt too bad), do cobra instead, until you build the stregth to keep your knees off the mat, and turtle head out of the shell.

for any of the warrior poses, if those are hard for you, put the back knee down. but make sure you're still getting that stretch in the back leg (meaning, dont look like you've just gone down on one knee to propose!).

for things like, right angle pose and triangle pose, get a yoga block. the yoga block allows you to do those same poses, but not have to go as deep. what some people do (and myself included), is use a push up bar, if you dont have a yoga block handy. and as Tony shows in the videos, you can always use your leg (shin) or foot.

all in all, dont feel like you have to follow the kids in the video move for move. modify where you need to and the progress will come. i was inflexible and falling all over when i first did it. but i kept at it a bam! i can now touch my nose to my knee (only on my right side tho...haha). just like many, who could barely do 1 pull up in the beginning, and are now pounding out 10+ at the end of the 90 days, you also will not be as flexible!

Great posts, gang!!

I went into Yoga a little over a year ago with the intention of hating it. I've been pleasantly surprised. It's hard to hold a position and relax! Yet it can be done. As you improve, you become more flexible and you become stronger in ways that other exercises don't strengthen you. It's kind of strange, but it's true.

Coco has some great tips. I'll add mine...
Hold the postures as long as you reasonably can, then get out of them and go into a cobra position and wait there until Tony and the gang catch up. You may only be able to hold the posture for 5 seconds, that's okay. As time goes by, you'll be able to hold it longer.

Also, don't skip the balance postures and stretching toward the end of the video. That includes the ab portion. It's hard, you're tired, and you're beginning to think of all the other things you need to get done. Just resist the urge and do the exercise.

Third, if there's a position/exercise that you shouldn't do, do something else in its place. I've had a knee replacement, so you won't catch me doing Camel or Kenpo Quad Stretch. Instead, I'll stand and do the quad stretch from that position. I'll stretch my legs and back the way many martial artists stretch them (on a wall), and then I'll come back to the video when they've finished the part I'm substituting.

I'd give it some time...you'll learn to like it.

Hope this helps...

Kevin

Thanks to all who have replied. I kind of thought that it was a case of over doing it. I will try and back off a little. I do like it and have seen some improvement in the 3 times I have done it. I know it will get better. Thanks again.