Forums > Beginner Poi Moves > Benefits of yoga for poi?

Posted: 8th Jan 2006
I don't think it's a yoga thing.. I think you'd find similarities with folks that have a background in meditative or precise movement styles.. such as Tai Chi, weapons use martial arts, some forms of dance. Personally, I think Tai Chi would be a better workspace than yoga.

As a disclaimer tho, I have never dabbled in any of the above.

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Posted: 8th Jan 2006
I wanna take up Tai Chi 1) cos its so good for you, and 2) cos it'd help my poi!

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Posted: 9th Jan 2006
i think it would help alot, my mate is soooooo bendy. he finds it well easy to do behind the back stuff. i recon my arms r to short, or my bum is to big lol

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Posted: 9th Jan 2006
Basically, any type of "meditative" practice will help with spinning poi. You must consentrate on the feeling of spinning poi rather than the moves themselves. Also, yoga involves lots of stretching and bending which will help you to build muscle which is needed for specific poi moves as well as leave you feeling more flexable which DEFINITELY helps with spinning poi!! :)

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Posted: 10th Jan 2006
The reason people like Meenik and Coleman have such clean planes is not particularly because of yoga, but because they spend hours and hours drilling their planes. For instance, if you hold one arm up high and one arm down whilst spinning your poi, as if you've stayed in a the same position when doing a flower, then watch your reflection until your poi are in the perfect plane. Then moving your arms into a different position and doing this again. There are lots of threads about this if you do a search.



But I do think yoga, or more particularly tai chi have other benifits for poi spinners (particularly if this style is the one you aspire to - old skool spinning). They make you think about a more controlled overall movement, concentrating on your centre of gravity. You'll notice that Nick in his dervishly yers video bends his knees, lowering his centre of gravity so that he is more stable and less likley to overbalance.



Only problem is affording the classes and having the time. I have neither at the moment, but maybe one day.



p.s. thanks to all the teachers at uberpoi for teaching this - particularly Drew.



edit- after thinking some more, I also think that Tai chi and yoga may help increase awareness of the body movements and style (ie coordination and levels of speed). I think they help teach discipline and ways of practicing to ensure improvement. However I don't think you have to do yoga or tai chi to be able to do any of these, but it will help.
EDITED_BY: pricklyleaf (1136916011)

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Posted: 11th Jan 2006
I have done a fair amount of yoga. But I don't think it helps planes particularly. I think it focuses your mind on the movement of the body (and breathing/living/thinking/many other things) and therefore enables you to use your body more precisely.



It them follows that you will be able to execute moves closer to the way you want to, by using your body in more deliberate ways.







edit: what pricklyleaf said at the end 'awareness of movemen/overall control' spot on IMO.
EDITED_BY: fluffy napalm fairy (1137010025)

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Posted: 11th Jan 2006
Thanks for the helpful replies!

I have read a lot of the threads about planes, and I'm a firm believer in them (up to a point )

I have also done some tai chi and I definitely find it something I can relate to when spinning poi.

However, I think yoga is definitely something I will try when I have the opportunity to do so. I think it will help give the edge on some of the movements i use in poi:

I try to keep a knees slightly bent stance for most moves, but for corkscrew variations I prefer a much lower, wider stance: I think yoga would help me with the transition/level to which i can 'sink' into the stance. Also (although I'm not a huge fan of BTB stuff anymore) I can see it definitely helping with that family of moves, amongst other things.

Written by: fluffy napalm fairy

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It them follows that you will be able to execute moves closer to the way you want to, by using your body in more deliberate ways.

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Posted: 30th Aug 2006
yup, i'm a yoga / meditation junky, done some kung fu too, and I'm pretty sure that none of them have done anything directly for my spinning that a bunch of stretching and practice wouldn't. I think everyone's right about ancilliary benefits, more or less, but when it comes to physical coordination and physical posture and physical planes, nothing beats old fashioned physical practice.

Posted: 10th Dec 2006
Yoga develops mostly concentration and consciousness of your body. It helps maintaining the connexion between the different levels of your being. What you notice more pleasant to look at is the free energy flow surrounding a good yoga practicioner.
For coordination, equilibrium, flexibility and so on, you will notice the same in many jugglers, circus artists, dancer, sportsman, etc.