This is the "exercise" part. Your really don't realize how much effort it takes to hold a position until after you've had to hold it for a minute or two. It's my favorite form of exercise. It's not an endorphin rush, per se, but more of an endorphin creep. Also, in my experience, The endorphin high seems to last longer than a high intensity workout. To me, it's just as good, except, different.
Exactly. Even a basic front plank hold for 60 seconds will be excruciatingly difficult for an untrained person. (and exceedingly satisfying when you are able to do longer and longer periods as you train.)
As someone who doesn't practice yoga but has dabbled, it seems to be all in the style. Some yoga feels like a light pre-run stretch; some yoga feels like intense acrobatics.
If you just can't imagine how yoga could be hard, think about rock climbing. It's just body contortion, holding strange positions, and stretches. Yet I come off difficult walls shaking, panting, and covered in sweat.
If you really want to push your body to its limit, try a Bikram yoga (or any hot yoga) class. I was in pretty good shape when I started and it took me almost 6 months before I could even attempt to complete all the asanas (and about the first 10 classes I felt like I came close to passing out a few times). I've been practicing now for 6 years and still have a long way to go before I feel I'll have mastered the asanas. It easily meets or exceeds the impact that weightlifting has on my body.
I liked the small amount of hot yoga I tried, but I was put off Bikram by learning about the man and decided I didn't want any more of my money to flow in the direction of such a sociopath/megalomaniac. I wish there were more non-Bikram hot yoga classes around, particularly in my neck of the woods!
