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Despite the ongoing success of my Zoom live classes, there still is a low turnout from the chaps. This is a shame as I know how good yoga is for men in particular through my own experience.
Ironically yoga was originally practiced almost solely by boys before it was exported from India for its glossy makeover in the West. In fact many of the yoga postures we see in current yoga classes can trace their origin back to the British Army and Scandinavian gymnastics, but that’s another article.
The good news is that it is now starting to catch on with men, especially with professional athletes and sportsmen. I trained with the yoga teacher that enabled Ryan Giggs to extend his football career through the adoption of yoga into his training and yoga is becoming integral to the strength and conditioning programmes in rugby and other team sports.
The modern setting of most yoga studios is quite intimidating to most men, too. Men will struggle to leave the ego outside and engage with the purity of the practice and being surrounded by relatively flexible women may further compound the problem
This self-consciousness, though an essential first step in the process of evolution, is sometimes too much of a burden without the right guidance from a good teacher. In addition, the outward flexibility in the appearance of a pose is something that looks rather feminine though the eyes of most western men, who generally are exposed to the big-muscle, sword-wielding warrior role model from an early age. Ours is an age where aggression is associated with ambition; stillness is viewed as weak. It is a wonder why most men try yoga at all.
And this is why my online Zoom classes are great. You are in your own space, so no comparisons, no need to feel self-conscious, no need for ego. My articulation and instructions will enable you to get the best out of your body and really engage in the movement and breath.
Some of the postures and movement will be hard, very hard and you will come to realise the effect this is having, the tightness in your body and the challenge of simply breathing and pulling it all together. But it’s not all physical, the best of yoga is what goes on in your mind, or doesn’t so to speak. This is the essence of why we get onto our mat.
So if you have any interest and have perhaps thought about trying yoga, then please join in with us and give it a go, you will be very welcome!