What's New in the World of Yoga:

Yoga is for women. At least, that's the common misconception. Male practitioners can't help but notice the disparity between the sexes in their yoga class. Granted, sometimes there's a greater percentage than at other times, but in most yoga classes, the men are outnumbered.

But does that matter? Does the disparity really mean anything? Well, no. The whole concept that yoga is primarily or predominantly for women is a myth. It's a sad misunderstanding that needs to be addressed.

For many men, the whole issue is precluded before they've even seen the inside of a yoga studio. The automatic image conjured is one of supple, tights-clad females posturing and posing passively. We men imagine soft music, incense, and candles. This runs entirely contrary to our pre-conceived trends of masculinity. Thus, from the outside, it's easy to dismiss yoga as feminine and inaccessibly foreign. Flexibility, we imagine, is the domain of females; the calm atmosphere of a yoga studio typical of a spa. These aren't values men are used to.

Absent are the overt trappings of male sport. There's no combative aspect to yoga - no competition. Nobody is vying for supremacy over another. Nothing is measured or tabulated; no statistics are generated; students aren't compared and ranked. Yoga is personal, private and introspective, and most North American men balk at how alien it is to their mindset.

The practice of yoga, however, is relatively new to these shores. Despite only recently gaining popularity here in North America, yoga has been practiced in India for thousands of years. Stone reliefs depicting people posturing and meditating in what can be described as a form of proto-yoga date prior to 3000 BC. And throughout its long history, yoga's most notable teachers and practitioners have been predominantly male.

From the half-legendary founders and medieval practitioners to their modern contemporaries, men have contributed extensively to the progress of yoga. Even as recently as the twentieth century, yoga saw its face changed through B.K.S. Iyengar's introduction of innovative props and Bikram Choudhury's controversial popularization of hot yoga techniques. Clearly not only can men practice yoga, but they have been proven to be historically instrumental in shaping the very concept of what yoga is.

Moreover, in spite of the often-held concept that the stretches and poses of a yoga workout are an inherently female practice, it is undeniable that yoga benefits everyone: male and female; young and old alike. The general health benefits to regular yoga practice are staggering. Physically and mentally, yoga focuses on alignment, as well as bringing into balance your body, breath and mind.

But, as a man, you probably work out. You go jogging and play sports. You don't need an additional workout, right? Wrong. Even for athletes and regularly-active individuals, yoga has far-reaching benefits. Some sports and trades tend to use repetitive, almost ritualistic motions. Tennis and golf are two such activities. These unbalanced motions, used frequently and repetitively, have a tendency to work some muscles more than others, causing the body to shift gradually out of alignment over time. Office workers suffer similar strain. Sitting in an office chair, especially at a computer, your body falls into bad physical habits which are perpetuated by your daily life. Yoga helps ease this strain, balancing the muscles and skeletal frame in a stretching workout designed ergonomically for the human body - designed, in fact, for your human body. The poses are modifiable. You don't need to take a stretch deeper than your body can comfortably go. Flexibility isn't a requirement; it's a side-effect.

As the significant health benefits of yoga are becoming more well-known, more and more men are hesitantly - even furtively - turning to yoga. Even some of the men you'd think would be the most unlikely to engage in such a pursuit do so regularly. Many professional athletes use yoga to round out their training regimen. Baron Baptiste, a yoga educator who is well known for popularizing yoga in Hollywood, went on to develop an NFL-specific yoga routine for the Philadelphia Eagles at the request of the coaching staff.

It's time for men to put aside our prejudices and divest ourselves of the ridiculous, unfounded misconception that yoga is a feminine activity. Why not try out a class - you won't even have to wear tight pants!

Updates from the Blog:

Isn't Yoga for Old People? by Francesca Silva

"Isn't yoga only for old people?"

With those words, my 12-year-old niece came perilously close to being disowned by me.

"Don't be silly – Auntie Fran's not old!" This was from my nine-year-old (smarter) niece, who obviously knows how to stay in my good books! Continue Reading...

Forgotten How to Breathe by Christina Souza Ma

Breathing – what is that?

When I went to bed last night, it was pouring rain.
Now, if you're anything like me, the wonderful pitter-patter against the windows and the roof of the house creates such a wonderful symphony of sounds that it seems to rock me to sleep. Continue Reading...

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