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New Experience of Yoga in Japan: Part I
The thought of going to a yoga studio in Japan NEVER crossed my mind. But when my girlfriend looked up yoga studios in her hometown of Sapporo, I became interested in finding out how people in Japan do yoga.
When we arrived at one of the yoga studios in Japan, the first discovery my girlfriend and I made was that we couldn’t just drop in on the day and attend a class.
We were supposed to have made an appointment prior to that day’s class. With some convincing, however, my girlfriend was able to get us into the class so that we could start our first workout in Japan.Now, the yoga studio was NOT that big. We’re talking about a maximum of 12 to 15 people for one yoga session. And as far as equipment went, each participant was provided with a yoga mat, a blanket, and a strap.
As the studio started to fill with more and more students, I noticed that I was the ONLY guy in the class! It didn’t help that, on entering the room, the yoga instructor pointed out in Japanese all the new students, making a specific reference to me – the only male! It’s almost as if NO Japanese guys do yoga (which I believe is true). And just in case I didn’t feel uncomfortable enough, I was placed in the middle of the room so that I’d have nowhere to hide. It must be the first time in my life that I didn’t feel good about being surrounded by women!
Stay tuned and in my next blog entry I’ll explain to you how the yoga workout proceeded.
[tags]yoga in japan, new experience of yoga, yoga practice, yoga class, yoga studio[/tags]
It would be interesting to find out if your experience is typical in Japan – that men don’t tend to do yoga there, and how this is perceived in their culture.
Great to read your blog and how your are navigating the yoga practice.
Yes Koi,
I would be most interested in possibly interviewing men from Japan who have the interest in doing Yoga, but are reluctant to due to the culture they live in.
Michael,
Thanks for the encouraging comment, for practicing yoga in other countries has opened my eyes to even greater destinations to come.