You’d never guess it by looking around most yoga studios today but for centuries yoga was taught and practiced almost exclusively by men. It wasn’t until yoga was introduced to the West in the early 1900s that women started taking up the practice in earnest, popularising it, and eventually comprising the vast majority of contemporary practitioners. Nevertheless, if you’re reading this newsletter you’ve likely braved the crowds of spandex-clad women and pink sticky mats to give yoga a try. So where are the rest of the blokes?
It’s a paradox but men may initially avoid the yoga mat for the same reasons that will eventually become their key motivations for developing a regular practice. Some men, for example, may be turned off by the so-called feminine atmosphere that pervades many yoga studios. Let’s face it...sitar music, incense, candlelight, and instructions to ‘get in touch with your root chakra’ may be too ‘fluffy’ for some guys. Some men also don’t believe a traditional yoga class will provide the physical or mental challenges they seek in their exercise regimes. Real exercise is running a half-marathon or going for a long ocean swim.
Over time, however, men may find the non-competitive, more compassionate atmosphere of the yoga room to be a welcome refuge from the workaday world – a place where they can be themselves and not have to worry about being judged and found wanting. Moreover, anyone who’s done a 90-minute Power Vinyasa class in a heated room knows contemporary yoga isn’t just for nanas. It’s a full-body workout that requires everything from physical strength and flexibility to fearlessness and mental focus.
Sport-loving men who cross train with yoga will soon learn how the practice can help restore their body’s natural equilibrium and eliminate physical asymmetries that come from playing sports. Golfers can stretch out tight arm and shoulder muscles and cyclists can elongate shortend hip flexors. In short, a regular yoga practice can bring balance into the physical body and help you stay injury-free so you can enjoy your favourite sports for years to come.
Yoga also improves mental concentration, balance, posture, and body control – qualities that may help men succeed in their careers and personal lives. Indeed, if you’re a klutz or easily distracted, yoga may be just the thing you need to become more graceful and focused! In today’s youth-oriented culture, yoga’s anti-aging benefits may also give you an edge in the job market or dating world.
If you’re new to yoga, here’s some advice for cultivating a rewarding practice for years to come:
Start where you’re at – It seems obvious but you shouldn’t expect to become a super-yogi overnight. Men tend to have structural differences (tight hips, less active mirror neurons, and underdeveloped body awareness) that make yoga less ‘natural’ for them. So give it time! If you’re feeling really out of your depth on the mat, book some private lessons to learn the basics before braving an open class.
Let go of comparisons – Here’s a little secret: most seasoned yogins are so focused on their own practices it wouldn’t even occur to them to make comparisons with yours. Sure it may seem weird at first but if you can’t drop your ego in the yoga room and just be yourself, where can you? No one but the teacher is really watching you anyway so just get on with it and enjoy your practice!
Approach practice from your heart rather than your head – Becoming more heart-centred can be a big challenge for men who’ve been raised to believe masculinity means being unemotional, rational, or ‘mind-oriented’. While it may not be your style to bare all on the mat, it’s healthy to explore other more ‘fleshy’ aspects of yourself including those dreaded emotions and feelings. And nobody’s going to judge you if you have a little cry while surrendering in Child’s Pose...so just let it flow. In a sweaty yoga class no one will know the difference anyway!
Reconsider your definition of masculinity – You may not take up veganism or kirtan but as you practice you’ll likely come to this profound and deeply liberating realisation: there are as many ways to be a man as there are men. Yoga has this sneaky way of not only opening up our bodies but our minds and our spirits. So drop what you think you know about yourself and let yoga work its transformational magic!
Want to learn more? Read Real Men Do Yoga: 21 Star Athletes Reveal Their Secrets for Strength, Flexibility, and Peak Performance by John Capouya.