Yoga For Men
Yoga Mad
Yoga for men is something that may not come to mind straight away as a great form of exercise for the body, and yet it is. Yoga was originally developed in India as an exercise for Hindu yogis, who are mainly men.
Yoga can be very helpful for improving bodily strength, which often comes as a surprise to many men. You can strengthen the back muscles with many yoga poses. Others such as the Crow pose (Bakasana) work on increasing arm strength.
At the same time, yoga increases flexibility of the body which can be helpful if you tend to be stiff and muscle-bound. It also has a very calming effect on the mind. Once you begin to practice yoga and let go of the competitiveness that is associated with so many sport-based forms of exercise, you will find it benefits you through all of your daily activities. Yoga is well known for pacifying the breath, reducing stress and helping both men and women to become more focused and centered in their lives.
- Image by Dan Dickinson via Flickr
Yoga is a lot more than just a physical workout. Some forms of yoga, for example ashtanga yoga, are very fast-moving and aerobic, and many men are more attracted to this yoga style than the more contemplative types of yoga that focus on breathing, slow movement and holding poses. However, the forms of yoga that hold poses for longer do give the body just as much of a workout, so do not avoid these just because they may not seem so masculine.
Your yoga discipline aims to combine mind, body and spirit to achieve a unity that promotes both physical and mental wellness, whatever form you choose. For men it is especially important to learn to relate to the body in this way and stop comparing with others or striving for fast progress. You will find that one person can do a pose more or less easily than another, it does not matter. This does not mean that the person is more healthy or fit.
If you are in a mixed class you will find that there are some poses that tend to be easier for women, and others that are easier for men. This does not matter, but if you prefer to concentrate on exercises that are particularly beneficial for the male body, you may want to assay out an all male yoga class.
Do not to force the body any further than is easy and comfortable, it is important to enjoy your practice. You can feel the effects with possibly some stiffness in the muscles, you will probably find that the day after what seemed like an easy yoga class. So do not push too hard.
Unlike many forms of strength-based exercise, there are no standards or goals to measure yourself against in yoga. Some men find this disconcerting, but once you adapt to it, yoga for men is very liberating.
If you found this article interesting please visit Hot Yoga Blog
Tags: Arm Strength, Ashtanga Yoga, Back Muscles, Competitiveness, Discipline, Exercise, Fi, Flexibility, Hindu, India, Many Men, Men And Women, Mental Wellness, Mind Body And Spirit, Physical Workout, Reducing Stress, Types Of Yoga, Unity, Yoga, yoga blogs, Yoga Poses, Yoga Style, Yoga Tips, Yogis