Yoga has been around for over 5,000 years and was mainly rooted in spiritualism throughout most of its history. While many to this day continue practicing yoga for its spiritualistic benefits, it is only when yoga was introduced into the western world where its many other benefits were discovered thus increasing its popularity.
Different Styles of Yoga
Hatha Yoga was the first style of yoga introduced to the western world with other styles of yoga eventually evolving from it. Today, there are many different styles of yoga including vinyasa, power, Iyengar, aerial, kundalini, yin, and perhaps the most popular style in the western world which is Bikram or hot yoga. There’s chair yoga for seniors, goat yoga for animal enthusiasts, and prenatal yoga for pregnant women. There’s even laughter yoga for people who enjoy to laugh. I think it would be hilarious if someone offered a class that combined goat yoga and laughter yoga. One style of yoga I have tried is SUP Yoga which involves doing yoga on a paddle board. I love paddle boarding but attempting some of the yoga poses on a paddle board can be a challenge. For anyone that is interested in starting yoga for the first time, you’ll certainly have a wide variety of styles to choose from.
Benefits of Yoga
There are many benefits to practicing yoga, such as improved flexibility, weight reduction, stress reduction, better sleep, and improved sex life. Many claim that doing yoga regularly can make you look and feel younger by reversing your biological age. I tend to agree with this as after a few years of practicing yoga, I was and continue to be in the best physical and mental condition of my life. Another benefit is how much yoga can help with your breathing. Before beginning yoga, I had a problem with breathing rapidly, especially during my sleep. My rapid breathing eventually dissipated after starting my yoga practice.
When including meditation in your yoga routine, you’ll gain even more benefits such as improved focus and memory, reduced anxiety, and less mental fatigue. I personally noticed how meditation made me a more compassionate person and less judgmental. It also made me more self-aware of not just my physical health, but my mental and spiritual well-being as well. I will discuss more about the benefits of meditation in a future post. Incorporating breath work and meditation with your fitness routine is important in creating a healthy balance of yin and yang for your overall wellbeing.
More Men Need to be Doing Yoga
Over 70% of people practicing yoga are women. While more and more men are trying out yoga every year, I believe there’s still a certain stigma about doing yoga that is preventing many men from taking their first yoga class. A couple of reasons I hear from other men is that yoga is too feminine or that it is only for flexible people. I consider myself to be a masculine male and have never felt I’ve lost any of my masculinity from doing yoga despite becoming a more compassionate person. When I took my first yoga class, I couldn’t even touch my toes. While my flexibility has greatly improved since I started doing yoga, I probably will never be able to do the splits or the lotus pose. And that’s perfectly fine with me because that has never been my main goal.
Many men who lift weights will find that incorporating yoga, especially hot and power yoga, into their fitness routine will greatly assist in toning their muscles and attaining those elusive 6 pack abs. Being a regular weightlifter for most of my life, I had never been able attain 6 pack abs until I started practicing yoga regularly. Keep in mind that you do need to eat a healthy diet as well. Another benefit for weightlifters is that many yoga exercises involve stretching your muscles which increases your range of motion resulting in less injuries occurring.
If you’re into playing sports, yoga can help elevate your game to the next level. I’ve been a lifelong tennis player and noticed an improvement in my serve after a few months of yoga. Tom Brady is arguably the greatest quarterback of all time and regularly incorporates yoga into his fitness routine. He continues to be at the top of his game despite being well into his 40’s. I encourage all men to give yoga a try and don’t let your preconceptions about yoga get in the way.
Recommendations Before Your First Yoga Class
Here are a few recommendations for anyone willing to give yoga a try for the first time. Before your first class, try doing some breathing exercises as this will make it easier when going in and out of yoga poses. Breathing through your nose and through your diaphragm are important foundations to remember for proper breathing technique. There are many videos online that will teach you how to breathe properly or you can sign up for a personalized breathing exercise session with us.
When starting your yoga practice, me mindful as to not push your body beyond its limits. Unless you’re already trained as a gymnast, don’t attempt any advanced yoga poses as this will often lead to injuries. I experienced this myself after incurring injuries attempting the lotus pose and handstand. Your yoga teacher will often show a beginner, intermediate, and advanced way of doing most poses especially when attending a multi-level yoga class. Also, let your teacher know of any injuries you currently have so that your teacher can provide you with adjustments or alternate poses.
If you decide to try your first hot yoga class, make sure to properly hydrate with water before the class. Failure to do so can lead to splitting headaches and severe dehydration. Before I took my first Bikram yoga class, I forgot to drink enough water and almost passed out during the class. If you’re still hesitant about attending your first yoga class, try a private yoga session so you’ll get the personalized attention to make sure you’re performing the yoga poses with correct form.
Yoga continues to gain in popularity throughout the world as people acknowledge the many benefits yoga has to offer. So, don’t let your age, gender, or current physical condition stop you from taking that first yoga class.
Good post. I learn something new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon on a daily basis. Its always interesting to read articles from other writers and practice something from other sites.
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