Tag Archives: yoga

The world agrees that more men should try yoga

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My last yoga blog – Is yoga any good for men or should they stick to running and weight lifting?  – created quite a bit of debate on a LinkedIn yoga group. On the whole teachers from around the world agree that more men should try yoga. But they agree with me that there are barriers.

George from Denver said:

“Yoga was originally designed and done primarily almost exclusively by men. Unfortunately what has happened is classes have been designed around women’s needs. When I go to classes in the community it seems to become more of a athletic competition in Lulumon than yoga.”

men should try yoga

Julie from Baltimore has written similar thoughts:

“Here is an article I recently wrote about men and yoga which was inspired by a similar discussion in the Yoga Alliance Linked In group: Click here to read it. “

Debra, also from Denver, believes that the fitness industry is partly to blame for the way it portrays yoga:

“Since the word YOGA means union and balance of all aspects of life, the idea of it as gender specific to females is ludicrous. I am aware that in parts of the US  – the class population is generally female, and men may feel intimidated or that yoga practice is useless to their competitive nature. This notion is fuelled by the fitness industry, and it is our responsibility as teachers of spiritual practice to dispel this belief.”

Mike from Ottowa makes a really good point about the differences between what men and women get from yoga.

“Men tend to have tighter hips and stronger muscles, which can and will, over time, diminish range of motion and that overall feeling of “lightness” that we all love. The men in my class feel the immediate benefits as they get flexible fast… the women in my class get strong. Both are necessary and are part of the yin/yang balance that contribute to overall wellness.”

And finally Greg from the UK sums it up as follows:

“Try run a men only workshop so they can be introduced to yoga without worrying about being an inflexible man amongst a full class of women.”

Over to you: So my quest to get more men into yoga classes continues. What ideas have you had to get more men into your yoga classes. If you are a bloke who wants to take the plunge but feels that yoga is too fluffy, let me know your concerns and I’ll try and help. Leave a comment below.

Is yoga any good for men or should they stick to running and weight lifting?

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , ,

There are usually just two reasons why men will try a yoga class.

The first one is that they are dragged, usually kicking and scream, by their girlfriends or wives. These are the hardest for teachers like me to win over. They’ll stand there with a sullen look whilst I explain the basics, arms folded in defensive defiance.

And the second reason is that they are referred to class by their doctor or specialist because of an injury. I had one of these last night. His knee needed strengthening and the doctor told him that standing yoga poses would be of great therapeutic benefit. He didn’t look sullen nor were his arms crossed but he did look mildly worried.

yoga any good for men

Yoga has an image problem when it comes to men. Perhaps they think that it is something fluffy that just girls do. Or perhaps they think that it isn’t hard enough. Especially those who spend hours pumping weights or running until the treadmill is worn out.

The trouble is that all that pumping and all that running without an associated stretching regime can reduce flexibility and leave them prone to injury. Which is exactly why they should try yoga in the first place.

Despite their initial reluctance I find that once a bloke has been to a yoga class the chances are he will come back again. Because he will feel the benefits of the strengthening and the stretching and how it compliments his pumping and his running. He will see the improvement in his flexibility and his posture almost immediately. For single guys there’s also the added bonus that as a result of other men’s preconceptions there are rather a lot of girls in the class.

So is yoga any good for men? Absolutely. Yoga is great for men. The problem is getting them into the studio in the first place. So girlfriends and wives; please keep dragging them in kicking and screaming. Doctors and specialists; please keep on referring the injured.

I’ll keep on working on making them converts.

Over to you: Are you a guy who has been either dragged kicking and screaming into a yoga class or referred by a doctor? Or have you gone along because you heard about the benefits and how it would help with your other exercises? I’d love to hear your stories. Please leave a comment below and share your experiences.

If you think yoga is too easy – try Power Yoga. I bet you’ll sweat and find it really challenging.

First impressions of Body Balance Release 57 after Dunfermline quarterly workshop

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Body Balance Release 57 brought a little sunshine to Scotland today. A good job because as I drove over the Forth Bridge on the way to the Dunfermline quarterly workshop, the rain was torrential and the clouds so low it was like driving through fog.

body balance release 57 dunfermline quarterly workshop

Our trainer was Giovanni Sacco (who also took my Body Combat Quarterly in Glasgow last week – I’m not a stalker honest) and he delivered a polished class. Les Mills are always telling us to script our classes and not to simply reproduce what’s said on the DVD. I’ve seen some trainers who are almost word perfect to the DVD script, so great to hear Gio’s own words. I picked up some great cues today.

So what is Body Balance Release 57 like? Here are my initial impressions.

  • Great music. A real cross section of styles including a rockier feel in the core abs track.
  • One of the songs used to be the theme music for Top of The Pops a long time ago.
  • The Tai Chi warm up is stunning. Beautiful flowing moves and a lovely song by SleepThief.
  • The Sun Salutation has a very long sequence with varied elements. It isn’t what we are used to. This will take a lot of remembering as well as teaching.
  • The balance track feels very balletic.
  • Gate Pose appears in the hips track. We haven’t had this one in Body Balance before but I love to teach it in Yoga.
  • The abs and back tracks are hard core tough. It was like turning a tap on. Sweat was pouring out of my head by the end of these.

After we finished the class with it’s chilled final phase there was a education session looking at “feeling” the yoga elements of Body Balance. How do you do this? Hold a pose for 5 long endless minutes, in this case downward facing dog. A simple and effective method of getting us to feel the moves. So more moans and groans from the room full of instructors who all committed to trying this with a pose a week from now on.

At the risk of sounding like a stuck record it looks like we have yet another amazing release continuing an unbroken run of top quality since way back at number 39. I’m going to really enjoy learning and teaching this one.

Watch out for a full review of the class once I have learned it and taught it a few times.

Over to you: Are you a Body Balance instructor? What were your first impressions of release 57. Please leave a comment by clicking below, I’d love to know what you think.

6 modern yoga styles by entrepreneurial teachers you must check out

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I’ve written about the difference between traditional yoga styles, such as Hatha and Ashtanga, and modern interpretations on this blog before. Modern yoga styles often appeal to people simply looking for the exercise benefits yoga can bring. The traditional types appeal to those looking for the wider, perhaps more spiritual and meditative experience.

There are modern takes on yoga that have been developed by entrepreneurial yoga teachers. What I mean is they have created yoga brands and business models around their own unique interpretation of yoga. Perhaps the most famous of these is Bikram Choudray who created Bikram Yoga which is now well known throughout the world as a sequence of 26 poses taught in a very hot room.

There are others that are well worth checking out. Here are 6 modern interpretations of yoga developed by such entrepreneurial teachers, all of which have touched me to different degrees on my own journey to be a yoga teacher.

modern yoga styles entrepreneurial teachers

Baron Baptiste hails from the US and promotes a style called Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga. It’s quite a challenging class taught in a very motivational style focussing on physical achievement. Traditional yoga trappings are kept to a minimum though there are nods to the Sanskrit names and the power of meditation.

Baptiste describes himself as follows:

“… not a spiritual, moral or religious teacher of any kind, nor is he a guru or spiritual master of any sort; he makes no claim to having any special brand of wisdom or enlightened knowledge. Baron is inspired by sharing his experience and contributing to others by teaching from the body of principles and distinctions that make up Baptiste Yoga and from his own upbringing and training in yoga and transformational practices.”

His book “Journey into Power” is well worth tracking down on Amazon.

modern yoga styles

David Farmar a graduate of the Baptiste school and teaches in Denver Colorado. I’ve included him here for two reasons. First his teaching style is amongst the best I’ve ever seen, perhaps a little loud for some, but motivational with very clear instruction. He also injects humour into his teaching which won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I think it makes for a unique experience.

Secondly he publishes regular audio podcasts of his classes on iTunes? They show case his style of teaching and are a great source of good teaching points for teachers. The instruction is so precise you could do a whole class without needing to see him. I find this quite remarkable.

modern yoga styles

Sadie Nardini positions herself as a wellness expert and her own style of yoga is called Core Vinyasa. Check out her videos and the great articles she writes on wellness topics. Her innovation is the ability to have a consultation with her via Skype.

She describes her approach:

“My intention is to make yoga and centering simple, fun, engaging and clear, so everyone  can take charge of their own future, by getting back to living honestly, and fully, right here in the present moment.”

modern yoga styles

Shiva Rea is probably the most graceful yoga presenter I have ever seen and she has a great name. Again a prolific producer of videos, her yoga brand is called Prana Flow. And flow it does. Her sequences of poses melt together to create beautiful intricate and sometimes challenging patterns.

Shiva sums it up as follows:

“Vinyasa is a natural sequence unfolding with creative intelligence – a conscious evolution connecting each moment with unifying breath.”

modern yoga styles

A well known entrepreneur in the UK fitness market for over a decade, Jayne Nicholls introduced her brand Freestyle Fitness Yoga (FFY) specifically for people looking only for yoga’s exercise benefits. It is unique that it uses no yoga terminology at all. You won’t hear words like Warrior Two in an FFY class, nor will you have to learn Sanskrit pose names.

Jayne’s focus is on the physical benefit of the exercise. You’ll know why you are doing each pose, which muscles it works, and what effect it will have on you.

She explains her approach:

“FFY concentrates on movement, breathing, transitions from one posture to another and progression. There is no dogma, chanting or use of Sanskrit terms as postures are prescribed from a modern fitness perspective.”

modern yoga styles

Finally Yoga Today is a lovely website run by a team of American Yoga teachers. They regularly release whole classes on video in various traditional and modern styles, sometimes mixing the two. You can buy an hour long class for a couple of quid, amazing value for such quality instruction. Some of the films were shot outdoors in simply stunning locations. Yoga against a backdrop of such breathtaking scenery adds an extra special element to these lovely videos.

My favourite teacher is Adi Amar. Her precise instruction shows her deep love for what she does. Watch her teach the traditional Ashtanga Primary Series, or a modern Power Yoga sequence. She is addictive.

I have learned so much from these inspirational people, who thanks to the Internet, have been able to take their brands and teaching expertise to a worldwide audience.

Over to you: What do you think of these websites and modern yoga styles? Have you come across any other yoga styles and brands developed by entrepreneurial teachers? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.