Contents
These men were not ready to sit in the lotus position in the company of women. But, in order to relieve tension and develop flexibility, they nevertheless decided to try yoga. And now we are sure: it suits men too.
This is just laughter: since February, he has been going to yoga every Thursday! When 36-year-old sound engineer Igor told his colleagues about this, they had a lot of fun. If so, maybe he should also do macrame? Igor himself smiled in response: “I only went because I wanted to find a common activity for my wife and me outside the home. Yoga was her idea. I agreed out of curiosity. And I could not even think that I would like it, and most importantly, it would bring so many benefits. Since he became interested in yoga, his right shoulder stopped “pulling”, and in addition, he also quit smoking. It seems that he himself is still surprised.
53-year-old Eugene signed up for classes after a divorce, when he felt that loneliness became a burden to him. “I thought it would be easier for me to get to know each other at some women’s class.” So he ended up in a trendy fitness center in a group of two men and 15 women. And he couldn’t help but feel excited when the (beautiful) instructor encouraged the girls during breathing exercises: “Shovels down, chest forward! ..” Tall, broad-shouldered Valery (he is 41 years old), chose yoga for the sake of “feeling Zen”. She helped him cope with the constant stress at work and the consequences of injuries that he received during the years of playing professional hockey: “Now I sleep better and almost do not need masseurs.” 34-year-old manager Maxim and 29-year-old programmer Pavel once purchased memberships to a yoga center to “pause” and offer their bodies a calm alternative to strength training. They did not know then that it would change their lives: a few years later both became yoga teachers.
And let it seem funny to someone, like Igor’s friends, but more and more modern men are discovering yoga. Most often, they are attracted by the opportunity to improve their well-being: relieve tension in the back, get rid of a headache … “Among other things, I also had breathing problems,” recalls Igor. “For example, when I had to speak in front of people, on a flight, I began to choke, my heart was pounding … Thanks to yoga, I learned to better manage both breathing and emotions.”
Read more:
- Which yoga is right for me?
Dream muscle
None of them dreamed about yoga since childhood, as boys do with football or hockey. These men went to classes because they thought they would be beneficial. And they weren’t wrong! “Pain in the hip and knee, which had been bothering me for a long time, disappeared in a couple of months,” recalls Valery. – True, after each lesson I felt how my muscles were tense. No matter what they say, yoga involves real physical activity and makes you sweat. I know what sport is, but after the first classes, I suddenly felt such parts of the body in me that I didn’t even suspect existed! But he did not back down: “The fact is that I felt not only tired, but also some changes in myself. I don’t know how to explain it … I had a completely unfamiliar feeling that I control my body not only with the help of muscles.
In the minds of many men, yoga is such a gentle, relaxing sport. In general, “women’s occupation”, as Eugene believed. And in some ways he is right: yoga really does not have such signs of sport as competitiveness and entertainment, violent emotions and bursts of adrenaline … Probably, this attracts women … and provides yoga with dubious fame among men. And yet, the reputation of a “female occupation” is unfair: in India, where yoga originated five thousand years ago, it was practiced exclusively by men until the middle of the last century. Yogis, like athletes, strive to rise above the normal capabilities of the human body. They don’t work for medals, but they end up mastering asanas that require so much flexibility, endurance and focus that any athlete would consider them to be real sporting achievements. By the way, despite prejudice, some coaches turn to yoga to improve the performance of athletes. For example, elements of hatha yoga and exercises to improve concentration from raja yoga are included in the training program for the Russian men’s basketball team.
Read more:
- Jon Kabat-Zinn: “Meditation strengthens the immune system”
Develop flexibility
Lack of competition isn’t the only reason men don’t see themselves in the lotus position. The fact is that this position, like seven thousand others, requires flexibility, which they often simply lack. That is why the acquaintance with yoga according to the BCS Iyengar method became a real gift of fate for Pavel. Belts, bars and other auxiliary accessories allowed him to perform all the basic asanas even when he still could not sit on the mat with straight legs and a straight back: either one or the other was bent. “I stopped feeling awkward because of my inflexibility,” recalls Pavel. “And that helped me move forward.” He was so inspired by the classes that two years ago he became a certified teacher of the Iyengar method.
About what has changed for them, Valery, Maxim and Igor speak with restraint … and with surprise: the classes have changed not only the appearance of each of them, but also their relationship with their own body, with themselves and the world around them. Perhaps yoga, in the minds of many men, is a “women’s activity” simply because it encourages one to follow the path of inner development, which is considered more acceptable for women than for men? And in vain it is considered: “I like to do yoga with my wife, surrounded by other women,” Igor admits. “Breathing, relaxation, concentration – these exercises help me look at my experiences from the outside and make more meaningful decisions.”
And Eugene – even if he had not yet met a new love – at least realized that he would help him in his search: women are always attracted to men in whom the harmony of body and spirit is palpable. Just what yoga offers.
Read more:
- Sports therapy: how (still) to build relationships in a couple
According to the principle of pleasure
Hatha, Raja, Ashtanga Vinyasa, Himalayan, Akro, Bikram, Mantra, Kriya, Sivananda, Bhakti, Jnana, Japa, Dhyana, Iyengar… For a beginner, this language is incomprehensible, like Sanskrit itself. How to choose the right direction of yoga? All former beginners unanimously answer: it doesn’t matter. Or to be more precise, listen only to your intuition. And, of course, choose a place where it is easy to get to, where you are comfortable, where there are not too many students, and the instructor is sympathetic. It is not necessary to purchase a subscription right away: as a rule, everywhere there is an opportunity to pay for a one-time visit. Try different options until you find what suits you. Many centers periodically hold free open classes, where everyone can come. In the summer, it is even easier to find “your” yoga: until September, free open-air classes are held in many city parks. You can find the nearest venue and check the schedule, for example, on the website organic-people.ru
Learn more
Iyengar Yoga Center Network Yoga Practikayoga.ru
Network of centers “Federation of Yoga”kundalini.ru
Moscow School of Yoga Mos-yoga.ru