Dude Yoga

Last night I went to YinYang Yoga and found something shocking -  I was the only girl in the class.  And there were four - four! - guys there.  Have you been to yoga class before?  Its chicks, man.  Maybe a guy thrown in for good measure, but mostly girls.  The fact that I was the only girl was a complete oddity.  Which lead me to wonder, why don't more guys take yoga classes?

Kim and I discussed this rare occurrence and she broke down the group for me:  2 dudes there for high blood pressure, 1 dude there for work related stress and 1 dude there because he is an athlete. And that breakdown makes sense - yoga is good for so many different reasons: agility, strength, flexibility, clarity and stress-reduction, to name just a few.  So why are guys and yoga (at least in the our region) such an rare breed?

I suppose that some guys may think that stretching is a girl thing.   Also, there is a lack of competitiveness that may deter some men.  Bill says it doesn't build strength for his particular purpose or needs...that it doesn't translate into his (read: 'boy') activities.

I am here to say this -

If you are an athlete, yoga will help your sport.  It will loosen your hips and add flexibility to your shoulders.  It will build your muscles and strengthen your core.  It will teach you mental toughness in a way you haven't learned it before.

If you have a stressful job, it will teach you how to manage stress.  It will teach you how to move beyond the everyday obstacles that clutter your time.  It will make you more focused and able to work with a calm mind.

If you have low self-esteem, it will teach you not to judge yourself by reflecting on others.  It will teach you to compete within yourself and to grow without judgment.  It will show you that you are strong where you thought you were weak.

Yoga is many things...but it is not just a 'chick' thing.  Yoga is for dudes too.


***Please note, an OpenSky Store launch post is coming.  I am having technical difficulties...namely that I am on vacation and have been at the beach instead of watching tutorials on how to set it up.  Patience my blog friends - it is coming. ***