Namaste,
Yoga is for everyone. If you have a body you can do yoga,
However what happens usually is some men feel out of place or inept in a yoga class full of women. Broga at Soulsprite Devonport is a yoga class geared only for men.
Designed specially so that men can feel at ease to *not* get into asana/postures without worrying about their more nimble female peers. They can feel comfortable doing asana while sweating, grunting and making 'squeezee' type faces.
The yoga taught is the same with slight modifications of postures to suit the typical male body type. On the physical level we focus on common issues, tight hamstrings, hips and shoulders and strengthen with strong, challenging poses, Broga combines the core-strengthening, cardio-working, stress-reducing, clarity-enhancing yoga postures for an amazing workout. More importantly, on a deeper level, it artfully brings together focus on breathe while under stress, which can significantly help manage stress away from the yoga mat.
Breath is medicine for stress, fatigue and injury. Something very common in most modern day humans.
Yoga is particularly good for men. Breath, Strength and Focus are tools that can be used in sports and at work. More importantly practicing mindfully on the mat, brings that connection to "self" that most men shy away from. Research is showing us that stress is a subtle yet disruptive part of our modern life and sadly has a huge part to play in our Mental Health. For generations, yoga has been utilized as a therapeutic tool to achieve positive health and control and cure diseases. It is also known to relieve low-back and neck pain, and pain from tension-type headaches. It helps with insomnia and encourages good life choices and healthy eating/activity habits. The yoga postures target specific muscle groups, mobility and open out blockages in energy channels. It helps with
improving strength, balance and mobility - through postures and movement of joints
endurance and Injury prevention - through breath awareness and body proprioception
bringing calmness to the wavering mind - through mindfulness and connection of breath
learning to combat stress - through acknowledgement of stress, self awareness and relaxation
Through ancient times, Yoga was practiced, in India, by a higher proportion of men to women. Yogic scriptures were mainly written by men and yoga gurus who first brought Yoga to the west have mainly been men. In the modern world, it seems that there are more women attending Yoga classes than men. Though this trend is slowly changing.
There continues to be lot of research to scientifically prove that Yoga works. A recent study done in 2019 suggests that Yoga not only reduces stress, but it has positive effects on certain areas of your brain affected by stress such as the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala.
Some more stats that have been published in 2022.
Mental & emotional benefit stats:
86% report a reduction in stress.
69% report a positive increase in temperament and mood.
59% report an improvement in sleep quality and quantity.
86% report an overall improved sense of mental wellness and clarity.
Physical benefits of practicing yoga - stats:
77% report being physically stronger.
82% of patients surveyed with chronic inflammation reduced inflammation by nearly 50% after just 6 weeks daily yoga.
47% of patients surveyed with progressive heart disease, stopped further progression completely after one year of regular yoga practice.
37% of people who drank excessively and/or smoked cigarettes credit yoga with encouraging them to stop.
74% of arthritic adults used regular yoga practice to dramatically reduce pain and stiffness and increase mobility, according to a 2018 UK study.
12 months of regular yoga can decrease total cholesterol by 23% and 26% of the LDL “bad” cholesterol.
Over 80% of yoga practitioners with prior back pain reported significant relief of symptoms.
Research and statistics are a brilliant read. However, you can only experience these benefits when you get on your mat on a regular basis.
with gratitude,
Purnima (Broga Instructor at Soulsprite)