Yoga is for EVERYbody

To be frank, yoga is a long standing tradition dating back thousands of years, practiced and observed by people in India. We in the western world have only learned about it in the last 50 years or so.

In the U.S. yoga has a certain stigma, or type.

She is thin, she’s flexible. I’m here to smash that stereotype! Since I started teaching yoga 6 years ago I’ve learned that it’s not only for one type of person. There is something for everyone and it’s all about finding the type of yoga that speaks to you.

Let’s focus on your boyfriend for a minute though. Does he say “yoga is boring,” “I’m looking for a real workout,” “I can’t do that stuff”? I’ve heard it all and there are times when that can be true. There are also times when you try a new bar and the music is weird, the drinks aren’t your type, and the crowd is corky at best. You don’t stop going to bars all together though, you find another one you do like. The same goes for yoga. If you want a slower yoga there’s restorative yoga, if you want a good sweat and challenge, boy does vinyasa yoga have something for you! I’m biased because that’s my favorite but that means I can speak to it most. If you’re tired of your boyfriend claiming he knows all there is about yoga, stick with me, we’re going to change his mind.

What drives me to aggressively write about this topic is how many injuries I see in men, some of which truly baffle me. From throwing out a hip while playing golf, to tweaking a shoulder while weight lifting, even sitting in a desk for such a long period of time that you throw your back out after standing back up. What’s crazy is that all of these can be dealt with preventatively through yoga.

It almost feels like these men are trying to win a trophy for being the least mobile and in the most chronic pain. Then there’s that running joke about not being able to even imagine touching one’s toes. That one always gets me! Why is it a badge of honor that you're one golf ball pick up away from throwing out your back because your hamstrings are so tight? Or that you’re inching closer to a life of searing pain when you sit on the ground with your kids and grand kids? At this point I know the men reading this or getting this read to them by their disgruntled partner is saying “How would yoga help any of that? I’m just not flexible, okay!?”

Have I piqued his interest? 

The promise of a life without silly old man pain is possible and actually at his finger tips. Think of our muscles as springs. A tight muscle, one only exposed to weight lifting growth or zero physical activity, is a spring close to its limit. That spring has a range, but since it’s already under so much constraint, one move too quick and it hits failure. The result being a sprain, a pulled muscle, or even your muscle seizing up for protection causing lots of pain. None of those sound desirable, I know, but I’m sure you’ve heard some iteration from your young buck with the agility of a geezer. 

Now let me paint a new picture. In this world, there are no creaky joints, no stiff muscles, and agility your 14 year old self would envy. There is growth in muscle, flexibility, but something else…the coveted ability to balance like his favorite NBA player euro stepping into the playoffs. If he still thinks this is fantasy, let him know, it is all true friend. It’s no secret that big names in athletics practice yoga. If your favorite athlete attributes their high performance to a regiment that includes yoga how do you not believe it? It’s literally their job to do what it takes to be in the best physical shape possible. 

What yoga does is takes that spring we spoke about and creates a wider range of motion so that it’s not constantly under constraint but rather, a malleable muscle. Vinyasa yoga in particular stretches AND strengthens. In this form of physical work you’re forced to stretch more actively than whatever that is you do before your intramural football game. The active part builds muscle that has range of motion, and when you add the element of balance in there you’re building those small muscles in your body that are often over looked in the weight room or stuck in a shoe. So that the next quick break, stroke to the finish line, or race to grab the beer pong ball your muscle has space to expand, contract, and return to its original state unscathed. Talk about upping your game.

Try committing to it the same way you commit to getting better at a sport or building muscles in the gym; 6 weeks at least 3 times a week would be my recommendation. If you’re not ready to take class in person there are always yoga options online to test the waters. I know that sounds like a lot but I think you’ll like all the things it does for you outside of the yoga studio. I’ll be the first to say yoga isn’t an end all be all but my main point is that as usual you’re late to the party my guy! We’ve all been reaping the benefits of a wide range of motion, hitting peak performance in sports, and enjoying the reversal of aging stiffness that we so admire in a suburban housewife. Here’s your invite, jump in, the water is fine, and it’s been fine for a few thousand years.