Thursday, October 21, 2010

Yoga For Dudes


Last Sunday at Bamboomoves we had our first Yoga For Dudes (Gentlemen, Guys, Bros etc). An all mens yoga experience, aimed at introducing the practice to new guys, and deepening the yoga practice for existing members. The reason why I wanted to have a yoga workshop for men, was to dispell the myth that yoga is for chicks, and to create a comfortable environment for men to grunt, groan and Om in peace. People forget that yoga was originally intended for men only, it was for the elite men in the upper class of India. The practice trains men to have Warrior Strength and flexibility of mind, body and spirit. Originally, I wanted a man to co-teach the experience, just to create a balance in energy in the room, but all my man yogi friends were obligated to other classes or on the West Coast. So with the encouragement of the guys who take my classes regularly, I taught on my own. We had a wonderful turn out. The vibration of the Om alone was magnificent. I had the men sweating, chutturungaing, and various other poses to improve balance and arm strength. The amazing thing was, every challenging aspect of class was recieved with an "I can do that" testosterone filled reaction, while when I teach ladies, it is very common for ladies to say, "Well I just don't do that pose". As an instructor, this experience taught me compassion, because I noticed how delicate the male ego can be even in an all male yoga class, I cannot imagine the mental challenge for men when they take a co-ed yoga class, especially for men who have never done yoga before. It was so awesome to be part of this workshop.

Thank you to all the brave guys who participated, and the brilliant guys who participated in the Yoga for Dudes Commercial, shot by Owner/fellow Yogi Michael Baez. We hope to make this workshop an ongoing class. While yoga benefits all people, of all ages, men espeically gain strength, peace of mind, balance, flexibility, restoration from injuries, and much more! Many famous men have adopted the yoga practice into their regular routine including LeBron James, Evander Holyfield, Russell Simmons, The entire Lakers Team, Sting, and many more! Please encourage the men in your life to be more concious of their health and wellness. If you haven't seen the hillarious Yoga for Dudes commercial, please check it out!
We took a great group video after class, but no still snap....so pictured is Michael Baez, with new Yogi behind during the Bamboomoves Teacher Training.

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