Hi all - I’ve written a new blog post on why more men don’t practice yoga. I have summarised a few reasons why I believe men are discouraged from practicing. I’ve also highlighted some of the successes I’ve been having when teaching in encouraging and inspiring more men to join me on the mat. I am about to start running yoga classes for men in my local area and hope there will be interest.
I know there is Man Yoga, Broga and other forms of yoga targeted at men. Has anyone any experience of classes? Did you enjoy the classes?
The number of men has certainly increased in my classes during my 15 years of teaching. I think it’s likely trending up overall, with the increased awareness. My feeling is that yoga still has a certain reputation that many men don’t resonate with. I think it’ll change though, particularly with all of the evidence showing how beneficial it is for things like preventing lower back pain and improving athletic performance.
I have been a part of a yoga class for men and I really enjoyed it.
Thanks David, I agree, i think that the situation is changing, and quite rapidly. the classes I’m now running for cyclists locally are testament to that. I think a key is the way yoga is ‘pitched’ to a male audience, so as you say, it resonates with them. There’s a role for all forms of yoga to many different audiences who are looking to realise benefits from a regular yoga practice. The most important thing to me is understanding the particular needs of that audience, and ensuring that any messages clearly articulate how yoga can meet those needs. The beauty of yoga is that its benefits are multi-faceted, so it’s unlikely there’s any audience (including men of all walks of life) where yoga would not be beneficial - it’s just making them realise that.
I would love it if there was a yoga class for men in my area. I won’t join because I don’t want to be the only guy in a room full of women. I suppose that is a very common response.