Yoga Is For Blokes Too (Yoga in general)

Member Name: marandina

Product:	Yoga in general
Date:	09/01/02 (113 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: See op

Disadvantages: None

Yeah, right and I bet he's into ballet as well (never been actually, although my prejudice of it may prevent me?). I've written this as a sort of catharsis as I'm the only man in my yoga class of around 25 ladies. This arrangement does have it's merits but, generally, I'd like to appeal to all males out there to consider giving it a go.

I've been attending yoga classes for about 10 weeks now and can recommend it. When I first started I didn't know my asana from my elbow and, in fact, yoga wasn't really what I was after. I sort of get stressed due to my job and wanted something that would involve meditation and, therefore, relaxation. I certainly didn't see the stretching and positioning coming. Now after sticking with it, whilst my hips scream blue murder for days afterwards, I really do enjoy the classes.

Breathing is something we just take for granted but you will be amazed at how, just by learning to breathe properly, you can retain a certain composure and self control. The yoga positions or asanas reach every part of your body and it's not long before muscles that have long been dormant start perking up. I haven't yet had a go at the headstand but I'm sure I'll pluck up the courage one day (or am I just kidding myself?).

***So why do Yoga then?***
*For starters, yoga is good for you. Research shows that yoga helps manage or control anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, blood pressure, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, depression, diabetes, epilepsy, headaches, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, stress and other conditions and diseases. What's more, yoga:
 Improves muscle tone, flexibility, strength and stamina
 Reduces stress and tension
 Boosts self esteem
 Improves concentration and creativity
 Lowers fat
 Improves circulation
 Stimulates the immune system
 Creates
sense of well being and calm.
And that's just the surface stuff. In fact, most of the benefits mentioned above are secondary to yoga's original purpose.

***History of Yoga***
*Developed in India, yoga is a spiritual practice that has been evolving for the last 5,000 years or so. The original yogis were reacting, in part, to India's ancient Vedic religion, which emphasised rituals. Yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the classical language of India. According to the yogis, true happiness, liberation and enlightenment comes from union with the divine consciousness known as Brahman, or with Atman, the transcendent Self. The various yoga practices are a methodology for reaching that goal.

***A Type of Yoga***
*In hatha yoga, for example, postures and breathing exercises help purify the mind, body and spirit so the yogi can attain union. Pranayama breathing exercises help clear the nadis, or channels, that carry prana the universal life force, allowing prana to flow freely. When the channels are clear and the last block at the base of the spine has been opened, Kundalini rises through the spine, through the central channel called the sushumna-nadi, and joins the crown chakra. According to the tradition, the release of Kundalini leads to enlightenment and union.


***What if you don't believe in enlightenment?***
*Yoga doesn't discriminate. Even if you don't believe in the spiritual side of life, you can still do yoga. Whether enlightenment, nadis, prana and Kundalini are literal truth, metaphor or myth is irrelevant. If you do yoga, chances are that you will feel its psycho-physiological effects.
Moreover, the concept of union has a powerful down-to-earth meaning. Yoga helps us get in touch with our true selves.
The techniques developed by the yogis to transcend also help us strip away the things that try to mis-define us -- the emotions, sensations, desires, achievements and failure
s of daily life. Through yoga we learn to develop a greater awareness of our physical and psychological states. As a result, we're in a position to better manage our reactions to the thoughts, feelings and responses we have to the various situations we deal with every day.

***What do I do now?***
There's a whole world of yoga philosophy just waiting to be discovered guys. You too could soon learn where your chakras are and what to do with 'em when you've found 'em. My class only cost £70 for 20 weeks through the Local Education people and only takes up 90 mins a week on a Wednesday (who wants to watch European footie anyway?). The spiritual side can be a bit deep but it is interesting once you start to delve. I'm hoping that my lifeforce or prana will benefit from both the class and trying to watch what I eat a bit more (biccies out, apples in). Nobody has laughed yet when I stretch forward in a sitting position and my outstretched arms get nowhere near my toes - I actually feel like I manage to bend forward about 1 inch compared to everyone else who are kissing their toes (ladies are definitely made differently to fellas).

For those STILL not convinced then try finding just ONE person who doesn't proclaim yoga or look up the numerous books on the subject in libraries. I'm sure that there are loads of websites such as Yogasite.com that are devoted to the subject.

Ah well. I'm sticking with my class and looking forward to resumimg again tonight. Maybe I'll see a few more gents now Chrimbo's over but if not...I tried.....

*Source: Yogasite.com

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