Why Yoga Isn’t Just For Girls?

by: Michele Mathiesen, RYT

What do these men have in common: Matthew McConaughey, Sting, media mogul Russell Simons, NFL’ers  Eddie George, Tony Parrish and Roger Craig, and Shannon Sharpe, baseball’s Barry Zito, NBA stars Kevin Garnett and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NHL’s Sean Burke, tennis greats Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick, boxing’s Evander Holyfield and teams such as the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trailblazers, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, and the New York Giants?

They are part of the 3.5 million men who practice yoga, but yet there is still a reluctance of some people, men in particular, to practice yoga.   When asking facebook friends why they didn’t do yoga answers fell into 2 categories:  too girly /“New Age-y”, or based on a some harsh inner critic -- I’m not flexible, it was too hard, I looked stupid, I can’t do it as well as them, etc.  In response to some of these points I thought it was time to de-mystify the yoga class and give you a reason to try yoga.

You don’t have to be flexible to come to a class.  In fact the less flexible you are the more important it is to come to a class and work on your flexibility.  We all know how important strength is for our bodies, but what many Westerners (as opposed to Eastern philosophies of the body) have failed to realize is strength without flexibility is not healthy and, in fact, as we age can be quite detrimental.  Too much flexibility, on the other hand, requires greater strength than average to prevent damage.  Like most things in life, this is a balancing act.

No one cares, that you can or can’t do something.  Yoga is a private practice.  You might be in a large class, but this is not the aerobics class of old, where it was as much about what you wore as it was about the exercise you were doing.  This is about you and your mat.  It is always there to support you and it doesn’t care if you are wearing the right clothes, are the right size, or even if you brushed your teeth.  Even though the room may be full of people doing yoga, they are doing their yoga. 

“I’m too…. !” (fill in the blank)   We all are of different sizes, heights, shapes, weights, with different flexibility and strength levels that vary from one side of our own body to the other, let alone amongst different people.  To compare bodies and abilities is such a waste of your time. A good teacher can teach anyone, anywhere, with any ability level.

“I want to start with a video”..  Videos are no substitute for an Instructor, until you are comfortable doing yoga on your own.  You are missing the key components of group support, the yogic teachings, and learning how to do the poses correctly so you don’t hurt yourself.

Everyone is welcome, every time, always.  Good teachers can teach many levels of student proficiency in the same class without boring those more advanced students.  A class is like a good movie, you pick something new up each and every time you watch it, even if you have seen it a dozen times.

“The poses are too weird”.   Some poses are strange looking, but usually it is because it is so advanced.  Many of the functional exercises (not machines) you already do have their roots in yoga.  Plank/push up is part of a series of moves called Chaturanga Dandasana, Inch worm is similar to down dog, the Warrior series is a basic set of lunges.

I hope you decide yoga is worth a try.  Who knows you might even like it!

Michele Mathiesen, BS, is a Registered Yoga Teacher and is a Nationally Certified, Licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist (NC 6472).  Michele ha been a Massage Therapist for 7 years working primarily in the medical field.  She is a highly skilled rehabilitative soft tissue practitioner, and has taught at the collegiate level is Massage Therapy.  Michele also has over 20 years of experience in yoga, and custom designs home practices for clients with special needs.  Michele’s expertise in postural analysis and biomechanics is incomparable amongst both Massage Therpaist and Yoga Instructors.  Michele’s has articles published in John Upledger’s most recent textbook, Workings Wonders as well as a number of publications in the Lake Norman area.  Michele can be reached by e-mail at barefootyoga2@yahoo.com or at Precision Fitness in Cornelius at (704) 895-2857.

 

ustin, M.D., 1999, The MIT Press