Why all guys need to do Yoga word from David

Men with tight, stiff muscles and sore backs or achy joints – read on!
Men who want to be more popular with women – read on!
Men with anxiety and anger issues – read on!
Men who drink a bit too much and eat too much rubbish – read on!
Men who would love to have a better bowel movement every day – read on!

YOGA, especially when practiced in a heated room is widely acknowledged today to be the perfect complement to a wide range of sports and physical activities from rugby to golf; soccer to distance running. Sporting legends like Pat Rafter, The Waratahs, Phil Mickleson, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham practice yoga!

It is also the PERFECT activity for guys who are not sporty but need to move their bodies.

Yoga takes a strong, stiff man and makes him more flexible; takes a flexible man and makes him stronger. Makes an athlete less injury prone and a chair sitter more comfortable on his butt and on his feet. Takes everyone to new levels of comfort and confidence. Helps to tone and shape.

Yoga reduces stress and anger through muscular release and deep breathing. Assists in digestion and leads to better lifestyle choices.

Men who do yoga are more attractive to women. Period!

Start adding one or two hot yoga classes to your schedule every week. Right NOW AT THE DAWN OF THE NEW YEAR is the best time to start! As a younger man I often jumped out of bed in the mornings and ran on to the footy field or tennis court – only to regret not stretching out my hamstrings, hips and shoulders in the preceding days.

I often suffered from poor digestion, poor posture and irritability.

A regular yoga practice has literally CHANGED MY LIFE!

SO HOW WILL YOGA HELP – WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO YOU?

Men, even athletic men are typically tight around the shoulders, hips and hamstrings. Running, cycling, lifting and even sitting lead to repetitive stresses on these body parts. You may have great biceps, abs, pecs and thighs but the flip side of that can be a tightening of shoulders, back, hips and hamstrings because as we build one muscle, it’s opposite muscle often comes under extra stress. Most runners report having tight hamstrings for example.

Regular hot yoga practice will serve to:

Ease physical and emotional tightness
Increase range of motion and balance the body
Relieve tired muscles
Sweat out toxins from too much coffee, carbs and booze
Help prevent injury
Increase your attractiveness and Libido…..and so much more

Yoga poses can be fun and challenging in equal measure. They allow muscles to breathe and stretch; allow joints to move and lubricate and allow the whole body to cleanse itself internally and externally. Quite simply yoga is THE all over body workout.

LET’S DISPEL SOME MYTHS:

I am not flexible enough to do yoga. Wrong! That is like saying I am not clean enough to take a shower or I am too weak to lift weights.

Is Yoga is just for girls? No. It is a fact that about 75% of yoga students are female but more and more guys are starting every day. In fact yoga started as a male only pastime. Bring your partner or a friend if you feel more comfortable that way. One of the wonderful things about yoga is that men and women can practice the same class together and get their own benefits from it.

Is Yoga is a religion? No it is not! Some forms of yoga are very devotional and spiritual but the day to day hot yoga studio practice has no religious affiliation.

Yoga does not have to be complicated and neither do you ‘have to be flexible to do yoga’. Yoga will help you to become more flexible as you breathe new life into parts of the body that have previously been neglected. Hot flow yoga is an all over body and mind exercise regime that leaves you stretched, toned and incredibly relaxed due to the blend of breath, movement, focus and relaxation.

Unlike specific gym or team workouts, hot yoga targets the whole body to achieve a feeling of balance between strength and flexibility; between power and sensitivity, between the male force and the female grace. Yoga leaves the practitioner calmer, clearer and more in tune with his body. The egoic desire for muscle mass and raw power is replaced with a desire for fluidity, tone, ease of movement and a certain elegance that we all admire in men like Hugh Jackman – big and strong but fluid and elegant. And he does yoga!!!! So do Adam Levine, Colin Farrell and Sting to name a few other famous names.

At YOGA HOTSPOT in Chatswood, we see more and more men every week. Guys from teens to seventies attend our classes and report many benefits ranging from…

‘As a distance runner, yoga has helped relieve tightness in my legs and back’
‘As a golfer I have far more flexibility and range of movement in my hips and can now hit the ball further and straighter’
‘As a footballer, yoga helps to stretch me before or after a game. It is the perfect complement’
‘As an older guy who has spent a lifetime in office jobs I now find it so much easier to get out of my car or chair, to tie my laces and to walk long distances’
‘I sleep better, poo better and smile more’
‘As a martial artist, hot yoga has helped to stretch my knees, thighs and hips’.

The testimonials go on and on.

Don’t be intimidated. Yoga may look like something you’ll never get good at, but it’s totally doable, and it feels fantastic. It is non competitive so you never have to feel like you are letting anyone down.

If you have already tried yoga but not been for a while, get inspired and get back on the mat. Remember how great you felt when you did go? You may only be a few downward dogs away from freedom from pain; a more balanced and flexible body and a calmer mind. Make hot yoga a part of your weekly schedule for all over wellness – mind, body and soul.

Warm regards

Dave Pollitt

Yoga Hotspot Chatswood