Possibly the best 'yoga for men' class in Berkshire!

A proud boast but not actually, in fact a statement to the effect that we really need more 'yoga for men' classes.....

I have written many times before about getting more men into yoga, it is a subject very close to my heart, even a crusade you could say.

I am continually frustrated and annoyed with the yoga industry, both in the UK and worldwide and the image that it portrays about yoga, compounding the problem. I see very little inclusivity when it comes to men and yoga and no real promotion of yoga for men on the scale for women. Being a bloke, I will back this up...just go ahead and google 'yoga pants'.....

Yoga was, in its time, exclusively practiced by men before it was picked up by the west, particularly Hollywood and the fitness industry in the U.S. then the clothing industry and here we are now... 'yoga pants'

I have run the popular Park Yoga Wokingham initiative for the past 3 years which has grown exponentially, in 2022 we averaged 100 people in the park every Sunday, doing yoga. This has been fantastic however, consistently we are getting a maximum of 10% male representation.

Now the other 90% of females will, no doubt have a male relation or friend so the question is, ‘where are they?’

When I teach at the leisure centres across Wokingham and my own public cases, we have a proportion of men, again, quite low, although some of my own public drop in classes touch 50%, although this is not the norm.

The thing is, once men come to a class, providing it’s a class that resonates with their mindset, they absolutely get it and they will return, it is like the veil has been lifted.

I can back this up. Since I started my exclusive ‘men only’ yoga classes in Finchampstead, I’ve had higher consistent attendance than any of my other classes. They get it, they enjoy it and it does them good.

If yoga teacher wishes to attract more men to their classes, they (teachers), may need to consider their style, content and delivery. When I teach teenagers, it is evident that the girls love the flowing movements where they can express themselves, whereas the boys love the arm balances and strength and conditioning postures. If we take that forward there is a happy medium which satisfies all genders, and this is exactly what my classes are. Add the element of balance which levels the playing field challenging everyone equally and you have a rounded class.

Men do struggle with quieting the ego, particularly in any group environment. The expectation that men can switch off their ego is going to be challenged. Instead, allow the men in the class to explore their practice, the movements, postures, they will work really hard and may get a little frustrated at times. It is ok to deliver some of the yoga messages in a light hearted way initially, in time this will start to embed itself and once it does, men will really start to engage and grasp the essence of what we are experiencing on the mat in our practice. Make it compelling for men.

Yoga is many things to many people and to focus entirely on the restorative practice, or the attainment of a ridiculous posture which is entirely non-functional is limiting the scope of what yoga has to offer.

As those that practice know, yoga is as much about the mindfulness and calming a busy mind and, again, therefore men need yoga.

Most of us (men) don’t communicate, we prefer to retire into the cave and fix the problem, owning it, stressing about it and being consumed by it, day in day out this goes on…

Learning how to breathe correctly and recognising those distracting thoughts as they surface and how to react and handle them is yoga. And this is why yoga is much more than men may think it is despite the misrepresentation by the yoga industry.

So now is the time to get the message out there and convince men that yoga is for them, for their physical wellbeing and especially their mindset, and convince yoga teachers, and the industry that the demographic needs to change!

Teen yoga

Thank you to the brilliant people at 1st Emmbrook Scout Group for inviting me to teach some yoga the scouts this week. Such great engagement and appreciation. I do hope that it helped clarify yoga and how much fun it can be.

I must say, even I was surprised at the stillness in relaxation at the end. You really got it!!!

If you know of a school or group that might be interested in offering yoga, I'd be happy to help convince them

#yogsinschool #kidsyoga #teenyoga #schoolyoga #yogateacher #yogapractice #childrensyoga

Shut your mouth!

If you are reading this, please, with all due respect, close your mouth, unless of course you are eating or talking, because that is the only need to open the mouth. The nose is for breathing.

Nose breathing is healthy. It cleans, filters and humidifies the inhaled air. I have gradually become a nose breather through yoga and the awareness it. I am also aware of the fascinating construction of the nose with its tiny hair like cilia that act like tiny brooms, sweeping a carpet of mucus, our first line of defence, that picks up the fine particles and pollutants that enter the body and deposit them into the gut where the stomach acid will neutralise them.

The small bones within the nose are turbinates which are like miniature air conditioners within the nose. The turbinates ensure that inhaled air flows over as many of the cilia as possible, and they also humidify and warm the air to body temperature -- just how the lungs like it for efficient breathing.

The sinuses that surround the nose produce nitric oxide which is a powerful smooth muscle relaxant. It helps keep the airways and blood vessels open and relaxed, keeping asthma and high blood pressure in check. But that is not all. Nitric oxide also has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties; so, nose-breathed air that is mixed with nitric oxide will help ward off infections, colds and flu.

You can appreciate why people who nose breathe get fewer colds and flu.

If your nose feels blocked and difficult to breathe through, the chances are it is because it has not been used enough. My mantra when I teach yoga is “Use it or lose it" which applies just as much to the nose. If you constantly breathe through your mouth the nose will block up. The best way to unblock the nose is to force yourself to breathe through it. This may be difficult at first as you will feel as though you are not getting enough air, but over a few hours to a few days of constant nose breathing it should become free and clear. Try it - if you can breathe through your nose for three minutes, you can breathe through your nose forever.

I like running, I have for 30 years now, when I gave up the ciggies. When out on a run, I have always breathed through my mouth, as I felt I needed to take in as much air into the lungs to keep me going. Lately though, after researching nose breathing and it’s benefits within endurance sports, I am now breathing in and out through the nose when I run. At first it was an effort and quite challenging, but the body works it out and I now run much better, more comfortable, and I am not going into the red as I did before.

I still get enough oxygen to the muscles and brain, but more important, I maintain a better balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, and this is why nose breathing works, my nose is perfectly formed to sustain respiratory functions for my body, (It may not be an aesthetically beautiful nose, but it is fit for purpose).

Mouth breathing and daily stress cause us to take in too much air, often in a gasping, irregular fashion. This air may not be entirely clean as well and especially with so many viruses circulating these days.

The mouth is designed for eating, drinking and talking; the nose is designed for smelling and breathing. Use it or lose it, so just breathe through it!