Broga – Yoga for men

Mind & Body • 187 days ago

Is it okay for guys to try yoga?

Feel more comfortable in a weight room than in a yoga studio? Convinced that yoga is too New Age or hippie— or simply too hard? You might want to change your mind.

Introducing broga:

Broga is a yoga class geared for men. It basically means it’s a form of yoga where it is okay if you can’t touch your toes.

Men generally have cement shoulders or really tight hips and they may not be able to perform the more challenging poses.

Broga combines traditional yoga postures with strength-training exercises and calisthenics, like push-ups.

Many guys would rather go play tennis or do some kind of sport outdoors because it feels like exercise. Yoga hasn’t been a place that feels fun. And that is exactly how broga was born.

What are the best yoga poses for men?

Forward Fold

Stand with feet hip-width apart, gently hinge forward at the hips and lower the torso toward the floor. Bend your knees generously to take any pressure out of the low back and hamstrings. Grasp opposite elbows with opposite hands. Breathe deeply and let gravity take the body toward the earth. Relax your head, neck, shoulders and torso. Slowly sway your torso or gently shake your head. Hold for one minute and roll back up to standing.

Downward-Facing Dog

Start on your hands and knees with your feet and knees hip-width apart. Position your hands about shoulder-width apart, and spread your fingers wide. Pressing firmly through your hands, lift your knees off the floor and straighten your legs. (If you have tight hamstrings, a gentle bend in the knees is fine). Walk your hands forward a few inches, and walk your feet back a few inches to lengthen the pose. Squeeze your thighs as you press them toward the back wall. Press your heels back and down toward the floor (though they might not reach the floor). Relax your head and neck and let your shoulder blades slide down your back toward your feet. Set your gaze between your feet. Suck your stomach in and engage your core muscles. Breathe deeply. Hold for three minutes, rest, and repeat one more time.

Chair

Stand up tall with your big toes touching. Inhale and raise your arms straight up to the ceiling alongside your head and neck with palms facing each other. Drop your shoulders down your back as you lengthen up through the neck. As you exhale, bend your knees, sit down and back as if you were sitting in a chair (like doing a squat with your feet together). Do not let your knees extend past your toes. With each inhale lengthen the spine. With each exhale sit a little deeper in the chair. Eventually your thighs will be parallel to the floor. Drop your tailbone down toward the floor to take any stress out of your lower back. Keep your core muscles engaged and keep your knees and thighs pressed tightly together. Hold for 30 seconds.

Watch the video here for more hints:

Male celebs that do yoga:

Recent years have seen a large amount of musicians and singers express their enthusiasm for spiritual practices. Perhaps the most vocal enthusiasts for yoga and meditation have been the members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who now have a yoga session together before each of their concerts, and have spoken frankly about the changes meditation has brought to their personal and public lives and habits.

Joining the Chili Peppers in their endorsement of yoga include Sting, Jon Bon Jovi, Adam Levine of popular band Maroon 5, Leonard Cohen and David Bowie.

The list doesn’t stop there – actors such as Richard Gere, Alec Baldwin, Robert Downey Jr. and many other celebrities have all lent their voices to the growing obsession amongst the famous and successful for yoga.

What benefits does yoga have for men?

Yoga poses twist the body, and twisting massages the pancreas and adrenal and thyroid glands, boosting blood flow and improving organ function, Men’s Health reported.

Yoga also loosens chronically tight areas, like hamstrings and hips. Realign your body and release tension from connective tissue with these stretches.

Yoga will make your core more powerful which means your posture and balance will benefit.

Want to know more about yoga for men? Watch this video: