everyday yoga for the everyday man

Do you agree with one or more than the following descriptions?
Check all that apply.

[] I’m thinking about taking yoga, but I have no idea what to look for or what is right for me.

[] I’ve taken a few yoga classes. it’s pretty cool, but I’ve got a lot of questions that are kinda hard to ask the teacher at the gym.

[] Ok, so I get the whole yoga thing, but it would really cool to have a guy’s perspective on some aspects of the practice.

[] I’m not really that flexible, I sweat like a pig the moment I step onto a yoga mat, and I don’t know my asana from my elbow, but I really like yoga.

[] I am looking for a centralized online resource for men’s yoga, including general ideas about how to practice, yoga gear, workshops,  training tips, nutrition, and other information that could easily be answered if I were an advanced practitioner or a woman.

If you checked anything above, you should be here. If you haven’t and are still reading, stick around. You’ll probably have a good laugh or two. Averagejoga.com is for everybody—man, woman, and child… especially men.

About time, right?

Yoga means a lot of things to a lot of different people.

According to Patangali’s yoga sutras, “yogish chitta vritti nirodaha” or “yoga is the complete elimination of various modifications of the mind.” This is one of those answers that tends to create more questions than quiet them.

Who’s this Patangali fellow? What’s a sutra? What language was that?
Slowly, slowly. It will all come in time.

To be honest, yoga doesn’t have to mean much of anything more than what works for the practitioner. For the Average Jogi, the true meaning of yoga will reveal itself and continue to change as their practice does.

Let’s jump right in:

Fom purely an etymological perspective, the word yoga is a derivation of the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’, which means to yoke or bind. Essentially, yoga means ‘union’. This practice can be seen as a medium to bring together and balance a variety of elements through self-practice, discipline, and devotion.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” you might be thinking to yourself, “Devotion? Self-practice? Dude, I just wanted to try something else besides running and lifting weights, and thought yoga would be a cool thing to try. what’s up with that?”

Relax, bro. Yoga is a very cool thing to try. Stay with me here.

Yoga—everyday yoga that is offered in gyms and yoga studios— is a system of movements called asanas that have been developed to open the physical body, increasing  flexibility and building strength.  There is a mat involved, upon which you will sweat and be asked to tuck and twist various parts of your anatomy in various directions in the company of others doing the same. Yoga is arguably the oldest version of twister known to man. When used in conjunction with the breath, these asanas help deepen the connection with the body while quieting the mind. as the practice deepens, the opportunity to connect with the spiritual body becomes possible.

Let us not, however, ‘yuj’ the cart before the horse.

If you wish to draw a straight line between two points, you need a ruler. Yoga can help to locate and develop balance and symmetry in the mind, body and soul. In order to do this, it helps to first be open to making the connection and then find the right help to make it happen. This means you’ll have to form an opinion from personal experience.

Opinions are like asanas—everybody has a favorite one. Keep practicing until you find one that works for you.

Time to choose a yoga class!

The answer is yes.
(great, there he goes gettin’ all yogi on me again)

In order to truly know, one must first experience. This means that you should try as many classes as you can. Not only will you figure out for yourself which style of yoga that works for you, you’ll work with a variety of teachers.  Often it doesn’t matter what type of yoga a teacher offers—if you like the teacher, you’ll enjoy the class.

Yoga has been taught for thousands of years.  As the understanding of the physical practice has developed, so have the methods for teaching it.  In the past few decades, there has been a yoga boom, so to speak, in which dozens of new schools have been created. Each one offers a different perspective on a shared vision. Like it or not, this will continue to happen. As more people embrace a yoga practice into their life, more perspectives on how to understand yoga will be created.

Here are a few hints to keep in mind when deciding on which yoga class is right for you:

-All yoga that is offered is Hatha yoga. There is also an individual system of yoga called hatha yoga which is part of the larger hatha idea. A good way of understanding this is comparing it to New York City, where New York is both the name of a state and a city within it. Hatha yoga classes are a slower-paced series of postures focused on getting yogis into various positions to better connect with the spiritual side of the practice.

-Ashtanga yoga is daily practice of a set series of postures designed to open the body, burn off excess energy, and keep teenage Indian boys under control (seriously). If you like regularity and are looking for a strong, fiery practice, check out an ashtanga led-primary class. Instructors and practitioners have been known to be quite stern, demanding, and focused, which can be a little intimidating at first. The practice, however, is quite rewarding and often comes with quick results. You’ll tend to find a lot of guys in ashtanga classes. Surprise, surprise… fiery, strong, competitive feats of physical prowess.

It’s a great way to connect with alignment, learn the basic asanas, and connect breath with movement. I myself had an intense mysore (method of supervised self-practice named after the city in india it was popularized in) for two years. It took me quite far, quite fast, and helped me learn a great deal of respect for the physical practice of yoga.

-Vinyasa Flow classes string a wide variety of asanas together in a smoothly flowing package. They are centered around the idea of constant movement, and can at times feel like a dance, which can be extremely fun or make you feel extremely self-conscious. There is no set series of asana for vinyasa classes, so the instructor’s personality and understanding of the human body play a large role in their development. Some can be gentle, some can be fierce, and others can be downright playful.

-Bikram, or ‘hot yoga’, consists of a set series of asanas performed in a heated room. If you like to sweat, you will love bikram. As is the case with most yoga, you either love or hate bikram. The instructors can be incredibly high-energy, and the environment itself is designed to challenge and push. Try it out, and don’t forget to bring a towel and big bottle of water.
this is just the beginning. there are many styles to choose from.

-Iyengar yoga, created by B.K.S. Iyengar, heavily focuses on alignment and the use of props (such as belts and blocks) to assist yogis into getting into the various asanas (postures). There is a large emphasis on the equal development of strength, stamina, flexibility and balance, as well as concentration and meditation.

-Anusara yoga is one of the newer forms of hatha yoga firmly grounded in a Tantric philosophy of intrinsic goodness. With a large emphasis on the ‘universal principles of alignment’ within all postures, you’ll focus a lot of opening the heart and connecting with the spiritual and meditative benefits of yoga. Anusara is a little more flowy than Iyengar, a little less rigid than Ashtanga.

There are many, many more types of yoga out there. Don’t think about it too much. If you are thinking about trying something new, first have the experience before deciding if you like it. The most important thing to remember is to have fun figuring it out!

Have you heard the one about the rabbi, a priest, and an atheist walking into a yoga studio? I have.  It’s no joke, and happens all of the time. Yoga is a practice of many things—movement, balance, observation, breath— but yoga is not a religion. Anyone can practice yoga. In one class, you will commonly find people of all beliefs—Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Agnostics—practicing next to each other.  Like many other experiences, yoga is very unique to the individual as much as it is to the community practicing together.

Often, classes can start with chanting and/or some talking about yogic philosophy (see also CHANTING). Take it or leave it. You shouldn’t feel forced to do anything you aren’t comfortable doing. Yoga is a simple action to which people attach their own meaning.  Before you make any decisions, try it first and make an informed decision from personal experience for yourself.