everyday yoga for the everyday man

It’s hard being a guy in a yoga class, especially when starting out because…

• Everyone knows what to do.
• They already understand that crazy secret language to yoga teacher speaks in.
• Nobody else is sweating like a fat kid in a candy shop.
• The girls are so much more flexible than us.
• We want to be the best in the class, because we’re men and we love competition. Wah

One common thing overheard from most seasoned yoga veterans: “When I first started doing yoga, I couldn’t even touch my toes.” They usually say this either right after or right before they tuck both legs behind their head.  While the sight of that can be somewhat intimidating, the thought is also extremely inspiring as well. There is a good chance that most average jogis—with a little dedication, determination and patience—will be able to touch their toes comfortably.

However, yoga ain’t just about touching toes, putting your nose on the floor in a forward fold, or tying your body up in a pretzel.  Yoga isn’t a race. There is no finish line. There is always one more step to take, somebody more flexible than you, and volumes more to understand.  One of the most important focuses of yoga is learning to accept the body as it is, work with what you have, and slowly expand its capabilities while closely observing what you already think you know.  In time, your hands will get where they need to be, toes or otherwise.

So you can’t touch your toes. Big deal. Ask yourself why do you really want to? The real skill isn’t in grabbing your feet. At first, that could be extremely hard. Eventually you might touch them. Heck, you might even be able to wrap your legs behind your neck. However, you might also end up learning a much more valuable skill that that: listening to your body. For some body types, touching your toes may never happen. For others, it happens too easily. Flexibility isn’t just about opening up the body. It’s also about opening up the mind to accept what’s happening in the moment. Yoga is more about the challenge and less about the competition.

I’m not going to lie to you and say that there is no competition in yoga. Of course, there is competition in yoga. Your biggest rival is yourself! And guess what… he knows all of your buttons, when to push them, and is very good at distracting you from the task at hand.

Competition is purely created by the people practicing it, not by the practice itself.  We want to touch our toes. When we finally do, we notice someone jumping through from downward dog to paschimottasana. Yikes. And then somebody else has a great headstand in the middle of the room. We want to do that, too, so we practice over and over. And then, of course, handstands look so cool…

Flexibility can be defined as the full range of motion available at any given time. It’s hard to say when you will become more flexible if you are unable to let go of how you define flexibility. If you never have done yoga, and you’ve just decided to start practicing regularly, just making the decision shows a great potential for flexibility. Don’t lose that. If flexibility is the opposite of tightness, of stiffness, of unbending rigidity, apply that to everything your doing on and off the yoga mat. You might be surprised with how fast you actually open up, not only in the body, but in other places as well.

After all, flexibility doesn’t always have to relate to physical openness. Yup– there is something much bigger than the body here, guys. Just because you can physically touch your toes doesn’t mean you’re able to perform the equivalent emotionally or spiritually. Yes, everyone in the class might be so graceful, so flexible, so smooth. That doesn’t mean they didn’t start out rolling around like wet logs. Furthermore, just because they can wrap their arms around their torso 14 times does not mean they can handle stress any better than someone who hasn’t seen their feet in a few years.

Remember this: soft face, soft breath, soft body, soft mind, soft practice. It’s all connected. When you’re working hard, feeling the burn, and you can barely lift your arms… how does your face look? Is it all scrunched up? Are you clenching your jaw? When was the last time you took a deep breath? Most importantly, what makes this any different than how you handle yourself at the office, with your friends, driving in traffic, or going to the mall? Flexibility is simply connecting with softness and letting go of tension.

Take a deep breath. Release. Relax.

If there is one thing you will here over and over here at average joga is that Yoga is not a race. There is no finish line.

Just do yoga. Let the rest sort itself out.

Short answer: As much as you’d like
Boom. Go get em’, tiger.

Longer answer: Unlike high impact exercises like running, yoga is a low-impact physical practice. Heck, it’s no impact unless you fall while trying to stand on one foot. This means there is little direct stress on your joints or bones from repetitive impact. Depending on the type of practice you have, you can practice every day.  I know plenty of yogis who do.

Since yoga is very much about listening to the body, it’s important you are honest with what you hear. There is nothing wrong with going to class a few times a week. If it makes you feel good, do it. I can’t hammer down the bottom line enough here: Just Do Yoga. You can still run. You can still lift weights. You can still rack up 8 hours on x-box live, if that’s your thing.

I’d like to add another thing about honestly listening to the body. Yoga is wonderful, but if you are feeling a strange type of soreness, a lot of pressure on any part of your body in a certain posture, or any uncomfortable sensation for a long period of time, doesn’t be afraid to ask for help or more information. Often, all it takes is a little adjustment or realignment to make a world of difference.  Practice accurate self-assessment, and be sure to talk your teacher or ask us here at AJ.  We’re all here to help, you know.