Is Yoga Really a Woman's Thing?

Yoga and Women

At a yoga studio in the District recently, practitioners breathed, bent, twisted and stretched their way to a happier state. They left more relaxed, more energized, with better posture and a renewed outlook. But there was one curious thing: Of the 24 people in the room, only four were men.

Studio owners and teachers in the Washington area say that this disparity is not unusual, no matter the time of day. Typically, they say, the ratio of women to men rarely goes much below 80-20. In fact, a 2012 survey by Yoga Journal found that of the 20.4 million people who practice yoga in the United States, only 18 percent of them are men.

Why don’t men do yoga?

“My husband said he felt bored,” said Praneetha Akula, a 36-year-old Silver Spring resident who was visiting the studio on a day off. “He didn’t let himself enjoy it.”

Akula is like many women who do yoga and want their spouse or partner to give it a try. But the many myths about yoga stand in their way: Yoga isn’t a decent workout; it’s too touchy-feely; you have to be flexible to do it; men’s bodies just aren’t built for pretzellike poses.

Hillary Clinton Practiced Pranayama To Recover From Election

by YD 

How to recover from a virtually never ending presidential campaign? Try alternate nostril breathing. Yes, maybe we’ve been inundated with politics to the max lately, but we have to wonder how politicians, you know, the ones who live it every day, how to do they cope? Besides daily Twitter rant storms, of course.
You may not be surprised to learn that plenty of Chardonnay asana factored into Hillary Clinton’s recovery from the chaos that was Indecision 2016 and the writing of her new book, but the interesting tidbit is that she also dug into a tall glass of pranayama (nadi shodhana aka alternate nostril breathing, to be specific) as she told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in a recent interview.
Those keeping score at home would know that HRC had already spoken about practicing yoga (hashtag butheremails), but this is particularly interesting because it’s more about picking herself up after a blow to the gut (and probably the worst news of her life), rather than just trying to keep up, as in during the campaign.
In case you missed it, here’s Secretary Clinton being candid (and also somehow coy) about her grounding pranayama practice. How many other politicians can you think of who might benefit from, we don’t know, taking a deep breath here and there

What I Know for Sure

Oprah Winfrey

"When you nurture your body it reciprocates."

"I won't waste a meal by eating food that doesn't fully satisfy me."

"Getting my lifelong weight struggle under control has come from a process of treating myself as well as I treat others in every way."

"The ultimate in being healthy is to operate at full throttle—physically, emotionally, and spiritually."

"Making the decision to look after yourself is the ultimate in healthcare."

"I don't believe in accidents. I know for sure that everything in life happens to help us live."

"Alone time is when I distance myself from the voices of the world so I can hear my own."

"A little restoration goes a long way."

"I've learned not to worry about what might come next."

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/what-i-know-for-sure-oprah-winfrey/all#ixzz4uk4Fe84R

Why More Men Should Practice Yoga

Rachael Yahne, Contributor

Award-winning blogger and lifestyle writer

06/25/2015 12:56 pm ET Updated Jun 25, 2016 

When I first picked up yoga as a regular practice, it was like pulling teeth to get anyone I knew to come to class with me. Maybe it was the mythology, maybe it was the cultural stigmas (“yoga makes you too skinny,” “it’s for girls”). By the time I started teaching it, the reception was still mixed, with most of my friends choosing a “restorative” class (deep stretches meant to improve relaxation and flexibility, among other benefits) over a rigorous workout class.

As more celebrities step into the spotlight as yogis, I’m happily seeing more and more men give it a shot. Thanks to yoga, they are now enjoying better flexibility, improved performance in other sports, and less injury. So I’d like to finally address some of the issues that keep many men away from this ancient practice, and why it’s exactly what they need.
Benefits of Yoga for Men
Men’s Fitness Magazine and U.S. News report that yoga can improve:
Digestion and Food Cravings
Everything from boosting your metabolism to giving you a better grip on your diet.
Creativity and Overall Brain Functioning
Focus, productivity, and creative insight are all improved thanks to time on the mat.
Immunity
Quality and Quantity of Sexual Intimacy
Not only are endurance and stamina increased, but focus and connection can deepen thanks to the breathing practices of yoga. Yoga also teaches you to control your physical energy, meaning you can make sex more intense and make the “big moments” last longer. That should be reason enough to accompany your girlfriend to class!
Quality of Sleep and Relaxation
Yoga reduces the stress hormone cortisol, which means less stress and better sleep. What’s not to love?

“Yoga for me has been a godsend for strength training and injury prevention. I have noticed a tremendous improvement in the performance of other activities I do (running, biking, and tennis) thanks to my regular practice of yoga.”
— Ryan, age 37, Spokane WA

Yoga’s “Natural High” Yes, miles logged on the treadmill do give that endorphin rush of satisfaction. But yoga has its own built-in natural high too, which is why you feel so good after a class. Many people call this the “post-yoga glow.” Yoga workouts release the essential hormone Oxytocin, the “love hormone,” which is the hormone that promotes feelings of well-being and happiness. More benefits of Oxytocin include relieved anxiety, increased sexual intimacy, increased desire for social interaction, and lower blood pressure.
Additionally, the mind-body connection accessed in a yoga class (through connecting movements to the breath, paying attention to the sensations of the muscles, etc.) is thought to be a naturally effective treatment of stress and depression (via UndergroundHealthReporter.com).
For more on the studies proving yoga’s impact on the brain, see these numbers from Psychology Today.
Who practices yoga? I always tried to draw men into class by promising a long, svelte, swimmer-esque ........................................(Read More)
Men and Yoga