While it is true that yoga, Pilates and similar forms of exercise are generally associated with women stretching in yoga pants, it is high time we said goodbye and good riddance to these gender stereotypes and shed the stigma surrounding the idea of men taking up these types of workouts. Yes, men can absolutely practice yoga.

Camille from The Float Spa laughed “Of course men do yoga! Sure when they come in for their first session some can feel a little out of place, but they always love it, would definitely recommend it to guys thinking about it.”

 If you have been toying with the idea of taking up this activity and adopting it as your workout routine, stick with us. We will guide you through the benefits of doing yoga, best positions for beginners and everything else you need to know before embarking on the yoga journey. 

In this fast-paced world in which we struggle to get ahead in our careers, juggle obligations and make time for ourselves, stress has become an integral part of our mindset. Yoga is proven as an amazing tool for coping with stress. Terrence Monte, a managing teacher at Pure Yoga, says: “Going to amped up gyms or punching a punching bag can make you more aggressive or more tired.” Yoga, on the other hand, employs a number of relaxation techniques, which, with regular practice, can make you calmer. It helps you disconnect from the outside world, forget about all the external stress factors, drown out the noise and just be in sync with your inner self. Secondly, yoga is a great option for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle – spending numerous hours in an office. Most series of yoga asanas include one or more spinal twists to loosen the many joints that make up your spine, which in turn make your entire body incomparably more flexible. If you are looking for more than flexibility, and want to sculpt your muscles, yoga can help you achieve just that as it uses the weight of your own body to build mass and strength. An additional perk of doing yoga is an enhanced sex life. One way to improve your performance in the bedroom is to use all those relaxation and breathing techniques from yoga class to have better, longer sex. If these reasons are not enough to convince you that this form of exercise is for you, this list of reasons might do the trick. 

Many men feel apprehensive about taking up yoga because all those positions seem way too complex and sometimes even impossible to achieve, making it hard to believe that a human being can pull them off. Yoga is a process, and you will not start with attempting to do the most difficult positions right away. There are numerous classes for beginners, so before you try one, make sure you have the proper gym wear to get you motivated and excited about your upcoming session and get on that mat. What your yoga instructor first teaches you are proper breathing techniques and positions for beginners to get your body ready. Hatha yoga is good for beginners because of its slow pace and introductory poses. If you feel like going at it alone, to test the waters and see whether this is the right exercise routine for you, you can always follow instructions for beginners’ positions from the privacy of your own home.

Once you get the hang of the basics and conquer the first obstacles, you will be ready to take your pick as there are there are a number of yoga styles and finding the right one will help ensure you keep up your practice. For those who want a more fast-paced practice, consider power yoga. If you want to wipe yourself out and break a serious sweat, try Bikram (hot) yoga. There is a whole range of yoga styles and positions to explore, so give it a try, you will absolutely fall in love with it. Before you know it, you will be recommending yoga to all your guy friends.