The gender barriers are slowly crumbling, but mention the word yoga to some guys and they visibly blanch. Random visions of pink tutus and giggling women make the manliest of men run for a sweaty gym. But what they may not realize is that yoga is a discipline that was created by men 5 millennia ago and existed as a mostly male-dominated practice up until the 20th century. With their superior strength, men excel in the weight-bearing poses and where they lack in skill, such as flexibility, they'll learn to stretch beyond their comfort zones.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga is like the elder statesman of all the yogic traditions. It started as a contemplative discipline designed to heighten the consciousness of devotees. Hatha yoga evolved into the physical practice that exists today. Guys can benefit from the mix of standing or strength and flexibility building poses; inverted postures that relieve stress and encourage open-mindedness; and seated postures that help you reach beyond your self-imposed limits. Hatha yoga for dudes is the best introduction to this age-old system of physical fitness and mental awareness.
Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga or power yoga is a relatively new incarnation, only emerging in the last half of the 19th century. Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, often cited as the father of Ashtanga yoga, borrowed elements from the Hatha yogic tradition to develop a practice that is renowned for its formidable series of postures that are strung together by the breath. Men might be attracted by the speed and precision with which Ashtanga yoga poses are performed. While practitioners recommend that anyone beginning a yoga practice become familiar with the Hatha yoga poses before attempting Ashtanga yoga, this is not a prerequisite.
Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini yoga, also developed by a man, involves movements that are accompanied by intricate breath work, chanting and the application of mantras, which are words or phases imbued with significant meaning. Series of moving poses are strung together to form what is called a kriya. Each kriya is designed to strengthen, loosen or balance different areas of the body and mind. Men who wonder whether yoga is manly enough for them will be astounded at the strength required to perform each moving pose for up to three minutes.
Bikram Yoga
Enter into the "torture chamber" for your Bikram yoga practice. Bikram Choudhury, founder of this style of yoga, requires that his studios be heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit to facilitate the movement of limbs and muscles. Unlike Hatha yoga, in which the number of poses and their modern derivations are seemingly endless, Bikram yoga is confined to a mere 26 postures performed in a specific order. This type of yoga for dudes will test their endurance and resolve, but also provide an outlet through which they can steam off a stressful day.
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