By Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com
It’s Saturday morning, and in a modest wood-floored room in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a group of guys are busy laying out mats and warming up, preparing to spend the next hour doing “downward dog” and trying their hand at “tree pose.”
In the lobby, two other guys – one a whipcord lean 61-year old, the other a fit 45-year old – are deciding who is going to lead the practice for the day.
It’s the men’s only yoga class at Heartsong Yoga on North Main Street, and since Mark Kent and Steve Sampson approached studio owner Sheila Magalhaes about starting yoga for guys last fall, the roster of class regulars has been slowly growing.
“We have guys from all age groups, but the core/regular group of guys are over 50 [years of age], and our most regular participant is a retiree,” Sampson said. “Many are active in sports – golf, cycling, running, hockey – or are looking to get back to some physical activity. Having a men-only class gives them an environment where they are willing to come try something new.”
It’s become a guy thing
It’s not that guys doing yoga is news. The Beatles – who traveled to India to learn yoga – are credited with introducing the practice to the West in the 1960s. 1980s rock icon Sting – front man for The Police – was infamous for practicing Tantra yoga – purported to increase a couple’s intimacy and spiritual connection. Plenty of male Hollywood celebs – including 1990s bad boy Robert Downy Jr., now famous for his role as Iron Man – have talked about becoming yoga converts in recent years. And scores of elite professional athletes – including David Beckham and Tom Brady – are know to be regular practitioners.
“Guys are seeing examples in the mainstream media – male athletes, actors, musicians, etc., who use yoga to stay physically and mentally at the top of their game,” Sampson continued. “That has helped to demystify the practice as something that is appropriate for anyone, regardless of gender, age [and] body type.”
Practice makes … practice
Still, for the average Joe, getting barefoot and twisting your body into unfamiliar positions can be daunting. And they’re not alone in that feeling. According to Stack.com, when 7-foot 1-inch, 315-pound former NBA player Shaquille O’Neil took his first yoga class, the now-regular practitioner called himself the “worst yoga student in the history of yoga.”
Sampson said O’Neil’s experience echoes the biggest concern most guys have about trying yoga – that they just aren’t that flexible.
"Yoga practice is just that, practice,” Sampson explains in a handout he gives potential class attendees. “Just as you would lift weights to build strength, or visit a driving range to improve your golf game, regular yoga practice will help you increase your flexibility and range of motion. You do not need to be flexible to practice yoga.”
In fact he said it is often issues like the ones that initially motivated O’Neil – who said he began doing yoga to preserve his body – that convince men to give yoga a try.
"A lot of them have tight hamstrings and tight backs from other physical activities,” Sampson said. “Some are trying to maintain their flexibility, others have knee issues or back issues.”
Glenn Snyder of East Longmeadow, who at 74 is now a regular at Heartsong’s men’s yoga is an example of that kind of attendee. Snyder said it was his yoga-practicing wife that convinced him to come and try out the class to maintain his flexibility.
"I had a knee replacement a couple of years ago, and there are some things that Steve and Mark do that I can’t do, “ Snyder said. “They do a wonderful job of instructing, and I find it very beneficial to keep my body in shape.”
Beyond Flexibility
Sure, increasing your flexibility and avoiding weekend warrior injuries are two great reasons why Kent and Sampson think guys should try yoga. But those aren’t the reasons these two men originally took up their own personal yoga practice.
Kent – an avid cyclist – sought out yoga during a personal health crisis.
“What brought me to yoga was its ability to provide healing,” Kent said. “When I first started practicing yoga I was going through cancer treatment and it really helped with the healing process.
“It’s something I believe in, so I want to share that [with out students],” Kent added.
Sampson said he turned to yoga not to cope with a personal health crisis, but to help him manage health issues affecting loved ones.
“I came to yoga in taking care of myself and managing [my] stress so I could better take care of my wife and my father-in-law,” he said.
Both men said they began their initial yoga practices at other studios, but came to Heartsong for yoga training, completing their teaching certification under The Hard and Soft Yoga Institute in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, directed by Beryl Bender Birch.
Sampson said the two men then approached Magalhaes about offering a men’s only yoga class at Heartsong “to share the benefits [they had discovered] with other people.”
As Sampson emphasizes in his handout to the men in his class, beyond increased strength and flexibility, “yoga has been linked to lower blood pressure, stress reduction and a stronger immune system [and a] yoga practice will also help you with mental focus, improving your concentration at the game, or on the job site, aiding your overall performance.”
The men’s only yoga class at Heatsong Yoga, 264 N Main St, East Longmeadow, Mass., meets at 11 a.m. on the first and third Saturday of every month. For more information about the class, visit www.Heartsongyoga.com or call (413) 525-0720.
Question: I’m not flexible, can I still do yoga?
Answer: Yes! Yoga practice is just that…practice. Just as you would lift weights to build strength, or visit a driving range to improve your golf game, regular yoga practice will help you increase your flexibility and range of motion. You do not already need to be flexible to practice yoga.
Question: Do I need to wear special clothes for a yoga class?
Answer: No. The types of clothes that you wear for other physical activities (such as sweat pants, running shorts, and tee shirts) are perfectly fine for yoga practice. Basically, you want to be able to move comfortably during practice. Yoga is practiced in bare feet, so you will not need any special sneakers or footwear. After you check in at the front desk, there is an area to store your shoes before you enter the studio.
Question: Do I need to bring a yoga mat or any other gear for yoga practice?
Answer: No, everything you will need to start a yoga practice is available to borrow during class at the studio, including a limited supply of yoga mats. As you become a regular yoga practitioner, you will probably want to purchase your own mat. Yoga mats are available for purchase at the studio, and can also be purchased from some of the same sources you use for other athletic gear.
Question: Between sports and work, I am already physically active. Why should I practice yoga?
Answer: There are many benefits to adding yoga practice to the sports and physical activities that you participate in. As you gain flexibility and range of motion, you may be less likely to become injured during other activities. Improved range of motion will also help you to direct your strength where you want it to go for the activity you’re engaged in. Yoga practice will also help with your mental focus, improving your concentration at the game or on the job site, aiding your overall performance.
Question: What are some of the other health benefits of yoga practice?
Answer: Yoga has numerous benefits to physical and mental health. One specific concern that affects a lot of men is back pain. Regular yoga practice can help address back pain caused by tight muscles or poor posture. Yoga practice has also been linked to lower blood pressure, stress reduction, and a stronger immune system.
* Q & A from Sampson’s class handout for new attendees.
