I will say right away that this article was written by a person who does not like the idea of ​​yoga. Especially in the version that large fitness clubs and small yoga trainings offer us. For the most part, what is taught in modern yoga clubs is terribly far from classical yoga with all its branches and a certain philosophy of wrapping the genitals on a stick. There were cases when shitty trainers who knew very little about yoga did things to spiritualized girls and men who came for enlightenment and weight loss that led to pinched nerves and problems with joints, after which ordinary vulgar surgeons from local clinics took on them.

Yoga itself is an excellent prevention of musculoskeletal diseases and physical therapy. Do you have arthritis, arthrosis and osteoarthrosis? The simplest exercises from the simplest initial hatha yoga are especially for you. If you suffer from back and joint pain, then yoga can also help you. If you can't sleep, suffer from overwork, stress and anxiety, yoga will help you. Do you know what else will help you? Hobbies and absolutely any physical activity. Running, weightlifting, going to the gym - all this will take you away from strength and calories, which will make you sleep like a baby.
But if you want to lose weight, tone up, get toned... you can try the gym and it will help you, and better than yoga. This does not mean that yoga is not worth doing. But yoga will not give you impressive results in terms of losing weight and growing high-quality muscle mass. Of course, there is yoga that will make you break out in a sweat during your workouts, but CrossFit and the gym, which are simple and vulgar for many hipsters, cope with this task much better. If you compare low repetitions with heavy weights and more or less active yoga in terms of standard tasks for any physical activity (lose weight and gain overall muscle tone), then the first will obviously give you much more benefit. But let’s still look at yoga in more detail to understand whether it can be practiced by our adequately severe reader.

Yoga and results

Pros
Active yoga really produces results. Reducing body fat, lengthening muscles, acquiring muscle tone - all this awaits those who practice yoga.
Cons
Yoga will help those who have never done anything before. It will be equivalent to gymnastics. An old friend of mine never played sports, but he started doing 20 minutes of gymnastics in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening. Six months later, he lost weight, got nicely toned, and remains in that state to this day. This will happen to every person who begins to do something for which his body was previously not adapted. If you have previously lifted weights and bench pressed, yoga will not help you, because your body is not surprised by such training. Therefore, for those who are just discovering the wonderful world of physical activity (you guys!), yoga is just the thing! But, to be honest, charging has the same effect.

Yoga and flexibility

Pros
The obvious advantage of yoga is that it provides excellent flexibility. Yoga is great for gaining dynamic flexibility, that's obvious to any dude. You can actually throw your leg over your shoulder and move it cheerfully while making small talk with your comrades. This is good and useful.

Cons
You know what else flexibility gives? Working with a barbell. Working with a barbell copes with this with a plus. However, like almost all work with . But if you think about it, why do men need excessive flexibility? We need strength, endurance and agility. Girls need flexibility; this is almost their main physical indicator. It’s so cool to film with an iPhone camera when she’s standing in the doorway, with her leg sticking out and leaning on the door frame. Girls on Instagram will be jealous when they see this slut's remarkable stretch marks. Yogi girls are good for bed pleasures: they can easily get into the craziest poses and stay in them for quite a long time. Even if a girl is fat and weighs more than she should, if she is passionate about yoga, she can gain a pleasant tone in her body and the so-called “long muscle”, because of which a plump girl can be called slender - when she is not undressing, of course. But if a girl suddenly reads this article, I strongly advise her not to be afraid to do CrossFit and strength training: they give the best effect. And you don’t have to be afraid that you’ll turn into a jock: it’s a long process.

Yoga and relaxation

Pros
To the relaxing sound of water and the sounds of wind, which cannot be called music, you will twist at an incredible angle on a rug or mat. You will sit with your eyes closed in the lotus position, think about the eternal or not think about anything at all. It really helps you relax a lot.
Cons
Any physical activity, including helping grandparents weed the weeds in the garden, brings harmony, healthy sleep, relief from stress and satisfaction with the process. It all depends on how you perceive this or that physical process and what you think about while doing work or training. If you do quality stretching before and after training, then, IMHO, there will be more benefits than yoga.

Yoga for health

Pros
Yoga always works with your own weight, so it is good for beginners and people with diseases of the joints and musculoskeletal system. These are small loads on the main muscle groups that will help relieve stress on the joints and strengthen flabby muscles. Excellent therapeutic exercises.

Cons
Yoga as therapeutic gymnastics is good in its simplest forms. Difficult exercises, especially those performed by someone who is not adequately trained, can be as hard on joints and tendons as weightlifting and running in the wrong shoes. Unfortunately, in our country, due to the decent popularity of yoga, the quality of training of the “guru from Zazhopinsk” can be very, very low. There were many cases when a lively enlightened guy taught housewives and pale young men with burning eyes such trash, which led to curvature of the spine, flat feet and curvature of the joint in the articular capsule. Unfortunately, few people want to take the learning process seriously, read literature, articles - everyone relies on the knowledge of the trainer, but this cannot be done. Think with your own head.

What does it look like from the outside

Let's face it: what segment of the population is yoga popular among? Among girls studying in the humanities who love secret knowledge, fortune telling with tarot cards, sitting on the windowsill and esotericism. Among young humanities youths and near-hipsters who believe that the gym is “ugh” and for “big dumb jocks” (at the same time, they do not understand that iron and various training can make anything out of a person). Among housewives who urgently need to lose weight because the children are already at school, they need to occupy themselves with something, and running in the morning is boring and difficult. Among various lovers of all sorts of strange religious movements, which are multiplying exponentially, do not work anywhere and pester honest citizens on the street with suspicious literature. What does a normal, adequate bro look like among these people? Inadequately - that’s the most logical answer for you. You can learn the basics of yoga at home, it's not that difficult. Like unloading after a good workout and stretching is very good, but I’m sorry, I’ve always been prejudiced towards it, but this is a personal opinion. You, of course, decide for yourself.

It's no secret that yoga is much more popular among women than among men, who prefer more “masculine” sports. It’s just that men think that the ability to punch each other in the face or learn to carry heavy weights that they have never lifted in real life is much more important. Indeed, who needs this reduction in stress, improved sleep, and reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Because stress, anxiety and depression make your life much more interesting.

Let's hit stupid poses with stress!

And you've never had problems with back pain

Yoga has been proven to be effective in treating chronic low back pain.

What will you do with this sense of balance, flexibility and endurance?

After all, you’ve never had problems with pain, stiff movements and fatigue, have you?

Doing yoga won't improve your performance in "real" sports

However, many world-famous athletes practice yoga and achieve sky-high success. But remember, yoga has absolutely nothing to do with it.

You may have to become calmer and happier.

It's so boring...

You might even live longer

But what will you do with so much time? No thanks!

Your posture will improve

You will sit gracefully, like a woman...

Your lungs will become too healthy

Damn it, you'll have to harm them with double force

Yoga is much better for the brain than most other sports

Be smarter than others? No thanks, the boys won't understand. More precisely, you them.

It would be a shame to lose such an important part of your life as insomnia

Who likes to stay up all night and go to work like a zombie in the morning, raise your hand

Your blood pressure will thank you

But what to do now without all these changes and headaches?

Yoga will reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases

Live longer than the absolute majority, but who cares anyway?

Besides, you are unlikely to be interested in taking your body to a new level

The more you try, the more poses you can do, and the more fun you get. But this is not the kind of thing you can show off in front of men.

You won't be able to do yoga like a professional right away, so you shouldn't even start

And even these women around you, they will all do it better!

And finally, why do you need something that will make your sex much better?

Scientists have proven that yoga improves breathing, flexibility and endurance, which is 100% conducive to good sex. But wanting to have unique sex is stupid, isn’t it?

A student at the Moscow University of Yoga, Anastasia Ignatieva, decided to find out why men are increasingly coming to yoga, and what those who have not yet started practicing this ancient practice are afraid of...

In search of information, I turned to familiar and not so familiar men.

And one funny article caught my eye: “Yoga is not for men: 15 reasons why guys should never do yoga.” The author of the article, in a rather humorous manner and with pictures, tries to debunk the myth: “yoga is only for women.”

Yes, it is true, in Russia and in the West, yoga is more popular among women than men. Although, in India, where the entire system of yoga originated, it was mainly practiced and practiced by men. If you go to India now on any yoga tour, you will see that there are almost no Indian women practicing yoga.

Everything, of course, very much depends on the stereotypes of our modern society: a man must be strong, flexibility and stretching (and this is how many people imagine yoga) is for women, a yogi is a lean old man sitting on nails with his leg thrown over his head, and chanting mantras.

Many men are also repelled by the fact that yoga, being an ancient system of improving the body, mind and spirit, also includes not only a large number of difficult asanas for men (associated with stretching, and many men have poorly developed flexibility), but also breathing and meditative practices. In addition, the myths and misconceptions that surround yoga are repulsive.

And yet, men who practice yoga consciously, without fanaticism, are very attractive. After all, this is a multifaceted system of healing and bringing a person into a balanced state, getting rid of clamps and blocks.

Speaking about men's health, I would like to note the fact that yoga equally has a positive effect on the health of not only men, but also everyone who decides to practice it competently and consciously. The key phrase here is “consciously.” After all, we can say that yoga is not for everyone. It is much easier and more understandable for a modern person (man) to open a bottle of beer on a Friday evening and watch football (or a TV series) or just “hang out” in a bar or nightclub. They don't even think about their health. And in general, they don’t think much about anything. As a woman, it is very sad for me to look at such men who have lost themselves. And it's their choice. I look at my father, his dull gaze and dissatisfaction with the world. I dream of helping, and I understand that only through my example can I change something. In the meantime, you are just a “madman who ended up in a sect.” Yes, yoga requires mindfulness. And a deep understanding of its techniques and principles.

Men who visit yoga centers and feel the full power of yoga techniques are deeply respected; they are unlikely to turn away from these practices. After all, yoga is not only and not so much the physical aspect. Yoga helps you cope with stress, learn to control your emotions and discipline your mind, improves relationships with others, improves your life, and helps get rid of many health problems. And most importantly, with yoga practices, many men (and not only) were able to get rid of harmful addictions, such as alcohol or tobacco use.

But, as a rule, many men come to yoga to get rid of health problems. Review from one man who came to yoga on the recommendation of a doctor (4 years of practice):

“Since then, radical changes have occurred: the spine has started working, the physical condition of the body has improved, flexibility has developed to an extent that it was not previously there. The excess volume was lost (I started buying clothes one or two sizes smaller). The body’s resistance to external unfavorable factors has increased, and I am significantly less dependent on seasonal diseases. Psychological resistance has increased, concentration has improved. In general, in terms of reactions and physical condition, age has moved back. I completely disagreed with my passport details.”

Many men choose the gym, again due to the prevailing stereotype and the influence of society. They want “abs and abs.” And here you should understand that in the gym muscles grow, strength increases, and a relief appears that is attractive to the opposite sex. Yes, this cannot be denied. But is it only a physically beautiful body that is attractive? Yoga helps you change not only externally, but also internally: to become better, more aware, more balanced, more confident. When a deeper understanding of oneself and the world around him comes, the needs of his body, and the beauty of the world around him, isn’t such a man more attractive? It looks like we need to conduct a survey among women.

Men are afraid of becoming “feminine.” But yoga can be different, there are also more “masculine” practices, such as Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, universal yoga, which involve a fairly dynamic practice and a lot of power balances. Many men notice that after a while many health problems go away. Well, the body is tightened, the muscles are toned, the body becomes stronger and more balanced, at the same time flexibility and inner peace are acquired. Yes, a yogi looks thinner compared to a “jock”, but this does not mean that he is weaker. It is more harmonious.

I would like to cite as an example the statement of one famous video blogger, a famous raw food vegan, a little pretentious, and perhaps far from the true essence of yoga. And yet, his opinion is now authoritative. And this is what he says: “...go to yoga - get hooked, it’s very cool. This will help with cleansing and feeling your body.” He, a gym lover, would get a kick out of going to yoga.

Above we talked mainly about asanas, because fitness clubs pay little attention to pranayama and meditation; the philosophy of the fitness club does not allow it. But the main thing is that Yoga changes people. It is universal and everyone can find something of their own in it. Yoga develops the intellect, provides support, and opens up the unknown. It simply makes you a “better version of yourself.” Not to mention the fact that yoga increases endurance... willpower... fortitude... concentration... and helps to transfer all this from the mat into everyday life. Aren't these qualities characteristic of a balanced and strong man?

Of course, there are Real men. And they have a lot of responsibility now. For them, yoga can serve as an excellent way to abstract themselves from the hustle and bustle and immerse themselves in themselves and relax.

For some, some yoga practices helped them find their way. I would like to give an example of a good friend of mine, a “Vedic” astrologer. He shared what yoga is for him and how he sees it: “Through the body and sensations. You understand what is lightness, clarity, and what is heaviness. But the worldview is rather changing. You need to eat and sleep less. But you can’t change your worldview through physics and energy alone. Worldview is a mental plane. Here you need to work with your thoughts. This is a different yoga. But physical yoga helps to establish clarity in the mind, you begin to feel better, intuition increases, awareness, concentration are the main thing.” He uses yoga techniques to gain energy, calm down, and relax. These are mainly pranayamas and individual asanas.

And also, I would like to give here examples of famous men who do yoga.

So, Robert Downey Jr. Yes, yes, Iron Man. They say that yoga helped him get rid of drug addiction. “Life is quite a difficult thing,” says Robert Downey Jr. – Therefore, you need to draw strength from any suitable case. Yoga gives me an influx of positive strength and emotions.”

Sting:“I thought yoga was about sitting with your legs in a twist and contemplating your navel.” Sting began practicing asanas at the age of 39.

“I think this is a path that is enough for self-improvement. It is endless and you cannot be disappointed in it, like in sports. One of the great things about yoga is that as I get older, I can do a particular practice better. This is very inspiring and reverses the aging process. I can do things with my body now that I never thought possible when I was an athletic teenager. This gives me the desire to continue. This is what I want to continue to do."

Matthew McConaughey."The Wolf of Wall Street", "True Detectives". Matthew practices some of the practices. He says it calms him down and helps him find his peace.

Jon Bon Jovi. The New Jersey-born rocker has taken up yoga in the past few years to "better relax and de-stress while on tour." “I stayed in the gym for years: treadmills, swimming, strength training,” John says. - Now I have changed all this to yoga. I went for the first time, I liked it, and after that I began to attend classes regularly. I’m still a person of the 21st century.”

Here it is, my little investigation into the depths of the male worldview regarding yoga techniques and their impact on men's health.

Work by Moscow University of Yoga student Anastasia Ignatieva

You can deepen your knowledge at the Moscow University of Yoga.

Yoga combines strength and discipline with balance and peace. But most importantly, it gives you an impeccably beautiful body! Introducing the TOP 10 sexiest Instagram male yogis

There is a stupid stereotype that it is exclusively for women. In fact, in India, where this physical activity with religious overtones came from, yoga was considered a masculine practice.

Discipline, an ideal body, harmony in the look, strength in the body - photos of these ten handsome men will make anyone pull the rug out from under the bed!

Gerald Saluti

Photo: Instagram Photo: Instagram Photo: Instagram 4

Patrick Beach

It was Patrick who became one of the first yogis Instagram. His photos prove once again: grace can be courageous!

Photo: Instagram 5

Sean Phelps

« Instagram“Shauna is a double dose of beauty: not only does the guy have a perfect body, he does asanas on the California coast! Beware of an overdose of aesthetics and delight!

Photo: Instagram 6

Jonah Kest

Jonah proves that any favorite activity is compatible with yoga. For example, he respects hip-hop - how do you like the combination? And Jonah is a vegan, so in his “ Instagram“You can always admire a spectacular healthy dish and get a couple of recipes.

Photo: Instagram 7

Jordan Thackray

Jordan leads his Instagram from Sydney, which means that not only a beautiful male body in acrobatic asanas awaits us, but also the vast ocean.

Photo: Instagram 8

Duncan Peak

This guy doesn't just do yoga for fun. Duncan founded the most popular yoga school in Australia, Power Living Australia Yoga (P.L.A.Y). As you can see, the activity is not only useful, but also monetary.

Photo: Instagram 9

Sid McNery

Sid has been practicing yoga since early childhood - his father got him into asanas. The guy started teaching at the age of 13, and now he is one of the most popular yoga trainers in the world. Look how handsome he is!

There is something incredibly attractive about men who do yoga. And if your favorite celebrity does yoga, then he is doubly attractive! So, here are 10 famous men who do yoga. Enjoy!

1. Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. was arrested in 2001 for drug possession, but he managed to get rid of his addiction and has not used drugs since then. What helped Iron Man get rid of this addiction? Yes, exactly yoga.

2. Woody Harrelson

Harrelson spends little time in Hollywood, preferring his home in Hawaii - and it's clear why. Where better to practice asanas than on a Hawaiian beach?

3. Russell Brand

Russell is not only a practicing yogi, but also a certified teacher. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to meet him at some seminar?

4. Adam Levine

The Maroon 5 frontman loves yoga as much as he loves music. They say that when he performs, they arrange a special yoga room for him to practice in. And that his impressive physique is the result of our beloved practice.

5. Sting

Sting loves yoga - it helps him cope with the stress of tour. It's great that we are on the same path.

6. Zachary Quinto

How does an actor who played the role of a serial killer (Sylar in the TV series “Heroes”) relax? That's right, on the mat.

7. Matthew McConaughey

A true California guy stays fit by doing yoga on the beach. Notice his Hero pose. He truly is our hero!

8. Jon Bon Jovi

The New Jersey rocker has taken up yoga over the past few years to help him relax and de-stress while on tour. Maybe that's why he looks so young!

9. Alec Baldwin

He may not look like much of a yogi, but he does practice yoga with his wife Hilaria, a yoga instructor. According to him, the fact that he became happier (and slimmer) is precisely her merit.

10. Colin Farrell

What does Colin Farrell do to relax? You probably already know the answer to this question. Unrolls the rug, of course!

Photo: New York Times, sporteluxe.com, Carl Kerridge, Men’s Health, Relax and Release, Just Jared, Billboard, Hilaria Baldwin.