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april / may 2017yogajournal.com.sgART DIRECTION : ANUJA BAGADE, PHOTOGRAPHY : GARGI MAZUMDAR, MODEL : COPPER CROW, WARDROBE : PURE APPAREL
Although a typical man might spend more time sitting at a desk,
playing sports, or building muscles at the gym than stretching on
a mat, that doesn’t mean that yoga is not for him. When teaching
her ‘Yoga for Dudes’ classes, yoga teacher Nikki Costello focuses on
what tends to be challenging for her male students: getting tight
muscles to lengthen without gripping, encouraging large muscle
groups to move freely and fluidly, and learning to use strength in
a balanced, integrated way in each pose. Here are six easy poses
recommended by Nikki for every guy:
- Eka Pada Pavanamuktasana:One-Legged
Wind-Relieving Pose
Lie flat on your back and stretch both legs along the floor with the toes
pointing up. Bend the left leg, bringing the knee to the chest, and hold the
shin with the hands. Think about relaxing and softening the bent leg while
giving equal attention to engaging and firming the extended leg. Stay for 3
to 5 breaths. Return to the starting position and change legs, repeating the
pose twice more on each side. - Supta Padangusthasana:Reclining Hand-to-
Big-Toe Pose
On your back, bend the left leg toward the chest. Place a belt around
the left foot and stretch the left leg upward until it is perpendicular to the
floor. Hold the belt in both hands and bend the elbows to the sides until
the backs of the upper arms rest on the floor at shoulder height. Broaden
the chest and keep both legs fully stretched and the knees firm. Stay for
3 to 5 breaths.
Hold the belt in the left hand. While keeping the right leg steady, exhale
and move the left arm and leg to the left until the leg comes to the floor.
Stay for 2 to 3 breaths. Inhale, bring the left leg perpendicular to the floor;
then release the belt and lower the leg. Repeat the sequence with the
right leg.Benefits:This pose is a simple, familiar way to begin stretching. It releases
tension and gripping in the buttocks, and it broadens and relieves
tightness in the lower back.Benefits:Lying on the back makes a challenging stretch more
approachable. A belt extends your reach so that you can get the leg to
fully extend without straining, which is key to releasing the hamstrings.A Sequence for Guys
“It’s not that the poses are
really different,” explains
yoga teacher Nikki
Costello. “It’s applying the
principles of yoga to what
men’s bodies need.”
Instructions- Nikki Costello Writer- Andrew Tilin Model - Copper Crow