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april / may 2017yogajournal.com.sgEven if a guy turns a physical corner and starts
adapting to yoga’s demands, he may still miss
out on many of the practice’s benefits. Yoga’s
internal rewards—everything from better
focus to less stress—are the hardest for men
to realize.
Brizendine says that this problem, too,
begins with men’s wiring. Men’s brains have a
high capacity to process emotions like fear and
aggression. Put an average, aggressive-feeling
man on the mat, add thoughts about hostile
takeovers or basketball, and you get someone
who isn’t looking to quiet his mind but to let
go of pent-up energy. That’s easy in traditional
recreational sports, with their scores, times,
and rivalries. But guys in Downward Dog may
still be looking for something, or someone, to
beat. “For men, physical activity—nonsexual
physical activity—has always been closely
associated with competition,” Brizendine says.
“Studies have shown that for the last 40 years.”
Brizendine adds that with time and training,
men’s brains can get past such competitive
urges, and the proof lies in the men who have
found enormous benefits from tapping into
yoga’s more emotional offerings.
MEN’S EMOTIONAL CHALLENGE
Try Beating Yourself Instead of Others
Andrew Tilin, author
and longtime freelance
writer, began his yoga
odyssey 20 years ago in
Mysore, India, studying
Ashtanga with Pattabhi
Jois. He continues to
remain active, fitting in
yoga along with cycling,
running, and hiking—
and writes about older
athletes at http://www.themastersathlete.com.Kavita Chandran, editor of YJSG, contributed to
this article from Singapore.Yoga can also teach a guy who’s
overwhelmed by his many responsibilities that
the best way to get things done is by being
present—focusing on one thing at a time.
Yoga is not complete if not done meditatively,
and meditation can mean different things to
different people: the ultimate goal being peace
and silence within.
“Walking through the Tasmanian rainforest
is meditation for me,” says Dean Yates, a
journalist with Reuters News, who is dealing
with post-traumatic stress disorder after years
of covering war and tragedy in the Middle East
and Southeast Asia. “The ancient trees, the
fast-flowing rivers and jagged peaks always cast
a comforting spell over me, especially when I
hike alone. I don’t talk to anyone. I just focus on
what’s in front of me. I breathe, smell, gaze and
sometimes think, but not always. Such walks
calm and ground me.”
Bill Gross, former chief investment officer for
asset management company Pimco and now
with Janus, is one of the most powerful men
in his business. He appreciates what 12 years
of yoga has done for his head. Gross loves
doing the Headstand. “Some of my best ideas
come during Sirsasana,” he says. And, he adds,
often after his routine, “a light bulb turns on,
and I’m on to something.”
Away from the multiple computer screens
and trading-room hubbub, Gross gets more
than just inspiration from yoga. The mat offers
him a place to calm his nerves and breathe
deeply. He returns to the office rejuvenated and
relaxed, ready to work with a purpose. “Focus
is a huge part of what I do,” Gross says, “and
when you are trusted with nearly $700 billion
of other people’s money, you’d better be
focused. Because of my practice, I can sift the
noise from the facts of an investment.”IND yo
ACHIS
I just cannot see myself in a Yoga
pose. I’m used to outdoor sports
such as soccer, have run marathons,
completed in spartan races in
addition to regular functional
workouts using tyres, kettlebells,
battle ropes & hammers. Yoga
therefore appears to be just the
opposite of what a full body workout
should be. I did try it once and failed
miserably. At that time, I was one of
only 3 males in a class of 20, which
presented another challenge in itself.- Alban D’Sa, fitness coach, Singapore