{"id":555,"date":"2016-05-13T08:14:49","date_gmt":"2016-05-13T06:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/taoofstefan.com\/blog\/?p=555"},"modified":"2016-08-17T16:43:16","modified_gmt":"2016-08-17T14:43:16","slug":"myth-yoga-feminine-affair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taoofstefan.com\/blog\/main\/lifestyle\/myth-yoga-feminine-affair\/","title":{"rendered":"The Myth of Yoga Being a \u201eFeminine Affair\u201c"},"content":{"rendered":"

When we think about yoga as a practice, we usually imagine a woman striking a pose and it seems so natural to us. Now, try to imagine a man doing yoga<\/a> \u2013 it is a bit difficult, right? Why is that so? We have been showered with images of elastic women bodies in poses that are enhancing their femininity so much that an image of a man in similar poses seems simply too feminine. The truth is, though, that gender should have nothing to do with yoga, and it has been so ever since this ancient Eastern practice was developed. If you need some more \u201emyth busting\u201c, we will dig in even deeper.<\/p>\n

\"seated<\/a><\/p>\n

Masculine and Feminine Qualities of Yoga<\/strong><\/h2>\n

From Eastern traditional perspective, the discipline of yoga has both masculine and feminine qualities, where the feminine qualities should be receptivity, compassion and intuition, while the masculine ones are thought to be mental discipline, drive for knowledge and physical mastery. This does not necessarily means that men are prone to mental discipline and women to compassion, but that we all have masculine and feminine qualities, regardless of our gender, but they are not always in balance in yoga practice. The goal is to integrate both of those qualities<\/a> and be dynamic and calm, strong and soft, etc.<\/p>\n

The \u201eManly\u201c Barrier<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Many men have the barrier towards yoga, not only because they consider it to be feminine, but also because they think of it as either \u201ctoo hard\u201d or \u201ctoo easy\u201d. Actually, yoga is somewhere in between. You do not have to be extraordinary flexible to do yoga. As a matter of fact, the whole point of yoga is to improve your flexibility, but also to enhance your range of motion and be a supplement to your regular strength training. It is also difficult enough to keep your body challenged, so in some cases, especially if you have a history of injuries, you will need an instructor with yoga certification<\/a> to guide you through your beginner days.<\/p>\n

How Can Even the Manliest Men Benefit from Yoga?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are some perks of yoga that could motivate men to finally throw down the mats. Here are just a few of them:<\/p>\n