Yoga classes designed specifically for males
Broga is coming.
During June The Yoga Centre held a one-off class, fundraising for the Men’s Health Trust, just for males and raised about $200.
It was so successful, attracting 28 participants, it got yoga instructor Jody Samuel and studio owner Alex Rodger thinking, and now they’re offering a six-week Broga workshop starting in October.
‘‘There’s a lot of men out there that are under great deals of pressure. They have responsibilities to meet, bills, jobs, and because of all that they can put themselves under tremendous amounts of pressure,’’ Samuel said.
‘‘Having done yoga for over 15 years now, something I’ve noticed is it does seem to have quite a shortage of men, it seems to be quite a female place. Most of the classes, the majority are women-based. We’re working really hard to try and change this.
‘‘We want to get more men in to show the true benefits of yoga.’’
When he’s spoken to other men about this the common theme seems to be they don’t feel good enough to do yoga.
‘‘One of the main things or excuses that I hear is they say, ‘I’m not really flexible enough.’ They miss the true essence. You don’t just come and do yoga to get stretchy hamstrings, that’s kind of a byproduct. We wanted to remove this whole fear of having to look good in front of women.’’
During Broga men can leave their worries at the door, and learn the art of yoga in a relaxed, safe, and friendly environment. ‘‘The goal is to just ease them in slowly. There’s going to be no extravagant poses. There’s not going to be anything flashy. It’s going to be nice and basic, and healing.’’
The hope is that the men will get hooked and realise it’s more than an exercise in flexibility, it’s a mental practice too. ‘‘You come in and do your yoga on your mats, but then you take it with you into life when you go out. It changes your life and it makes you a better human being.’’
Broga costs $120 for the six hour-long sessions and will be held on Tuesday nights from October 11 starting at 7.15pm. For more information visit The Yoga Space on Facebook, or the website theyogaspace.co.nz or ring Alex on 027 524 4004.
‘‘Come with a completely open mind,’’ Samuel said.