Gentlemen….downdog Or Bust!
I used to look around in my yoga class and be totally astonished at the number of men that were practicing in my studio. These days my classes are usually...
I used to look around in my yoga class and be totally astonished at the number of men that were practicing in my studio. These days my classes are usually half men. It no longer surprises me. I actually even expect it now, which is more than I could have said six or seven years ago. It has become the norm.
The world is a different place at this moment in time and I think the whole population is beginning to have an awakening that clearly something is not working anymore. Because of this disconnect people are searching for an outlet that will help them find a moment, or hopefully a lifetime of solace and connection. We are finding our way back to what matters the most... intimacy.
The way I define and see intimacy is actually the same way I would describe yoga which is, everything in the world is inherently contingent on everything else. When we start to look at the world, our lives, and our relationships with this type of interconnectedness then we begin to melt away our own illusions of emptiness and focus on the thread that keeps us ticking, and breathing, and loving and living; which is spirit.
I think I can speak for so many yogis when I say that our practice reminds us of that thread. When we actually make yoga a practice, then we are reminded every single day that spirit and love exist.
Why? Because somewhere along the line of sequence of downward dogging and breathing we actually whole-heartedly feel it. In order to sustain and believe anything, we simply must be reminded daily of the relevance and importance of such a thing. That’s an absolute.
I am sure all this sounds like some bogus sales pitch. It is. But it’s not bogus. It’s a sales pitch to sell you some soul currency. Because the more soul you have and even more importantly, the more soul you acknowledge that you have, the happier you will be. And at the end of the day that’s how I contribute to shaping up the world. I sell spirit. Sure, I'll also tell you that yoga will improve your sex life and make you more attractive to most. Ill even tell you that it will help you lose weight and grow your hair. It might even be the solution to long, sweet, loving relationships. Gentlemen, what if I told you that I could sell you an antidote to everything that ails you all packaged up in one product? Would you buy it then? It's YOGA!
I’m here to argue that exact point and to also explain to you how practicing yoga and understanding and embodying the principles of the practice will help you in every aspect of your life especially your relationships with women! There is still hope! I promise.
To reduce yoga to very pragmatic terms, it’s all about the detail. When you commit to a practice of yoga a few times a week, that’s the first step. The commitment and getting there is a good chunk of the work. But then when you show up you also still have to stay engaged. For most people that is the most challenging part.
There is going to be so many things that you don’t understand, especially in your first few years of practice. (Much similar to a relationship with a partner) You will have times where you feel like a walrus in a fish-tank. And you will also have times when you are overwhelmed with greatness, confidence and peace. Yoga isn’t easy but neither is life.
I have watched so many men and women transform their lives and especially their love lives by just beginning to pay attention to the metaphor and spiritual symbolism of yoga. Plus it’s a great place to meet people. Yoga makes people look at everything they are doing. Hand placement becomes important. Attention span becomes important. How the breath affects ones shape becomes important. It all matters! And with this type of engagement we start to refine our sensory awareness and become more in tuned to what is happening around us. It becomes easier to read peoples body language because at some point we have felt the same thing. Bottom line is that we start to relate more. We start to feel more. We start to hear more. We start to love more.
If one thing affects the next, which is fundamental in the teachings, then everything we do must be important and have meaning. And this is when people start making real shifts. They change their diets. They feel better. They are nicer. They begin meeting new people because their predisposition has shifted.
In my experience people want to know what it is that others are doing that is having such a positive effect on them. When we start to share this information we become an agent of positive social change. At the end of the day that is what works. When you feel good, it’s easier to have better relationships with yourself and everyone around you.
Do you see the domino effect here? So gentlemen... down-dog or bust! Get out there and find a yoga class so you can be a better human being. Don’t let your life live you. Live your life!
Written by our friend and local teacher: Lauren Duke. Thanks for being a great leader in our little community! Check out more from Lauren at @DOLLIEDUKE83