What is Yoga?
What is Yoga? Western ideas of Yoga often only depict the practice of the postures (Asanas), often done by very flexible and athletic women. This gives the impression that you have to be either extremely fit and flexible or female. In fact, the earliest historical records show that Yoga evolved as a male-oriented practice up […]
From Raving Dj to Yoga Teacher
Check out my first podcast about how I transitioned from raving Dj to Yoga teacher with The Nerd Yogi! I had a fascinating chat with podcast host Virginie from Clan Yogi’s. In it, we talk about my experience of reaching burn out, turning to psychedelic plant medicines for healing and insight, modern life, chronic stress […]
Yoga is the Stilling of the Fluctuations of the Mind
In the Yoga Sutra’s of Patanjali, it was written: “Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha”. This roughly translates to “Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind”. These fluctuations may be viewed from the perspective of a rippling pool of water. The ripples on the surface are the fluctuating thoughts and emotions of our conscious […]
Stress & Modern Life
“Authors on socio-economics, such as Naomi Klein and Joel Balkan, suggest that within our current environment we’re experiencing a state of increased competition and consumption driven by advertising. As a result, we’re working too much. There’s been a 15% increase in people working over 48 hours per week. It seems that the natural male drive […]
My Journey As a Male Yogi
My journey as a male Yogi began practising Yoga as a physical pursuit. Initially drawn to Hot Yoga, I enjoyed the heat, burning up to 700 calories an hour. It was a perfect way to stretch and actively recover from training in other more strenuous pursuits. The practice was strong and very physical, but I […]
Men’s Attitudes to Yoga
What are men’s attitudes to Yoga? Many men pursue competitive sports, from rugby to martial arts. Men have evolved to be competitive, driven by nature. In my experience, this is what pushes us to the extreme in physical pursuits. Male bravado too plays a big role in this. It is not considered macho to pursue […]
Yoga Asana, Pranayama and Meditation
Patanjali described Yoga as a practice of 8 limbs. Three of the most common limbs in modern Yoga are Asana (movement), Pranayama (breath and energy awareness and containment) and Dhyana (meditation). In Yoga, these 3 actions form part of an integrated system of tools that bring us back into the present moment and creates a […]
Mental Steadiness and the Three Modes of Operation
In his book ‘Yoga Reminder’, A.G. Mohan describes mental steadiness as “the ability to hold in the mind a peaceful thought of one’s choice and allow it to come into the mind again and again. In time one is able to hold on to the peaceful thought even while facing adversity”. He goes on to […]
Engaging Men in Practicing Yoga
How do we go about engaging men in practising Yoga? There is clearly a need for more men to engage in and benefit from it. So how do we achieve it? It is apparent that more needs to be done to promote the health benefits of Yoga towards men. Be they physical, mental or spiritual. […]