Asana, pranayama, meditation... there is a lot to a yoga practice that might seem overwhelming. But yoga is a great way for men to get healthier and feel good, too.
“Yoga allows you to rediscover a sense of wholeness in your life, where you do not feel like you are constantly trying to fit broken pieces together.” - B.K.S. Iyengar
In recent times yoga has been seen as a more “feminine” activity targeted at women.
While yoga is certainly a healthy practice for women, it is not only for them.
Yoga offers multiple short and long-term benefits for anyone who practices!
It’s time to encourage men to seek out the benefits of yoga practice, not just women!
Here are 5 different ways you as a man can approach a yoga practice. You are free to experiment and choose which elements of yoga you enjoy and want to continue developing.
In yoga, the term "asana" originates from the Sanskrit word āsana (आसन), which means "seat" or "posture."
Traditionally, it referred to a seated position used for meditation. Over time, in the context of modern yoga, the meaning expanded to include the various physical poses and postures practiced to enhance flexibility, strength, and mindfulness.
Asanas are simply the movements and poses that make up a yoga class.
There are many, many poses in yoga. In traditional practice, there are about 84 recognized poses. In contemporary yoga, there may be more than 200. Several schools of yoga classify postures differently, call them different names, and add or omit some movements.
Perhaps the most recognizable asana practice is Surya Namaskar, the Sun Salutation. This consists of a set of 12 asanas that are always the same and is the cornerstone of Ashtanga and Mysore yoga.
There are rigorous forms of asana, flowing forms, strict forms, and relaxing forms.
If you are a beginner and not very strong, flexible, or mobile, you’ll likely want to choose a form that is slower and more gentle so you can avoid injury while learning how to practice the movements.
If you’re an athlete, you may want to choose a challenging form in order to utilize your strength while building flexibility, or you might want a gentle style to soothe sore muscles and help prevent injury.
It all depends on your preferences and requirements.
Yoga and Asana Styles
The best beginner yoga for men is something that makes you feel accomplished at the end of a session.
Whether you want to feel physically exhausted, mentally relaxed, or emotionally refreshed (or all three!) is up to you.
The most popular beginner styles are:
Iyengar
Hatha
Yin
Vinyasa
Restorative
Gentle
Anusara
Jivamukti
Sivananda
For more advanced asana classes, perfect for someone who is already athletic and familiar with the limits of their body, there are a few more choices to consider:
Ashtanga
Mysore
Hot (formerly Bikram)
Kundalini
Aerial
Power
Buti
Most yoga styles teach more than just asana in their classes. You can choose whether to take the spiritual lessons to heart, but keep in mind that spiritual health is one of the reasons that yoga exists, so it would benefit your practice to find some kind of spiritual connection you resonate with!
Pranayama and meditation techniques are perfect for times you can't do yoga but you want to have a mindful practice.
Pranayama
Pranayama is a Sanskrit term derived from two root words:
"Prana" (प्राण) meaning "life force" or "vital energy" (often associated with the breath), and
"Ayama" (आयाम) meaning "extension" or "control."
Together, pranayama refers to the regulation and control of breath to enhance the flow of life energy, promote physical and mental well-being, and prepare the mind for deeper states of meditation.
You can also practice pranayama independently from your asana practice.
So if you don’t enjoy asana, don’t have time or space for practice, or simply want to learn breathing techniques, you can pursue learning about pranayama.
Calming Pranayama
To quickly calm yourself from anger, stress, or fear, utilize these pranayama techniques:
Ujjayi
Sitali
Sitkari
Chandra Bhedana
Alulom Vilom
Nadi Shodhana
Samavritti
Sahita Kumbhaka
Bhramari
Anapanasati
Dirga Swasam
Energizing Pranayama
When you’re feeling low, sluggish, tired, foggy-headed, or otherwise depressed, you might benefit from some energizing pranayama practices like:
Bhastrika
Kapalabhati
Surya Bhedana
Murccha
Plavini
Breath of Joy
Simhasana
Many calming pranayamas can also be used to invigorate the body and mind, like sitali, sitkari, and bhramari.
Yoga Practices that Emphasize Pranayama
If you want a yoga style that teaches pranayama heavily at the same time, try Hatha, Vinyasa, Scaravelli-inspired, Anusara, Jnana, Sivananda, Jivamukti, Kundalini, and Yin.
Working with Bandhas
Bandhas are specific physical and energetic "locks" or "seals" used in yoga practice to control and redirect the flow of prana (life energy) within the body. The term comes from the Sanskrit word bandha (बंध), meaning "to bind," "lock," or "tighten."
They play an essential role in advanced yoga practices, particularly in pranayama (breath control) and meditation, to deepen awareness and harness inner energy.
Many people utilize bandhas as a way to enhance their yoga practice. They’re a relatively advanced technique that even beginners can start practicing, though it may take time to get good at them and know when to use them.
Bandhas are “locks” that you voluntarily create to temporarily block off part of the body. They are muscular contractions in strategic points of the body that are meant to reduce blood flow so that when the bandha is released, a burst of fresh blood and prana flow comes through to help cleanse and heal the area.
There are four primary bandhas, each associated with a specific area of the body:
Mula Bandha (Root Lock):
Location: The perineum or pelvic floor.
How to Perform: Engage the muscles of the pelvic floor by gently lifting them inward and upward.
Benefits: Activates the root chakra (Muladhara), strengthens pelvic muscles, and helps stabilize energy.
Uddiyana Bandha (Abdominal Lock):
Location: The lower abdomen.
How to Perform: After exhaling completely, draw the abdominal muscles inward and upward under the ribcage.
Benefits: Stimulates digestion, strengthens the core, and directs energy upward along the spine.
Jalandhara Bandha (Throat Lock):
Location: The throat or neck region.
How to Perform: Tuck the chin slightly toward the chest while keeping the spine straight, creating a gentle compression in the throat.
Benefits: Balances the throat chakra (Vishuddha), regulates thyroid function, and controls the flow of energy between the heart and head.
Maha Bandha (The Great Lock):
Location: A combination of all three bandhas (Mula, Uddiyana, and Jalandhara).
How to Perform: Engage all three locks simultaneously during breath retention.
Benefits: Harmonizes the flow of energy, calms the mind, and supports spiritual awakening.
Yogis use them to maintain focus, harness the power of their own inherent energy, tone muscles, and help with things like digestion, sexual function, hormone balance, and metabolism.
You may have even seen some practitioners using Nauli Kriya with Uddiyana Bandha, where they churn the abdomen and stimulate all the digestive organs.
This bandha technique can be learned in time and is recommended to be practiced with a qualified teacher at first to ensure proper technique.
The point is that bandhas are excellent for learning self-control, internal precision, articulate muscle training, and so much more. They are an exciting add-on to your yoga practice!
Many men practice yoga as a way to get the strength and control to be able to do amazing tricks.
Of course, what would yoga be without talking about meditation practice?
Some people avoid the meditation aspect of yoga because they don’t think it’s important or relevant, feel they can’t do it, or are afraid to try.
It’s up to you whether you want to embrace meditation, but again, it’s a valuable facet of the philosophy of yoga and can enhance your practice and all other areas of your life.
There are many different methods of meditation. It’s not only Sukhasana with Gyana Mudra breathing slowly with the eyes closed trying to empty the mind.
In fact, asana is in itself a meditation. When you become comfortable in an asana practice, you’ll find that you’re able to concentrate on the poses only. Your mind is not wandering or thinking about anything else in your life; it is focused only on your body and breath. That's moving meditation!
Other types of meditation practices you can experiment with include:
Mantra
Guided
Transcendental
Metta (Loving-Kindness)
Vipassana (Silent)
Chakra Dhyana
Trataka (Candle-Gazing)
Visualization
Observation
Yoga Nidra
Mudras
Malas
Mandalas
Nada Yoga (Sound meditation)
Ajna Meditation (Third-Eye Gazing)
Tantra
Pratyahara (‘Withdrawal of the Senses’)
Dharana (Single-Object)
Dhyana (Detachment)
Samyama (Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi combined)
Kinhin (Buddhist walking meditation)
Labyrinth walking meditation
Japanese Dry Garden (rock garden with sand/Zen garden)
Sand Mandala
Tai Chi
And many, many more!
You can meditate about anything in any way you’d like, but these are some of the established ways that many people enjoy all over the world.
Yoga Styles That Emphasize Meditation
Bhakti Yoga
Jnana Yoga
Kundalini Yoga
Kriya Yoga
Ashtanga Yoga
Yoga Nidra
Hatha Yoga
Many (if not most) yoga styles have a meditation element to them, even if it’s not one of the main focuses of the teacher or the class.
Yoga is for anyone who wants to practice, for any reason.
Conditioning for Other Activities
One of the most common reasons non-yogis become yogis in the first place is because they want to use yoga as a form of training and conditioning.
Yoga can certainly give you muscle strength and support, stretch tight muscles and ligaments, increase flexibility and mobility, and do so much more for a person that helps them in their daily lives!
The truth is that men are welcome at any yoga class that does not specifically state otherwise.
It might feel a little awkward at first to be the only man in a class full of women, but as long as you are respectful and reasonable, there is no reason you shouldn’t be there.
If any of the students or the teacher makes you feel unwelcome, it might be prudent to talk to the manager of the facility about your experience.
Another major reason men cite as a reason to avoid joining a yoga class is that they feel they aren’t flexible enough. Women are usually more flexible naturally, and since they dominate the yoga classroom, it can make a stiff man feel even more out of place.
But yoga is meant to be the tool you use to become flexible, meaning your level of flexibility when you begin is irrelevant! Don’t let fear of looking different than the other students hold you back. As long as you feel good, that’s all that matters!
Where Do Men Practice Yoga?
Men have the same options as anyone else when it comes to spaces for yoga practice.
Yoga Classes
Yoga studios and private teachers offer yoga classes. They may be group classes or private classes, so you’ll need to search for which one you’re interested in.
Beyond the yoga studio, you can practice at home with any number of online resources like YouTube and online courses.
And when you have a solid knowledge of yoga, you can make up your own practice (or independently perform Surya Namaskar) however you want!
Many people choose to practice their yoga routine at home, at the gym, or outside.
Now that you’re armed with all this knowledge of yoga asana, meditation techniques, pranayama, and more, you can start taking yoga classes with confidence!
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Bryanna Forest
Hi! I'm Bryanna and I love to learn new things, travel the world, practice yoga, spend time with animals, read fantasy novels, and watch great shows!
Men attending yoga classes should know that yoga is a welcoming and inclusive practice that is suitable for people of all genders and fitness levels. It's important to wear comfortable and breathable clothing that allows for a full range of movement. It's also helpful to bring a yoga mat and any other props recommended by the teacher. Men should approach yoga with an open mind and be willing to modify or rest when needed. It's important to communicate with the teacher if any injuries or health concerns are present to receive proper guidance.
Why is yoga hard for some men?
Yoga can be hard for some men due to differences in flexibility and muscle mass. Men generally have less flexibility than women, which can make some yoga poses more challenging. Additionally, men tend to have higher levels of muscle mass, which can make it more difficult to achieve certain poses that require a greater range of motion. Men may need to modify or adapt certain poses to accommodate their body's unique needs, and regular practice can help improve both flexibility and strength over time.
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