Male Yogis on the Rise

Have a husband, boyfriend or another guy in your life who’s anxious about trying yoga because he thinks he’ll be the only dude in the room? Tell him that the number of men hitting the mats in yoga classes is on the rise. In 2008, men accounted for 27.8 percent of yoga practitioners, up five percent from 2004, according to a survey of 5,050 respondents conducted on behalf of Yoga Journal. Increasingly, men—especially male athletes—are using yoga to gain flexibility and stay injury-free, as mentioned in a recent New York Times article. 

We can think of plenty of reasons why anyone of any gender can benefit from incorporating yoga into their life, but we found two bloggers who share convincing arguments as to why guys shouldn’t shy away from the studio. At yogajournal.com, Erica Rodefer shares “5 Reasons Men Should Do Yoga,” and at The Huffington Post, mindbodygreen.com blogger Jason Wachob gives us a guy’s perspective with “5 Reasons Why Dudes Should Practice Yoga.” Wachob, a former fraternity brother and Wall Street trader, says he’s “not your typical yoga person,” which makes his take especially interesting—he’s honest (admitting one of the best reasons for men to practice yoga is “the women”), as well as insightful:

“Yoga is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m not doing handstands or anything fancy yet, and I don’t know when I’ll be ready for that challenge. What I do know is what’s right for my body and I try to take my practice one class at a time.” 

We think that’s a great attitude for any yogi—gals and guys alike.