Did you know June is Men’s Health Month? President Bill Clinton made it official signing it into law on May 31, 1994. Men’s Health Week is celebrated each year during the week leading up to and including Father’s Day. This year, it’s June 10-16, 2019.
The goal of this initiative is to raise awareness of men's health and encourage them to take care of themselves. The paths to good health are numerous. Regular medical advice, including checkups and screenings, are valuable as many diseases and injuries are preventable and treatable. Fitness and nutrition are huge contributors, backed by mountains of research, but there is no better proof than one's own personal experience.
The practice of yoga happens to be my "go to" for the overall well-being of body, mind, and spirit. Those who know me have heard me say ad nauseam, "I don't know how one lives without the practice of yoga." I apologize if it offends or bores you, but until you experience it, it makes no sense.
Back to men, as that is our focus this month. It delights me when a man is brave enough to dip his toe into the practice of yoga, and if I am lucky enough, I get to experience the transformation right along with him. To observe those initial moments of fear, hesitancy, and awkwardness melt away as they realize that this stuff called “yoga” really works and makes you feel better, brings me no greater joy!
The Men of Yoga Speak
I joined Rachel's Yoga Class last year. When I joined, I was suffering from a lot of hip pain and was quite inactive. Under Rachel's guidance, I could gradually learn yoga poses of increasing complexity. I found that my pain decreased a great deal with stretching and exercise; this class certainly made a huge difference. I am very grateful for the time and energy that Rachel invests into her students.
She tailors the exercises to the level of the student. Thanks, Rachel, for the difference you make.
Sathyamoorthi
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I began yoga a little over a year and a half ago. Never having done it, or any other type of exercise class before, I was curious as to what I might be getting myself into. What I found suited what I wanted perfectly. The classes provided enough physical exertion to push me, yet without putting a lot of strain on my joints. I particularly like the stretching involved, as I feel much more limber than I did before I started. Also, there is core strengthening, which helps build some muscle. Lastly, there are breathing and relaxation techniques which I have incorporated into my daily life.
In the short time I have been practicing yoga, it has become such a part of my routine that when I do miss a class, my body will tell me that something is just not right.
David
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My health benefits of my experiencing yoga are improved balance, strength and coordination, endurance, ease of mind, self-confidence, and well-being. It’s FUN because of an excellent instructor and yoga classmates that push me to be a better person in mind and body.
Tony
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My wife and I have been now doing yoga with Rachel for about 7 years. I have bonded so much with the practice that I go even when my wife doesn’t, as I hate to miss! I have had to stop for periods in between surgeries, yet I return as soon as I am able. While I am not very limber, I can’t imagine how stiff I would be without yoga. I can’t do everything, but I feel so much better each time I go.
Dave
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These are just a few of the many men that I have the honor to teach, and I thank all of them for allowing me to share their experiences and for trusting me with their bodies, inside and out. For more thoughts from the Men of Yoga, read There’s A Way, as well as client testimonials.
We are so much more than the physical limitations of our bodies, and with a regular practice, you’ll too discover a freedom within to help you quiet your mind and allow your body to release, relax and renew.
Good health is not just absence of disease but a state of overall well-being. Are you man enough to do yoga?
Wishing all the men good health and happiness and a very special Father’s Day.
International Day of Yoga
Celebrate the International Day of Yoga twice - first on Friday, June 21, and then bring your mat to Ochsner Elmwood Fitness Center on Sunday, June 23 from 9-10:30 am and finish up your Yoga Day celebration with fellow yogis and yoginis!!