Many people have heard of Yoga, but what about Yoga Gents? Many young men haven’t even heard of this ancient yoga practice, which can be traced all the way back to The Three Kingdoms era in China. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to learn more about Yoga Gents and experience its benefits firsthand! In this article, we’ll go over what Yoga Gents is and why it has been ignored throughout history, as well as give you tips on how to get started with your own practice today.
The Ancient Yogis
Yoga is an ancient practice that goes back as far as 2,000 BC in Indian history. The idea was to unite body and mind through a series of poses and exercises. Early forms of yoga were called Gentlemen’s Practice because it was mainly men who practiced it for spiritual purposes. It wasn’t until about 200 years ago when Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda brought back information on the ancient practice to Europe that yoga became more popular and accessible to people outside.
Postures that Involve Standing on Your Head
One way in your Yoga Gents practice can involve standing on your head. Called headstand, it is considered advanced postures and is not recommended for beginners.
The headstand is a challenging posture that requires an extreme amount of balance and strength to maintain. In addition, when you’re done, you should place a folded blanket underneath your neck to protect it from injury. Headstands are said to increase blood flow and stimulate parts of the brain that would otherwise go unused during everyday life. It also helps relieve stress, insomnia, and sinusitis as well as regulate blood pressure.
The act of balancing upside-down improves balance while strengthening muscles in your back, legs, arms and shoulders.
The Importance of Roots
Yoga has been a part of human history for thousands of years. It has changed and morphed to fit different cultures, but the roots are important to know. We can find these roots in the ancient history of India, where Yoga Gents was practiced as a form of physical exercise and spiritual discipline by Indian ascetics. The most well-known yogi from this time period is Pat Anjali who authored one of the earliest texts on yoga in his book Yoga Sutras. In this text he outlines many different schools or styles that exist today such as Hatha Yoga, Janna Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga and Raja Yoga. The first school (Hatha) teaches postures, breathing techniques and meditation. The second school (Janna) emphasizes attaining self-knowledge through understanding the difference between reality and illusion while gaining knowledge of oneself through introspection. The third school (Bhakti) focuses on emotional devotion to God leading to contentment with little worldly desires. The fourth school (Karma) stresses doing one’s duty without expecting any material reward in return while being patient with those who do not accept your beliefs or refuse your help because you will be rewarded later with greater joy.
Koundinyasana I
1) Lie on your stomach with your hands stretched in front of you and raise your head so that you’re looking towards the ceiling. 2) Bend one leg at a time to bring it beside your stomach. 3) Bring both feet back together. 4) Raise both hands off the ground to support yourself as you lift one leg up and then change legs. 5) You can also try touching your toes before coming back down to finish or going all the way up with straight legs before coming back down to switch sides. 6) Repeat steps two through five for a total of three times. 7) Slowly lower your arms to stretch out your body and relax. 8) Koundinyasana II: Lay flat on your back, stretch out both arms and close the eyes. 9) Breathe deeply for 10 seconds; inhale for five seconds and exhale for ten seconds – this is called pranayama. 10) Stretch out one arm first, then the other, like wings stretching open after being too long shut away.
Navasana – Boat Pose
The name Navasana comes from the Sanskrit words Nava meaning boat, and asana meaning pose. The posture resembles a person sitting in a small boat or canoe. It is also sometimes referred to as Boat Pose in English.
The Boat Pose is an intermediate Yoga Gents posture that can be performed from either a seated or standing position. To perform it from a seated position, start by bending your knees and resting your feet on the floor with your toes pointing towards each other.
Supta Vajrasana – Reclining Thunderbolt Pose
Utthita Parsvakonasana is an arm-balance yoga pose that balances on one arm while stretching out the other. It’s known as a side-angle pose because it’s positioned between two standing poses—parivrtta parsvakonasana (referred to as side angle) and utkatasana (chair pose).
The Sanskrit name for this pose translates to extended side angle, with uttha meaning stretched out and parsva meaning sides. Pronounced: Ut-tha par-svay-kohNASSAN-uh.
Salabhasana – Locust Pose
In Salabhasana – Locust Pose, you lie on your stomach and then lift your head, chest, arms, and legs off the ground. This pose is also called Salabhasana or Locust Pose. The name probably comes from its appearance: it looks like a person in a half-lifted push-up position with outstretched arms and legs. This pose is one of the most difficult poses in yoga to hold for more than a few seconds. It stretches your abdominal muscles as well as those in your back and neck. Salabhasana is sometimes used as an alternative to Makarasana (Crocodile Pose) in Hatha Yoga Gents. For some people, this pose can be helpful in strengthening their breathing by pushing up the diaphragm and stretching their lungs.
Raja Koteasana – King Pigeon: Raja Koteasana, which means King Pigeon or Sitting Like a Pigeon consists of folding one leg up under the body while resting both hands on that knee. After finding balance in the pose, you’ll bend the other leg at 90 degrees, tucking it under your buttock, and lifting one arm overhead for balance. Your torso will form an L shape. Try not to let your lower back sink into any pain; maintain good posture throughout the exercise.
Utthita Trikonasana – Extended Triangle Pose
Utthita Trikonasana is a standing pose that stretches and strengthens your hips, thighs, and groin. This yoga posture has been nicknamed yoga gents for it’s ability to open up hip flexors, release tension in your lower back, and lengthen your hamstrings. You can do Utthita Trikonasana by standing with your feet together or about 12 inches apart. Place one hand on a chair for balance if needed.
-Lift one foot off the ground as you turn it outwards in order to form a triangle with Yoga Gents. Your raised leg should be parallel to the floor. Press your front thigh and shin against each other while bending at both knees. Draw your torso forward until you feel a stretch along the inner thigh of the opposite leg, without rounding either spine. Hold this position for five deep breaths then repeat on the other side.