Yoga Teacher Training Forum

Great discussion here regarding age and gender in yoga classes. There is a very good article in the latest Yoga Journal about men practising yoga and attending yoga classes, and how men can really benefit from yoga. I would strongly encourage everyone to take a look at it.

I know that I am working very hard in my classes to provide an environment that people of both genders and all ages feel comfortable in. This is something that we really emphasize at our studio and it shows in the range of ages and gender of people attending our classes.

I can't say that this has always been the situation in classes that I have attended at other places. In fact in one class that I took in a large Midwest city many years ago, the instructor made it a point that I was the only "guy" in the class. Moreover, when I could not do a posture to the depth that the instructor requested, I was made an example of, and the class was told that what I was doing was "OK for a guy". Talk about feeling "slightly" uncomfortable!!!! I look back at that incident and laugh, but I sure felt bad at the time. Anyhow, this is obviously a gross example of what we don't want to do in our classes.

Namaste,

-Don