Considering that 80% of the people who practise yoga today are women, you might be thinking that yoga isn’t for guys. In this ultimate guide to yoga for men, we’re here to dispel that myth because yoga can be just as beneficial for men as it can for women!

With International Yoga Day just around the corner on June 21, guys, now is the perfect time to discover how yoga can help you achieve your healthy living goals!

All set to learn more about yoga for men? Read on to learn about famous guys who helped spread yoga across the globe, find out which celebrities and athletes use yoga to stay in shape, unlock the top health benefits of yoga for men, and everything you need to know about how to get started.

Then, keep an eye out for expert insight from professional yoga teacher Ravi of Ravi Yoga, who consulted with us while creating the article!

1. Why is Yoga More Popular For Women?

Today, yoga has become more and more popularly viewed as a fitness routine for women. So it’s easy to come to an assumption that yoga just isn’t for men. The good news is, that’s just not true! Yoga offers just as many benefits for men as it does for women.

Yoga for men

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Yoga hasn’t always been viewed as a fitness routine for women either. Throughout the history of yoga, which has been around for 5000 years, it was most often practised by men.

Ravi notes that the popularity of yoga among women isn’t a global phenomenon either, rather it is primarily a Western trend. In Asia, many of the yoga teachers are, and have historically been men.

Two of the most influential people to help yoga spread across the globe were men as well. Through their inspirational work both Swami Vivekananda and BKS Iyengar laid a strong foundation for the worldwide yoga community that exists today.

Swami Vivekananda

Swami was a Hindu spiritual leader who was born in India during the late 1800s. One of his most notable contributions to the worldwide spread of yoga came about as a result of lectures he offered at the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago. During these, he shared his passion for yogic meditation and hope for a harmonious society.

Swami Vivekananda

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Following this famous appearance in Chicago, Swami continued to speak across both America and England sharing his message. Essentially, Swami helped to introduce yoga to the world, creating the foundation for yoga to take root globally.

BKS Iyengar

Iyengar discovered yoga when he was 16 years old and fighting for his life. As a child, Iyengar overcame malaria, influenza, and typhoid fever to name just a few of his health challenges as a youth. Yoga became a way for him to regain his strength while recovering from his illnesses. And recover he did. During his lifetime Iyengar went on to create his own system of yoga practice, Iyengar Yoga.

Iyengar

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His books which outlined how to practise the Iyengar system of yoga were translated into 13 languages and sold in 70 countries. Not to mention that Time Magazine even named him one of the most influential people in 2004.

Chrissie Harrison, who was the British Wheel of Yoga in 2014, explains the breadth of his contribution best “He had a great influence on, I would suspect, every yoga teacher there is.”

What Does That Mean For You? Yoga is For Guys Too!

With such a deeply influential history on the spread of yoga across the globe, both Swami and Iyengar prove that men can be just as amazing at yoga as women can.

Yoga is also beloved by countless modern celebrities. Many popular male stars such as Orlando Bloom, Colin Farrel, Tom Hanks, Ryan Goslin, and Russel Brand who is pictured below on his way to a yoga sesssion, all incorporate yoga into their fitness routines.

Russel Brand

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If you’re a guy who’s set to discover how yoga can transform his health and fitness routine, keep reading to the section below to learn more about the different types of yoga.

2. What Are The Different Types of Yoga?

One of the aspects of yoga which makes it so popular is its wide breadth of variety. There are numerous different styles of yoga, so there really is something for everyone!

What Are The Different Types of Yoga

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Hot Yoga

Are you looking for a hot fitness challenge? Then hot yoga might just be the perfect option. Hot yoga gets its name for the toasty temperatures in which it’s taught. A hot yoga class is usually taught in a room that is 35 degrees Celsius, so if you give this yoga style a go, get ready to work up a sweat!

Vinyasa

Like hot yoga, Vinyasa-style yoga is another great option for an intensive work out. During Vinyasa flow yoga classes, you’ll move at a quick yet steady pace through a series of postures. If your goal for yoga is to charge full speed ahead then Vinyasa has everything you’re looking for.

Hatha

When you’re just starting out with yoga, Hatha can be a good choice. In a Hatha yoga class, you’ll hold each pose for a few breaths to align your breathing pattern with movements. This can give beginners time to settle into new postures and get a feel for yoga at their own speed.

Ashtanga

Similar to Vinyasa, Ashtanga yoga also provides fast-paced classes. Also known as ‘athletes-yoga‘, this style will set you up for a fulfilling aerobic workout. During an Ashtanga class, you’ll move through a series of specific postures which are always done in a particular sequence.

Power

Power yoga is a style which blends the quick-pace of Ashtanga and Vinyasa with a more flexible sequence. Unlike Ashtanga, during a power yoga class, you won’t need to practise postures in a particular order. Instead, the sequence of your postures may switch up from one class to another. This is great if you’ve learned the basic yoga postures, want to work up a sweat, and are ready to challenge yourself to learn some new poses.

Iyengar

Iyengar yoga focuses on using props to help you deepen your yogic postures. When you attend an Iyengar class expect to learn how to use props like yoga straps, blankets and yoga-blocks. Using these props can be especially handy if you’re finding it hard to settle into a particular pose. They are great for stabilisation so that you can stretch out your muscles without fear of wobbling too much or losing balance.

Kaiut

Kaiut yoga is a biomechanical yoga method designed by chiropractor Francisco Kaiut to work with the modern body and mind and deliver improved health and wellbeing. Life is quite different today than it was thousands of years ago when the yoga asanas were originally designed. This method works from the joints to remove the restrictions in our systems that come from our sedentary lifestyle and often overloaded minds. Kaiut Yoga is intentionally designed to be accessible to all body types – male or female, young or old, flexible or not.

Kundalini

Kundalini is one of the most meditative styles of yoga and often involves chanting. This makes it great for relaxing the mind and body after a stressful day.