Why Don't More Men Do Yoga?

Have you every wondered why there aren't more men in your yoga class? It is a strange phenomenon as yoga in its traditional form in India was practiced mainly by men. As a long-time yoga teacher I have pondered this often, so I asked a few of my male friends if they would consider going to a yoga class and what they think the experience would be like.

The answers I received lead me to conclude that many men think that a yoga class is either full of elderly ladies, lying on the floor practicing their breathing exercises or full of lycra-clad super-flexible girls contorting their bodies into pretzel-like shapes that feel they would never be able to attain. They also had concerns about not being good enough, farting and being bored!

You and I, as regular yoga practitioners, know that a well-rounded yoga practice is none of these. We know it is a great way to stretch and strengthen the body, improve posture and balance and quieten the busy mind. We also know that you don't need to be "good enough" to practice yoga - the postures can be adapted to suit all abilities, that yes, farting sometimes happens (especially if you haven't left enough time between your practice and your last meal) and that being bored is ok - we're all mentally over-stimulated anyway and need to get more familiar with being quiet.

If you feel that the men in your family could benefit from a few yoga poses but that they too have these pre-conceived ideas, take a look at the following articles (which were both printed in national newspapers recently) and pass them on. 

The first is from the Telegraph, an amusing account of a middle-aged writer who went on a 2 week yoga holiday. He overcame his preconceptions and wardrobe dilemmas, and has some wisdom to offer about how yoga can help men deal with stress http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/11243824/Are-men-like-me-really-cut-out-for-yoga.html.

The second is from the Times, http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/health/diet-fitness/article4274698.ece?shareToken=ad26a192c178eee118e3a3576b381f24  about a former wrestler who has developed his own more "macho" style to encourage ordinary blokes to take better care of their bodies. Diamond Dallas Page has also become famous on YouTube as the yoga teacher who helped disabled war veteran Arthur Boorman back to full health - click here to see that amazing transformation if you haven't seen it before.

If joining a class seems a bit daunting for those who haven't done yoga before, maybe you could unroll your mat and share a few stretches with your family over the Christmas break, or put one of my short videos on if you'd like a bit more guidance. Any yoga is better than no yoga, so start small and simple and, with a bit of encouragement, we could spread the word that yoga is for everyone.

Spotted from a car window

This Week I'm Making... Spiced Ginger Biscuits (gluten-free, refined-sugar-free)

This recipe comes from the website of two sisters from London, known as Hemsley & Hemsley, who make whole, organic, nutrient filled, homemade foods which are free from grain, gluten, high starch and refined sugar. Their cookbook, also called Hemsley & Hemsley is on my Christmas list this year, even though there are some non-veggie recipes in there, because all the dishes look completely delicious and super-healthy.

The ingredients

The finished products

Click here for the very simple recipe  http://www.hemsleyandhemsley.com/recipe/holiday-spiced-ginger-biscuits/

My cookies didn't look quite as gorgeous as the ones on the website and I was a bit concerned that the mixture wasn't sticking together (a dash more maple syrup sorted that) but they tasted really good and only took a couple of minutes to make and 10 minutes to cook. They get my vote as a satisfying snack to enjoy with a cup of tea this Christmas - much healthier than processed mince pies and Stollen!

This Week I'm Visiting... Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition, at the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD

I've been going to this exhibition for a number of years now, and it's always a delight. Divided into various categories such as Birds, Mammals, and Natural Design, each image is beautifully back-lit and displayed with information about the story behind it. You can book tickets online to short-cut the queues and I recommend you try to go during the week - last year I went on a Saturday and it was very busy, but this year I went on a Friday afternoon and it was comfortably quiet.

Visiting the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is always an inspiring way to spend an afternoon - the buzz of being in London, the amazing architecture of the museum itself, the skill (and luck) of the photographer and the diversity of the subject matter are a good reminder that we live in a wonderful world and that all life is precious.

This Week I'm Growing... Dahlias for 2015

The frost has finally blackened the leaves of the dahlias and it's time to decide whether to dig them up to protect them from the winter weather, or to take a chance and leave them in the ground. I'll probably do half and half so that I've got more of a chance that some make it through to spring. Over the past few years I've had good success leaving them in-situ but with some added protection.

If you have enjoyed some wonderful flowers from your dahlias this year, here's what to do for a repeat performance next year:

If you leave them in the ground, cut back the blackened stems, put a label in the ground so you'll remember where they are and place a decent sized mound of garden compost over the top. If you have an old teracotta pot handy, place it upside down over the whole lot, which will keep most of the winter weather off. 

If you decide to lift them and bring them inside you'll need to be very careful digging them up as it's easy to spear one of the tubers with your fork. Bring them into a frost-free shed, greenhouse or garage and turn the tubers upside down for a few days so any moisture drains out of the hollow stems. Then place them in a box on some newspaper or in a little bit of dry compost, remembering to label them so that you know what they are next spring. They need to be kept in a dry environment - I think my shed was too damp before and that's why they rotted, so this time I'm going to put them in the loft and hope I don't forget I've put them there.

Next spring you can bring them out and pot them up into moist compost where they will start to produce new leaves. They will need to be kept protected until all threat of frost has passed, so it's usually the end of May/beginning of June before you can plant them out or uncover the ones that are slumbering under their compost and terracotta pots in the garden.

It's a little bit of effort but when you think about the volume of fabulous flowers each of these tubers produce in the summer it's worth it. 

Carefully dug up dahlia tubers

Labelled and packed away until spring

And finally, following on from our meditations in class this half-term, this picture is a good reminder of how to be more mindful - I'm off now to do the last two :-)