If you have been to a yoga class recently, you may have wondered: Where are all the men? It is a surprise to see one or two men in a yoga class. The way the advertising industry has portrayed yoga, it is a wonder there is even one man in a class. Yoga is marketed towards women to sell everything from mattresses to yogurt to candles. It is always a woman seen rushing off to class in a chic outfit with matching accessories. The celebrities touting the greatness of yoga are usually women: Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow. When Madison Avenue uses a picture of someone (a woman), the posture is always a ballet like super flexible out of reach for most mortals yoga posture. It is easy to understand a man's reluctance, or anyone's reluctance, to sign up for a class. But if you look behind all the salesmanship, the true picture of yoga emerges.

Yoga is a physical and mental discipline that improves flexibility and balance, increases strength, as well as calming and focusing the mind. In fact, the postures, breathing, and philosophy of yoga were designed by men, for men. In the 5,000 year history of yoga, it is only in the last 50 years that women began to study and attend yoga classes. In the last few years, as the news of the unsurpassed physical and mental benefits of yoga spreads, more men are reclaiming their space on the mat, and enjoying a yoga practice. These men have discovered: real men do yoga.

Two of these real men shared their reasons for beginning yoga, why they like it, and what advice they give to other men about yoga. Pete is in his early sixties and has just retired. He has been taking yoga classes for about a year now. Pete faithfully attends class once a week and has steadily progressed into an advanced class. Bob is in his early forties, and is the head of the health education department for a school district. He also coaches a hockey team and is active in many sports. He has been coming to mixed level yoga classes once a week now for almost 6 months.