Yogis are vegan, gluten-free, organic, teetotaling, tree-hugging folk, Right?
Matt Miller, the larger than life former American football star and yoga loving Broga® founder shares some truths about the world of Yoga with Wheyhey!…
“Yogis roam the world as libertarians and frown all THREE eyebrows at those who fork and knife animals, work for profit, and are seen to indulge in non-spiritually enriching activities. SURELY.
Listen, as modern lives get more demanding and the pace of life quicker, activities like yoga are an incredibly effective tool at providing the body and mind with a very much needed and very restoring time out. So don’t believe the lies you have been told about yoga and who yogis are. It will only dissuade you from receiving all the possible benefits you already know, in the back of your kind, yoga can provide.
So let’s break down the 5 big negative ideas you have about yoga right here, right now!
1.
To step foot in a yoga class I need to perform the splits and transition into a handstand right into a lotus flying half wheel somethingorother and I can BARELY reach my toes without breaking a sweat!
Starting off a new sport as an adult sucks. I recently taught a friend to ski. Day one he actually had a breakdown 3 year old temper tantrum. Day two I had to bribe him out again after a life traumatising day one with the offer of après ski drink on me. A little bit of progress. On day three there was a breakthrough. He started not to worry about how shit he was and focus on getting a little better and most of all having a bit of fun with it. Every day after that got a little bit better and by the end of the week he was not half bad. Yoga is no different. It will slap you right In the face with your weaknesses, and you have to be man enough to accept that and take it on the chin. Remember the main goal of any yoga practice is to become more comfortable in and connected with your body. Tell the instructor before you are new and you are going to need TLC. Any good teacher will find things you CAN do in every posture. And yes, you will attempt movement that you haven’t explored before, but never be ashamed or put off by your own perception of what level you are at because it only gets better.
2.
I do not speak that weird Indian language or know any of those terms they speak so I won’t understand. (What the hell is a chakra anyways?)
Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages in the world, and yoga practice traces it roots back with it. So yes the poses and the philosophies and ethos are all in a foreign language. Some teachers use it almost exclusively, some almost never. Take it on an academic level to start- you are learning a bit about a new language and culture. When you travel to Phuket for the full moon pert hopefully you have the good sense to learn a few phrases to help you get by a bit better and be respectful to the locals. Same thing here. Plus, it is a hell of a lot easier for a teacher to say one Sanskrit word to describe a complex posture with several alignment points , than recite a lengthy description. So namastè bitches!
3.
Yoga is actually a mastermind hippie earth cult focused on some Buddha or elephant God thing that I seriously want no part of.
Ever been to a crossfit box? #seemsabitcultytome.
The truth is whenever someone does something that totally flips their lives around from tits up to right as rain they are super excited about it and may even want to share it with everybody, all the time. It’s everywhere, finding God, finding fitness, finding happiness, finding thin. Here again the yoga world is no different to any other life game changer. And it does change lives. I have seen people walk again, find sanity, become fertile, postpone cancer all the same stuff you would see in any other scene where people are making dramatic life changes for the good. And yes there are people who like to be loud about what and why they do what they do. Whilst it may be difficult to ignore them if they are on the mat 12cm in front of you before class. Just block them out (and in doing you’ll actually be out yogi-ing them !)
4.
I need my own eco-recycled carbon-negative mat, and I have to wear Lycra leggings (no f-ing chance!), and those hippie bracelet beads.
As with any sport, there is always “The Kit”. Don’t tell me you have not ever seen an average commuter cyclist decked out as if he was literally racing in the Tour de France! No matter the sport there’s always the aspirational gear. Thank the clothing companies for making you lust after it , and worse yet thinking you will look good in it! Seriously, don’t worry about the kit or the mat just make sure you are wearing something you can sweat in and that won’t move around and most important won’t show off any bits you don’t want people to see – even if you happen to be spread eagle, upside down with your leg behind your head – because you may just surprise ourself and what you CAN do!
5.
Yoga is for girls, and moreover, a hot, thin girls-only club.
It is true yoga in the right here and now was brought to popularity in the west by Beverly Hills celebs like Gweneth and Madonna. And the trickle down was to girls who wanted to be them. But this is the first time in yoga’s 3000 plus history that that is the case. It was actually started by and for men! Nowadays that is all changing , in the US every pro football and pro basketball team (these are the highest paid athletes in the WORLD mind you) are REQUIRED to do weekly yoga sessions as part of their training. In the UK Broga® is thought to the London Scottish Rugby team and across the RAF as part of their fitness regime. So while, Yes you may find yourself in a class of all ladies, you can just as easily find a clas that is much more gender equal – especially a Broga® class!”
Need more info, want to know where to book your Broga class, check it out.
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