In honour of the month of Movember + MAKE A MOVE, we’re spotlighting our marvelous Mo Bros and their journeys to live happier, healthier, longer lives.
Yoga has been a part of my life for over two decades, and continues to surprise me in the ways that it contributes to my wellness. I started off with a gentle Hatha practice that introduced me to the postures, but it was in that gentle-styled practice that I was taught how to become aware of my breathing. Without explaining it as a mindfulness practice per se, the moment I was taught to be aware of, and to deepen, my breathing, was the moment that I understood the difference between having my attention being monopolized by external sources versus going inwards and intentionally unplugging from the constant whirlwind of activity around me. I eventually moved onto a much more physical vinyasa practice which required me to stay connected to a breathing pattern which was much deeper and more fueling than what I had experienced with the Hatha practice. The asana practice demanded muscular engagement while still requiring me to stay connected to my breathing, and taught me that even in the presence of physical effort or awkwardness in challenging postures, by focusing on my breathing and letting my body relax in the postures as I took them, I could still maintain calm even if the posture itself freaked me out. This teaching alone was a game changer, providing me with the capacity to tackle whatever challenges came my way through life by maintaining steady attention to my breathing and navigating my way with calm through turbulent times.
My personal practice has gone back to a calmer, more Hatha-style level, with some more physical, challenging stuff thrown into the mix, and by combining both these styles into one comprehensive package, I find my mind, breath and body getting exactly what they need to continue to come back to clarity, calm and strength in way more of a functional way than ever before. The practice helps keep me sane in a world which seems to be constantly going off the rails, and it allows me to deal with my internal state of affairs so that I can meet what is waiting for me out in the world with perspective and wisdom. In terms of why more men don't practice yoga or mindfulness, I can only venture to guess that in a culture where gender roles have been explicitly laid out with little room to veer away from, any practice of self-inquiry and self-awareness would be seen as more of a woman's thing. Wellness practices are often seen as weak or self-indulgent, right up until one gets a scary medical diagnosis and is encouraged by medical professionals to look into yoga, meditation, healthy eating and talk therapies. In today's world where gender roles and identity are morphing and evolving, the time has never been better for all bodies, all genders, all people, to adopt healthier practices that enable and empower them to be in close relationship with their internal environment as much as they have been encouraged to connect to their external one. To know how to manage one's emotions, to know how to identify and not identify with one's thoughts, to know how to meet moments of adversity with wisdom and connection to one's breathing, it all matters, and we hopefully find our way to these practices before medical professionals get involved. Yoga, meditation and mindfulness are not for women, and they are not for the weak. They are for those who give enough of a shit about their own health and lives to learn how to take care of themselves in ways that our culture does not teach us how to do. These practices help us find the peace and contentment we are looking for. That's what is waiting for those who can jump beyond their preconceived notions and experience a wisdom that originated long before we showed up, and will last for far longer than these bodies we inhabit.
Join Bram Saturday's at 11 for an inspiring Yoga Flo class
