Namaste yoga represents a style of yoga based on the Hatha Vinyasa yoga practice. The meaning of the word namaste comes from the Indian greeting and it can be translated as follows: nama means bow, as it means I, and te means you; therefore namaste literally means I bow to you. It is a form used when greeting someone or when departing. As for Namaste yoga, the practice focuses on the importance of breathing; the breath is the guide and the body follows on the lines imposed by the breath. When greeting with namaste, the hands are placed together in front of the eyes while, bowing the head, and afterwards the hands drop down to the heart. The gesture implies a profound form of respect. Westerners perceive namaste in a different way than it is performed in India: westerners would say the word Namaste while making the gesture described above, while for Indians the gesture itself carries in it the word, making it unnecessary to pronounce the word while bowing.

Namaste yoga is often included in the practice of other yoga styles. The gesture namaste, the salute per se, is believed to enhance the divine love flow; when one closes the eyes and bows, he/she surrenders the mind to the divine in the heart. Ideally, Namaste yoga is a popular practice that opens and ends a yoga session, but it is usually done before completing the work routine, because it is considered that the mind and the body are more at peace then, not to mention the higher level of positive energy in the room.

The core of Namaste yoga is combined with the principles of Gautama Buddha, biggest Indian guru and the founder of Buddhism. Hence, a general consideration for all yoga styles is that the practice is more than a way to stay flexible or in good physical shape, as it is rather a way of life. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that one cannot benefit from Namaste yoga from the point of view of the physical fitness alone, it only means that if one gets interested in Namaste yoga, one will develop other preoccupations beside the immediate external reality. The yoga instructor offers Namaste as a token of respect and acknowledgment for the students, and in return invites them to connect with their lineage starting the energy flow from their hearts. It is rather difficult to properly perform various yoga positions, it requires practice until one is able to perform them with minimal effort.

Yoga for men is something that may not come to mind straight away as a great form of exercise for the body, and yet it is. Yoga was originally developed in India as an exercise for Hindu yogis, who are mainly men.

IT often comes as a surprisal to many men that yoga can be very helpful for improving bodily strength. Many yoga poses are great for strengthening the back muscles. Others such as the Crow pose (Bakasana) work on increasing arm strength.

At the same time, yoga increases flexibility of the body which can be helpful if you tend to be stiff and muscle-bound. It also has a very calming effect on the mind. You will find it benefits you through all of your daily activities once you begin to practice yoga and let go of the competitiveness that is associated with so many sport-based forms of exercise. Yoga is well known for pacifying the breath, reducing stress and helping both men and women to become more focused and centered in their lives.

Yoga is more then just a physical workout. Some forms of yoga, for example ashtanga yoga, are very fast-moving and aerobic, and many men are more attracted to this yoga style than the more contemplative types of yoga that focus on breathing, slow movement and holding poses. However, the forms of yoga that hold poses for longer do give the body just as much of a workout, so do not avoid these just because they may not seem so masculine.

Your yoga discipline aims to combine mind, body and spirit to achieve a unity that promotes both physical and mental wellness, whatever form you choose. For men it is especially important to learn to relate to the body in this way and stop comparing with others or striving for fast progress. It does not matter if one person can do a pose more or less easily than another. It does not mean that the person is more healthy or fit.

you will find that there are some poses that tend to be easier for women, and others that are easier for men if you are in a mixed yoga class. This does not matter, but if you prefer to concentrate on exercises that are particularly beneficial for the male body, you may want to assay out an all male yoga class.

It is important to enjoy your practice and not to force the body any further than is easy and comfortable. You will probably find that the day after what seemed like an easy yoga class, you can feel the effects with possibly some stiffness in the muscles. Remember not to push too hard.

Unlike many forms of strength-based exercise, there are no standards or goals to measure yourself against in yoga. Men can find this disconcerting, once you adapt to it, yoga is very liberating for men.

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