Advice for a Middle-aged man interested in starting Yoga

[Anonymous]

I’m a middle-aged man who is interested in learning yoga and finding a friendly good teacher/location. I’m extremely inflexible and a bit intimidated to join a group of experts, or even intermediates. Any advice?

[Anonymous]

I would start with some intro videos. That way you are familiar with some of the poses and the pacing of a class and wont feel as intimidated when you go to an in-person class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a middle-aged man who is interested in learning yoga and finding a friendly good teacher/location. I’m extremely inflexible and a bit intimidated to join a group of experts, or even intermediates. Any advice?

Why not start with beginners? Where do you live? Do you mind being in a class mainly of women? I have gone to Willow in Takoma park and Grace in Silver Spring. I like Grace better.

[Anonymous]

Where are you exactly? My first studio was flow yoga in DC: not sure if the culture has changed since I left DC, but it was an amazingly supportive place to learn and practice yoga.

If you’re feeling intimidated about practicing in a group setting, I suggest checking out “Yoga with Adriene” on YouTube. All you really need is a yoga mat - try to find a sturdy, solid model (I use Manduka). By checking out a couple of online classes you’ll become familiar with some poses and cues before entering a group setting, which you might find helpful.

Pro tip: yoga is not supposed to hurt. Feel challenging? Absolutely. But pain is not a part of this equation.

Good luck and have fun!

[Anonymous]

Do you belong to a gym now? Or a YMCA? If so, I would recommend talking to the head or the group exercise director and telling them that you're interested in starting as a beginner. Many yoga classes can be scaled up or down in difficulty, and good teachers know how to help beginners.

If you don't belong to a gym, I'd ask for word-of-mouth recommendation from friends (esp. female friends) and maybe even your physician. You'd want a studio that offers a beginner class and isn't geared toward very vigorous styles. Don't even try hot yoga until you've practiced non-hot yoga for a while. (This means NOT Corepower. I like them but they're a little intense.)

If the names of the styles intimidate you, look for vinyasa or yin. Avoid ashtanga for now -- it's more intense.

You could also look up yoga videos on YouTube to start getting some background. I would just search "yoga for beginners" and maybe "20 minutes" and see what you find. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a middle-aged man who is interested in learning yoga and finding a friendly good teacher/location. I’m extremely inflexible and a bit intimidated to join a group of experts, or even intermediates. Any advice?

Yoga with Adrienne!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a middle-aged man who is interested in learning yoga and finding a friendly good teacher/location. I’m extremely inflexible and a bit intimidated to join a group of experts, or even intermediates. Any advice?

I've noticed that yoga -- and pilates - are harder for men than for women. I think a lot of guys drop out because they see that the women are so much more felxible than they are and they think they will never be good at it. Maybe they won't, but it's great exercise and there's no need to be competitive.

[Anonymous]

DDP Yoga. I got a subscription for DH thinking he might work a little bit on flexibility and stop having so many injuries (he's a runner/powerlifter and always pushes himself to the edge). Now he has a 4x/week practice and is more of a yogi than I am. Very accessible and kind of geared towards dudes who don't know anything about yoga, but even though he gives all the poses stupid names they're real poses. Also some of the back stories are very inspirational - people who've lost a ton of weight, regained mobility, helped their PTSD, etc.

[Anonymous]

Find a great teacher and a class specifically designed for beginners (vs for all levels). Once you’ve learned the basics with a teacher, you can then decide whether to continue with a class, switch to online classes, or both. It doesn’t matter that you’re inflexible— that’s something that will gradually change if you stick with your yoga practice.

As for advice: Try different classes and teachers until you find a teacher and a class that really clicks for you and what you’re looking for.

[Anonymous]

YouTube videos

[Anonymous]

Where are you located? Perhaps we can suggest a good place to try.

[Anonymous]

I’m neither overweight nor a guy, but I loved this book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ZCYR0A/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

I had tried a bunch of videos aimed at yoga for inflexible people, and felt like the instructors had no clue what it meant to be truly inflexible. That book helped me master the basics and gain enough confidence to start taking classes. I also think this woman is great for foundational movement: https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/you-dont-know-squat/

[Anonymous]

Find a yoga practice that speaks to you, and have fun exploring all of them. Are you looking for a fast pace one or a slow paced relaxing one. You can watch videos of the ones below to get an idea of which one resonates with you. Yoga is more than just being able to touch your toes it transforms your mind, body, and spirit.

Hatha Yoga
Vinyasa Yoga
Ashtanga Yoga
Yin Yoga
Kundalini Yoga
And many others

[Anonymous]

I'm female but of a larger size and inexperienced at yoga and I've found Willow Street Yoga completely welcoming. I've never experiened other students or teachers being judgy. They have a "Yoga for All" class aimed at beginners, the inflexible, and the differently-sized-or-abled which might be a good place to start. It's offered both in-person and online.

[Anonymous]

Are you in DC? Highly recommend St Marks Yoga on the Hill if it’s accessible. I haven’t gone for a few years, but a number of the regular teachers were men, as were many students. Extremely accepting of beginners.