Stand up and rock a warrior pose when you need to By Susan Gill
During a visit to REI last weekend I noticed a rack of men’s yoga wear.
For awhile, I’ve had a note about some yoga retreats for men but that moment in REI got me thinking that there might be more out there these days.
And there are.
Slowly men are creating their own yoga space as more studios offer men’s only classes and more teachers create men’s only yoga retreats.
These days it may be women who are most associated with yoga but traditionally it was dominated by men. Men passed down the great yogic wisdom and it’s men in photos of yoga gurus. In India, it is still very much a man’s world. I was happy the two teachers I had at Parmarth Niketan were women. The other 8 weeks I was in India I mostly had male teachers.
Now you’ve got Broga, a style designed for the modern man and Jonathan Bowra creating what he’s deemed the men’s yoga tribe.
Yoga retreats for men will take place this year in the U.S., Australia, Cambodia and Costa Rica. But not all are the same. Some specialize in retreats for gay men who do nude yoga while others focus in different directions. Granted, I can’t really partake in any of these so if you have any tips or info feel free to pass it along to me.
Will Duprey forged new paths with his yoga retreats and again this year will meet up with fellow male yogis in New Mexico for a few days of downward dogs, hiking to 9,000 feet and drinking beer. “The real goal is to have some time to reignite the masculine energy and power that, though not glorified, is ever steady and alive,” the information states.
Through Australia’s Yoga Institute, men will discuss bringing yoga philosophy into daily life and studying the yogic greats. Pretty typical yoga retreat syllabus but from a man’s perspective and among the company of men. All at a forest retreat outside of Sidney.
Broga is organizing a retreat in Costa Rica that starts a month from tomorrow. In addition to the daily yoga classes, attendees can take jungle hikes or surfing lessons and one note I haven’t seen on other retreat pages, world-class fishing.
Also in Costa Rica but happening this fall, the man behind the popular New York studio Hot Nude Yoga will introduce fans to his new home and retreat in the jungle with a 30-day teacher training. But before that, he’ll be leading a retreat in Cambodia.
Later this fall, several male teachers are joining together for yoga retreat in Hawaii. Mornings will be spent on yoga and the afternoons are open for snorkeling and hiking.
Bryan Harrelson will also lead naked yoga retreats in Costa Rica and Hawaii this year. The ashtanga primary starts off the mornings and he fills afternoons with poses to work on a particular body part as well as meditation and restorative yoga.
I recently found out my most favorite yoga teacher in the whole world is struggling with cancer.
It hit me hard.
She helped me through some incredibly difficult times in my life and always seemed to know what I needed to hear.
Maybe she’d say a line about moving forward from your past or releasing fear with every breath.
Each class sent me deeper into my practice. I just couldn’t miss class. I knew I needed to cull that wisdom now and remember to be present when talking to my friends who are having tough times.
It’s that wisdom that we are using to wish her well and it got me thinking about some of the yoga retreats I’d read about for cancer patients and survivors.
In the last few years, more and more places are offering these special yoga retreats. Some are only for people who have or are currently battling cancer and might be free or offer scholarships. Others include relatives and significant others in the retreat. One thing I’ve noticed is many of them are only for women. Granted all my friends who have had cancer recently are women. But men need the same respite and fortunately a few of these allow for both genders.
Regardless, it might be what the person or family in your life struggling with cancer needs about now. It’s a chance to getaway with people who are having a more similar experience and learn a few new skills at the same time. Some even mix in surfing or horseback riding. These are just a few of the highlights I found online.
Women Beyond Cancer offers free retreats for women dealing with any kind of cancer. They range from adventure retreats in Utah to a yoga retreat in Maine, including several yet this year.
In San Francisco, the Healing Yoga Foundation does one-day yoga retreats for cancer patients as well as hosting a regular cancer support class. This is one of the few that wasn’t limited to cancer patients and also has programs for Parkinson’s patients and pain management.
SurfLife holds yoga and, yes, surfing retreats in Hawaii and Australia specifically for young adults and their families. Founder Rick Cowley had leukemia in his early 20s and now teaches other survivors to have fun while surfing. His company put together this inspirational video about their efforts.
One of the most recognized stateside, The Libby Ross Foundation, holds The Pose for Pink yoga retreat annually. For three days cancer patients and survivors participate in gentle and restorative yoga classes specially tailored for them.
The Ting-Sha Institute in Northern California holds regular retreats and Yoga Journal had a writer spend some time at one for an article.
Hunting for a little inspiration today I looked down under.
Australia may be popular with the adventure-seeking-Crocodile-Dundee wannabes but it also has a vibrant yoga scene.
Visitors or residents new to yoga can buy a Yoga Pass and try out different studios across the country – great for traveling to different cities. Canada has a similar program and I think it’s ideal for business travelers or yogis who want to explore different studios and teachers.
Australian Yoga Life magazine lists some events throughout the country including retreats and specialized classes such as ayurvedic cooking. Articles tackle subjects similar to Yoga Journal in the U.S. such as wheelchair yoga and corporations encouraging yoga. It has some information on retreats but they are paid for by advertisers.
One of the oft-mentioned retreat hotspots is Byron Bay. The company Byron Bay Yoga holds beachy retreats but also organizes retreats to Vietnam and Bali. It looks beautiful and one more place I’ll have to add to my list of dream vacations.
Offshore, islands escapes tout yoga as well.
This article from the Daily Mail describes the secluded Whitsunday Islands as a sailing haven complete with a luxury hotel and yoga in the spa.
