Although yoga has exploded in popularity, a lot of men are still wary of walking into a yoga class. They worry about competing with super-flexible women who contort their bodies as if auditioning for a circus act or having to chant in a strange foreign language.
“I’ve heard so many stories of guys going into a yoga class and they can’t do half of the postures. They struggle and get frustrated, so they don’t go back,” says Robert Sidoti, founder and co-creator of Broga®. “Our whole goal, from the very beginning, is to make it accessible.”
If you’re looking to find your inner warrior, here are seven reasons to give Broga a try:
- Broga – which combines the words “bro” and “yoga” – is a branded program designed specifically for men. To make classes more appealing to guys, teachers leave out the unfamiliar Sanskrit language and references to chakra energy channels and Hindu gods and replace them with simple, straightforward words that convey power.
- Broga is like a yoga man cave, a safe place to strengthen and stretch the body, let go of stress and get an intense all-body workout set to upbeat music.
- Broga was created with one simple goal in mind – to draw more men into yoga, so they can experience all the physical and mental benefits and live more balanced, healthier lives.
- Unlike traditional yoga classes, Broga includes Tabata-style high-intensity interval training that gets the heart pumping and sweat dripping with burpees, mountain climbers, deep squats and pushups.
- For men looking to deepen their practice, Broga offers retreats and more advanced classes that explore the more spiritual and meditative aspects of yoga.
- Becoming a Broga-certified teacher is a lot easier and cheaper than with most branded exercise programs. It requires only two days of paid training and no licensing fees. Today Broga boasts 200 instructors in four countries and more than 10,000 students.
- Women are welcome to teach and take classes, but for a refreshing change, men are usually the majority in Broga classes.