A new mixed yoga class starts on Monday evenings at Bitterne Manor Community Centre from October 7, and teacher Barbara Helisova is keen to stress that yoga is a rigorous discipline as much for men as it is for women.
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“If you think the only men who practise yoga are those not willing to do a proper ‘tough’ exercise like running or weight-lifting, think again,” says Barbara, a yoga and Pilates teacher with 14 years of experience teaching in the USA and UK.
She says yoga was originally developed in India as a rigorous discipline by men, and formen, to strengthen and cleanse their bodies. Top yoga practitioners, she says, are accomplished athletes, whose level of fitness is second to none.
Lean, strong & supple
“They are lean, strong, very supple, mentally sharp and often live to avery old age in great health.”
“Men usually seek to improve their fitness through competitive sports, or in the gym,working - and often overworking - isolated muscle groups. The trouble with this approach is that all of these are performance oriented: how far can I kick this ball? How can I beat my opponent? How much weight can I bench press today? Often, not much thought isgiven to how the activity impacts the overall mechanics of the body. What we see then are footballers with destroyed knees, golfers with chronic lower back pain and lop-sided squash and tennisplayers.”
""We work mindfully and purposely to make the body balanced, powerful, supple, relaxed and pain-free. We use our own body weight to build strength and work intensely on core stability, agility and functional flexibility, restoring full range of movement in all major joints. You might sweat out a little puddle, too, but the rewards are life-changing."
Barbara studied with many leading teachers and runs classes and workshops in southern Hampshire and London. Her new Yoga Basics six-week course runs on Mondays from 6-7pm at Bitterne Manor Community Centre, and costs £45.
For more information contact Barbara Helisova at 0798 223 6118 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Pic under CC2 by Ben Woosley
Bitterne Manor Community Centre: