Yoga Man

I've written briefly before about yoga, but I wanted to discuss it a little more today.

If you're like me, you probably think that yoga is for one of three people: 1) People from India 2) Women or 3) Hippies.    (I throw in that last one because back in elementary school, our hippie P.E. teacher made us do yoga once a week.)

To further prove my point, if you do an Amazon search for yoga DVDs, most of the workouts are led either by women or by men with really long hair.  (I own a Rodney Yee set, and guess what? HIPPIE!)

My ideas of yoga changed when I read that Sylvester Stallone was doing yoga.  I mean, we're talking about Rocky and Rambo for crying out loud!  If it's good enough for him, maybe there's something to it.

I decided to watch a DVD my wife owns, since there was no way I was going to pay for a class at the fitness center.  I admit, I still had my doubts about it even when I hit "Play" and the New Age music started.  I felt like all I needed was some burning incense and the removal of my Guy Card.

The woman spoke calmly as she said to get in the "Mountain Pose".  (Yawn.)

The next thing I know she is moving almost fluid-like through various poses with names like "Triangle", "Downward Dog" and "Cobra".  All the while, she is telling me to breathe and relax, meanwhile muscles that I didn't even know existed are stretching to the point of breaking.

I kept watching her and she looked like she didn't have any bones in her body and she bent in places that I'm not sure should bend.

"Relax and breathe," she would say as she bends herself in half as she touches the ground in front of her.  Meanwhile, I am holding my breath as I am trying to bend myself low enough to even touch my knees.  My legs are shaking, my arms feel like rubber and my abs are screaming out.

I knew right then that yoga is not for the weak.

I'm not going to go into why you should do yoga and the health benefits because there are plenty of other people out there much smarter than I that could explain better.  (Search "Yoga Health Benefits")

I know there are still some of you guys that doubt me.  There's a guy here at work that mocked me when he heard I did yoga once a week.  In fact, he said I was a lot like Ross from "Friends".  (Whatever that means.)

Don't take it from me.  Take it from former WCW wrestler Diamond Dallas Page.  DDP now he sells packs of yoga workout DVDs (DDP Yoga), with the tagline, "It ain't your mama's yoga".

Granted, DDP didn't get his wrestling body solely from yoga - and he is trying to sell a product - but he could have easily made weight-lifting DVDs or something, he didn't need to do yoga.

I should note that I cannot afford DDP's yoga workout, so this is not an endorsement.  I have never tried DDP Yoga, so I don't know how "authentic" of yoga it is.

What I do know is I have seen this video that has been making the rounds lately.  It's of a guy who changed his life using DDP Yoga.  If you haven't watched it, now would be a great time to do so.

(If you're like me and cannot afford the DDP Yoga, Amazon has all kinds of yoga DVDs for different levels and different budgets.  Find one that works for you.)