21^st Century Yoga

When stunning Bollywood bombshell Bipasha Basu burst onto TV screens with her workout video “The Fit And The Fabulous,” a lot of men around the world sat up and took notice. With a great deal of ingenuity, and a form-fitting layer of spandex , Bipasha has taken a complex, 5,000-year-old exercise system and adapted it for the 21^st Century.

Yoga was born in India out of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism; later, thanks in part to the teachings of Gopi Krishna, author of “The Secret of Yoga,” it caught on in the West.

“The aim of Yoga,” he wrote, is “the elevation of the narrow, fear-ridden and desire-tormented human consciousness to a state of indescribable beauty, glory, and bliss.” No doubt desire-tormented guys watching “The Fit and the Fabulous” would agree.

Why Yoga?

Translated literally, “yoga” means “"joining," "uniting," "union" and "conjunction.” It combines breathing exercises, physical postures and meditation, and is associated with numerous health benefits.

A 2006 study published in the Haemophilia Journal notes that “… regular exercise may help reduce further destruction in haemophilic joints by strengthening muscle ligaments and tendons surrounding the joint thereby protecting them from damage caused by recurrent haemarthrotic events.” Yoga, as a low impact activity recommended for people with bleeding disorders, fits the bill nicely.

First Steps

You should discuss yoga with your doctor, particularly if you have other medical conditions such as high blood pressure, back pain or asthma. Performed incorrectly, yoga can lead to injury and can even make some problems worse. It’s important, therefore, to start slowly and work up to more advanced exercises.

The first step of a yoga regimen is psychological: you should commit to changing your life for the better, one of the key principles of yoga.

Beginners could learn yoga from a DVD like Bipasha's, watch a yoga programme on TV, purchase basic books, check out yoga Web sites or join a yoga class. Another great option, if you can obtain it, is a DVD produced by The Haemophilia Foundation in Australia called “Inspire–Tai Chi and Yoga for adults with bleeding disorders” (The Hemophilia Foundation, 1624 High Street, Glen Iris VIC 3146, Australia; hfaust@haemophilia.org.au).

Bookworms can browse around a good book shop to see what suits them best. Books like “Yoga For Dummies” are a simple starting point, but it’s vital to pace yourself and consider your own limitations. For online shoppers, Amazon and other sites have a broad range of books. “Healthy Living: Yoga For You: A Step-by-step Guide to Yoga at Home for Everybody” by Tara Fraser is a reasonably priced basic book that can be used by anyone serious about yoga.

Men, other than Bipasha's dedicated fans, sometimes complain that yoga is a largely female activity. Not true! “Yoga for Men: A Workout for Body, Mind and Spirit” by Bruce Eric Van Horn, which comes with a CD, and the DVD “Rodney Yee's Yoga for Beginners” are both more male-oriented.

Yoga Basics

The Web site ABC of Yoga, describes how a basic 15-minute yoga session consisting of a series of “poses”: The Mountain, The Tree, Triangle, Crescent Moon and Dog, Double Leg raises and the interestingly-named Final Corpse yields many health benefits. A good basic instruction sheet for yoga postures is available at: www.abc-of-yoga.com/yogapractice/postures.asp.

For those who prefer one-to-one instruction, there are many online yoga directories, including www.yogafinder.com. An instructor will take you through the postures gradually, always keeping to a pace you can maintain—possibly the safest way of starting yoga!

Preparation

Good preparation reduces risk both at home and at the yoga class. A medic-alert bracelet/necklace is advisable in case you have an injury, and you should tell your yoga instructor in advance about your condition.

Yoga is best performed somewhere quiet, that has good ventilation and is free from interruptions. Exercise should be done either before or two hours after a main meal. Have a glass of water at room temperature 15 minutes before the class, while fruit or energy bars make handy nibbles for anyone struggling to continue the exercises on an empty stomach.

Your main accessory should be a mat, towel or blanket to provide comfort during the various positions. Clothing should be loose-fitting—jogging suits, leggings, T-shirts and anything that does not restrict the abdomen are a good bet. You can wear soft shoes, socks, or even go barefoot.

Yoga is cheap, healthy and fun. And, thanks to Bipasha Basu, it's trendy, too! Give it a try—what have you got to lose?