Leggings, sweat, and meditation.

I’m sure that hot yoga brings out the same energy as anyone who eats vegan and trains CrossFit. It’s one of those things you just tell everyone and anyone you meet, it’s quite obnoxious actually. You hear those jokes how can you tell if someone does CrossFit, oh well they will tell you in the first 30 seconds of meeting you. Well, I think Hot yoga is my CrossFit and i love blabbering about it. Hey what did you do to—? OH! I just went to a hot yoga class at yoga tropics off the 101 in Encinitas, i had sweat dripping from every inch of skin on my body and now i feel bendy and refreshed, what about you? Its great im like an unofficial spokesperson of hot yoga, I cant recommend it enough and if youve done it i recommend going back and doing it consistently. Thats where I felt the benefits and really was able to see improvement in the practice after going 3-4 times a week. So yes i could say the day was great. I woke up at a great time was able to squeeze a long gym session with a solid 20 minutes sitting in the 180 degree sauna and met with a friend at Philz coffee to parallel work, its a new term i just learned. I belive it means that its doing your own work or activity but being able to be in the same table, something along those lines. I walked down from philz to Yoga tropics for the evening class which was a full house the ratio again was comical. Out of the twenty something in the class maybe 3 men. I believe its the hiden gift that men havent discovered well most men. Really unfortunate.

The ratio doesn't surprise me. After all, yoga in Western culture is marketed almost entirely towards women, with brands like Lululemon and Alo Yoga leading the way. I understand they also sell men's clothing, but seriously, who's their main demographic? It's also emphasized aspects like flexibility and grace, which can traditionally be seen to align with feminine stereotypes. Also, there's a view that yoga is a ‘gentler’ form of exercise compared to going to the gym and lifting weights or engaging in high-intensity sports, which are often marketed towards men as more ‘masculine’ forms of fitness. However, I have a feeling times are changing, and men are discovering this holy grail of a workout. And let's be clear, it's no walk in the park. I am shaking, trembling, squeezing, and focusing harder in yoga than I do in any workout I've done. It's very comparable to climbing, where it requires attention to every muscle and the mind requires stimulation.