Cape Men's Yoga

Getting it right upside down I am a yoga teacher and a meditator, not a physio, so this is not meant to be a medical introduction. What I have learnt about inversions is that you require preparation, sometimes a really patient approach to strengthening your upper body and improving flexibility. A few years ago I got really caught up with learning to do pincha mayurasana - the forearm balance. I work intensively without really understanding that I did not yet have the shoulder strength or flexibility. I injured my shoulders being in a rush and it tooks months to get them back to normal. I can do pinch comfortably these days - but the message is - slow, steady, grow your capacity and don't be in a rush with inversions. Pincha mayurasana is shown to the left here. Of all the inversions discussed here, pincha is the most stable as you have the full length of your forearm on the floor and you can use your hands and elbows to give you micro-adjustments. Headstands come second as...

Dear Yogis, We have a special class on inversions this Sunday, 31 July 2016. We are in the smaller yoga room, so we can only accommodate 10 guys. So please advise if you wish to attend or sign up on the facebook page. The class will include a warm up and then an introduction to handstands, headstands and forearm stands. These movements require both flexibility and strength in the shoulders and core. They also require some patience and a sense of humour. Guys who think they are going to jump up into a headstand or handstand will likely get injured. We aim for injury free practice so it is a great time to learn how to put your ego aside and build up a steady evolution in your practice that will take you to new positions and experiences. The class is 10.30 until 12.15 at our regular venue in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. This is a fully nude male yoga practice. We have extra mats for drop in visitors, otherwise bring your own mat and a sweat towel. The room will be heated....

We have moved to our amazing new venue in Constantia in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. This beautiful space is well equipped for our men's naked yoga on Sundays. We've moved the time to 10.30 to 12.30 to fit in with the venue scheduling. We will have a naked yoga class this Sunday, 27 March 2016. We'll be explore the use of bandhas - the body locks which influence energy flow and protect the body from injuries. As we finally have good wall space we are also going to be doing an introduction to handstands. Handstands for some reason have become a craze on social media. That is not a good reason to learn them - but they are also interesting in teaching us about balance, about seeing the world from a different angle and in building up shoulder strength. If you are terrified of handstands, don't worry, there will be other options for you. You are never obliged to do a posture that could cause you problems or anxiety. Yoga is always about your specific jou...