So yesterday on Facebook friends were complaining about “broga.” What’s broga, you ask. Yoga for dudes, of course. And yes, it’s a thing. See here and here. Judging by all the commentary it’s been around for awhile but looks like it’s a recent arrival in Ontario. We’re a bit behind the times. We have lots of yoga with goats but not so much yoga with dudes.
Why broga? To persuade men of the benefits of yoga. Because they’re scared away from regular old non-gendered yoga because of its association with all things feminine.
There’s even Broga ™. On their website there are men saying that they’ve done regular yoga but broga is better, in a class all of its own.
From Why You Should Get Your Guy Into Yoga:
When is the last time you saw a guy in your yoga class? Yoga is one of the fastest growing fitness trends, with nearly 20 million students practicing in the United States. But 85 percent of those yogis are women. So why don”t men take yoga?
According to the founders of Broga, the industry has failed to develop classes that take into account male physiology and social conditioning. They developed a program that combines core work, muscle strengthening exercises, cardio, and stress-reducing yoga postures geared specifically for men.
Am I wrong in thinking that in addition to needlessly gendering physical activity, this is also just a little bit racist? It’s like there’ve been no men in the history of yoga. I guess Indian men don’t count as bros? They’re not buff enough?
Ridiculous, yes.
Almost as much so as “broetry.”
What’s your take on broga?
For some men, it’s just showing them specific practical yoga exercises that will help them. For some, to tell them it is yoga, might be a barrier. Some of the exercises my physiotherapist showed (neck muscle strain, back flexibility), are also yoga movements.