When I think of yoga, one of the first things associated with it are women. I’m an in-shape college male who is thinking of going to the early morning power yoga sessions at my school’s wellness center. The physical benefits of flexibility and relaxation, as well as the mental benefits intrigue me enough to give it a try.

I’m not too concerned with looking silly as a male in a room that will be prominently dominated by women, but is there anything I should keep in mind before going? Should I eat beforehand or afterwards? The sessions are only on Monday’s and Wednesday’s.

Also, is there a reason why yoga is primarily made up of woman?

Yoga in a gym setting is usually a lot of women because MOST group fitness classes are made of women. I'm a group fitness instructor and in my opinion the reason a lot of men are aprehensive of taking a group class is their ego. It is a bit intimidating for men to walk in a room FULL of women, all of which many classes are more natural for them. Men do not want to look foolish in front of the ladies. With yoga. Flexibility is a big issue for men. Typically you will see all the ladies easily and gracefully moving in an out of these poses while the men are struggling, grunting, sweating like crazy....
When I see a guy take my classes I try to be very encouraging to them as it takes courage to walk in a studio full of women. Compare it to a woman who is not super strong or confident walking over to the free weights where there are 20 guys lifting and throwing weights around....

The first thing you need to do is find a style of yoga that is right for you. There is a great article that explains all the different types of yoga so that you can find the one that works for you...and so that you don't take part in a class that is too advanced. The link is http://www.einmotion.com Just click on news & events and there a few articles that you may like. Good luck, yoga is wonderful!

We usually have about a 40-60% ratio of men to women in my yoga classes, oddly enough.
I think the others answered your questions well, and I would add that it's best not to eat anything 60 to 90 minutes before your practice. Yoga works to cleanse your organs, and it's best not to have your digestive system working while you're working through your practice.

Also, I bet you'll find that most people are wrapped up in their own practice and not so concerned with what their comrades are doing.

Kudos to you for starting a yoga practice. You will be amazed by the myriad of benefits it provides for you.

Cheers,
Julie

Wow. That was a welcoming response. I didn't realize it was old until after I responded. I am not accustomed to th 5th message down on the board being a year old and didn't realize until after I posted that it was from a year ago.

Sorry for upsetting your day by bumping a stupid post. Get a life, dude.

Jeez.