Did you know that the health status of men in Australia, and most countries, is generally poorer than that of females? Men have higher rates of suicide, accidents, lifestyle related diseases (compared with women of the same age), and a shorter life span. It is also common knowledge that men are generally less inclined to visit a doctor, or seek mental health support. For these reasons and many others, Men’s Health Week is an initiative to be acknowledged, celebrated and spoken about. It is about helping to address preventable issues, such as the aforementioned, and breaking down some of the barriers and stigma surrounding men having vulnerable discussions and seeking help and care.
Some of our incredibly inspiring, strong and vulnerable male teachers at TIY gave us an insight into what men’s health means to them, as well as what yoga brings to their life. Read below!
“Men’s health week, to me, is a great opportunity to bring to light the areas of men’s health that perhaps go unnoticed or overlooked. The ability to vent and openly talk about how we feel regardless of whether these issues get resolved or not, but to purely just express.
Growing up, it was not a common act to express my emotions confidently without feeling like doing so would result in being perceived as weak or feminine by other males. There wasn’t a network or community to be able to dig deep and express emotional issues. Anything that happened on a significant emotional level carried with it an expectation to shrug it off, to man up or to especially not cry as the idea of appearing vulnerable was associated with weakness.
Overtime I’ve come to understand how these are all limiting beliefs, outdated values and actually create the opposite effect by imbalancing men’s emotional health.
Through the practice of Yoga, I’ve been able to strengthen my connection between body and mind, physically but also emotionally allowing me to better observe feelings come up and learn to effectively communicate and express them. Ultimately this has helped me remain centred in my state of being, gain a greater clarity of mind and overall feel better in everything I do.
I hope that this week gives men the opportunity to explore this within and discover more about themselves, helping them continue growing into their best self everyday.”
“For me, yoga is a peace of mind. Contentment in the moment and staying calm when things get tough. I find it on my yoga mat then carry it with me in the world.”
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