Part of the ever-growing fraternal culture of "brohood," an increasing male demand for yoga (possibly driven in part by pro basketball player advocates such as LeBron James, Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal) has spawned a new wave of guy-centric "broga" courses.
Broga Yoga trademarked the catchy term in 2009 and debuted its program for guys by guys — namely, co-founders Robert Sidoti and Adam O'Neill — in Martha's Vineyard. Described by O'Neill as "a unique blend of vinyasa-style yoga, body-weight based functional fitness movements and high-intensity interval training," the regimen also substitutes rock music for chanting in the safety zone of a "bro" environment, although approximately 15% of class participants are women.
According to Yoga Journal's most recent 2012 Yoga in America study, 20.4 million Americans practice yoga, up from 15.8 million in 2008, and 17.8% of them are men.
"[The] study also indicated that there are 105 million 'aspirational yogis' in the U.S. and roughly half of those are men," O'Neill said. "Based on current trends, we expect about 2 million men to take up yoga within the next year. With the adoption of yoga among professional male athletes, special-forces military training programs and police departments, men are gaining a greater understanding of yoga's many benefits and beginning to participate in increased numbers." (MORE)
Source: LA Times
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