When I first started hosting community yoga classes out of my backyard studio, someone casually suggested, “And we can make it women’s only.”
A voice inside me shot back — Absolutely not.
My internal reaction surprised me. I found myself thinking, Whoa — where did that come from?
Practically speaking, my husband — also an avid yoga practitioner — would be excluded from his own backyard studio. But there was more to it.
Do I want greater gender equity in the world? Of course.
Are women-only spaces important and powerful? Absolutely.
But fewer men in yoga classes? That falls just a few places behind things like equal pay and reproductive freedom.
You dream of fewer men in yoga? This woman dreams of more.
Touch those feelings. Cry in savasana. I’m SO here for it.
The truth is, most women can experience a women’s-only yoga class simply by going to any yoga class. Over 80 per cent of practitioners in our part of the world are women. Those of us used to seeing people who look like us in every room often don’t realize what it’s like to walk into one where no one does.
And in a space that can feel physically and emotionally vulnerable, that alone can be enough to keep someone — someone who might deeply want what yoga offers — from crossing the threshold.
That’s why the Gentle Men’s Yoga class offered by Shel Neufeld at Yoga by the Sea is so important. He creates a grounded, welcoming space for men to face common challenges, release outdated stories, and drop the armor of external expectations. Many men assume they’re too inflexible for yoga. Shel’s class offers a softer landing pad — an accessible way to explore the benefits of stillness, breath, and embodiment. Toe touching not required.
I’d be remiss not to mention my husband, Doug, who also teaches every Monday night out of our little backyard yoga speakeasy. While not a men’s class, his students are often at least half men — far above the norm. For some, just seeing another “big hairy dude” leading the class is enough to make it feel safe to give it a try. And to keep coming back.
It reminds me of a favorite Beatles lyric (and that’s saying something — I’m a full-on Beatles nut). In “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” George Harrison sings:
I don’t know why
nobody told you
how to unfold your love.
Because really, yoga is just that: a practice in learning how to unfold your love. I don’t know why nobody told us –– but we can shift that.
And yoga is not a women’s practice or a men’s practice. It’s a human practice.
Part of our work is noticing who’s missing — or subtly excluded. Whether by gender, race, gender nonconformity, body size, financial access, or simply never having seen themselves reflected in the room, there are still so many barriers to entry. Let’s keep doing the work of lowering them.
Catch Shel’s class every Monday at 5:45 p.m. at Yoga by the Sea. Other expressions of love in our community to check out:
Roberts Creek Community Farm Market: Every Wednesday 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Roberts Creek Hall – heading outdoors again soon!
Easter Egg Hunt with the Ducks: April 20 at 2 p.m. at 906 Joe Road, $15 in advance, $25 at the door
Body, Heart, and Soul - a 5 Rhythms Waves Workshop with Julie Plotkin : April 25 to 27, visit www.julieplotkin.com for more information.
Have more love to share? Reach me at [email protected] or on Facebook Messenger.
