It’s hard to believe that during our lifetimes, yoga was considered an activity solely for hippies and women, so much so that any involvement by men was limited to that more embarrassing subset of “broga.” Fortunately, the cycle of fitness trends moves quickly, and the growing appeal of a warrior pose for men has meant that a) we pride ourselves on living together in the yoga studio and b) brands and studios have adapted. increasingly in demand with style. , high-quality men’s yoga clothing and accessories.
Adrienne Everett is a yoga teacher whose passion for pursuit has aligned perfectly with this seismic shift. She began the practice of it nearly a decade ago as a means of finding purpose, she quickly developed her skills on the mat to the point where she has now made the leap from her corporate job in sales to marketing passion. her.
Here, we draw on her expertise on the many benefits of regular yoga practice, along with her own selection of yoga accessories to enhance your practice, before entering GQ Recommends’ selection of the best yoga brands out there.
What are some of the physical benefits of yoga?
Used as a means of getting fit and complementing other physical activities, yoga has been embraced by everyone from soccer players to weightlifters as a means of gaining transferable skills to elevate their sport. “Yoga is my main source of physical exercise,” says Everett. “Through my commitment to my practice, I have experienced incredible benefits including increased flexibility, muscle tone and increased strength.”
What are the mental benefits of regular yoga practice?
Different types of yoga focus on different things, and while practices like power yoga emphasize their physical results, those like Hatha and Vinyasa give equal weight to mental wellness.
“Yoga is my mental gym: it keeps my mental health in check and through my practice in difficult times, I have been able to regain the emotional strength to pick up the pieces, reaffirm my inner strength and move forward with my life in a positive way. and life-affirming,” says Everett. “Yoga offers a space to forge a deep connection with myself, and the mental benefits have been so powerful that I want to share them with the world. I am incredibly committed to making yoga more appealing to all people, regardless of race, age, body type, or cultural background.”
Adrienne Everett’s eight essential elements of yoga…
lululemon the mat
5mm made with FSC certified rubber
Yogamatters Cork Yoga Brick Block
Manduka Yogitoes Yoga Towel
Deep sea
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX
Soho Home Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser
Diptyque Baies scented candle
190g
Bamford B Clear Detox Organic Infused Tea
How can the environment influence your yoga practice?
“I feel so blessed to have practiced yoga in so many amazing spaces around the world, whether it’s on the beach in Brazil, in a temple in Bali, or among amazing digital backdrops at 180 Health Club in London,” says Everett. “I am grateful for the ability to connect with my practice in a variety of settings, and have been able to teach in some incredibly cool settings including London’s Saatchi Gallery, The One & Only Palm Hotel in Dubai, Four Seasons Bali and the Falls of the Iguazú in Argentina, to name a few. That being said, the beauty of yoga is that all you really need is your body, so you can practice wherever you want.”
Shop GQ Recommends’ selection of top yoga brands…
Although in relative terms, there is a certain imbalance between yoga clothing brands that cater to men and women, in recent times it has been seen that most of the major sportswear brands place much more emphasis on a complete range for each yogi. Beyond essential accessories like a mat, towel and yoga block, men just need to invest in flow-promoting yoga tops and pants that offer lightweight construction, a wide range of motion and, like their usual gym equipment, absorb sweat. capabilities. From Lululemon to Gymshark, below we’ve outlined some of the best brands to turn to.
Lululemon
lululemon the mat
FSC certified rubber
Lululemon Balancer 27″ Pant
Calling Lululemon a yoga brand in 2022 is doing it a bit of a favor. Headquartered in Canada’s famed wellness resort, British Columbia, Lululemon has established itself as a kind of lifestyle that transcends its patterned yoga leggings and trademark sweat-wicking fabrics. Since its founding in 1998, Lululemon has expanded its product range far beyond what you’d wear on the mat to incorporate clothing suitable for weightlifting, running, swimming and more. In the meantime, it has refined its yogi-for-everyone offering, but especially in the men’s department, where its stretchy sweatpants and fitted crop tops are a fixture in any boutique studio worth its salt.
Nike
As with just about every fitness discipline known to man, Nike yogawear gets a lot of attention from us, incorporating the sports giant’s signature DRI-Fit technology into all of its free-motion Swoosh-laden garments. As with all of its ranges, Nike Yoga is always evolving to incorporate the newest sustainable and performance-enhancing materials, with clothing and accessories incorporating recycled fabrics in regularly updated on-trend colorways. And, going the extra mile to make sure you’ve got all the gear and some ideas, the Nike Training Club app incorporates yoga practice for all levels.
bam
T-shirt Bam Origin Air Bamboo
Bamboo is a sustainable alternative to more traditional fashion fabrics that is often used in sportswear for its natural softness and ability to wick away sweat. While you’ll see some of the major sportswear brands incorporate bamboo into their product lines, no brand shows the same commitment as Bam, for whom the material is the star of the show in all of their collections. Addressing fashion’s impact on the planet with each new release, Bam has his sights set on zero landfill waste, zero pollution and zero water waste by 2030. Since yogis’ fitness ambitions tend to align with a connection to the earth we’re following down, we’d say makes a pretty compelling case for incorporating Bam into your workout wardrobe.
gymnastics shark
Gymshark is the sportswear brand that is quickly taking over the world with its eye-catching logo that has become a mainstay on gym floors. Founded by entrepreneurial talent Ben Francis, in just eight years of business the Solihul-founded label was valued at over £1bn. While in its early days it had more of a reputation with the type of lifters who really go to town with their deadlift grunts, Gymshark has since evolved to encompass many other disciplines, including yoga, for which its ultralight Studio line is perfect. The most appropriate. . Our favorites from the collection are its flattering joggers, an activewear staple the brand has become famous for, as well as the seamless tank tops that encourage enough range of motion to go from Warrior II to Crow in no time.
YogaSubjects
YogaMatters Revive Yoga Mat Cleaner
YogaMatters deals in all kinds of yoga essentials, from mat-friendly garments to an extensive library of literature on this storied discipline and even essential oils and natural personal care products that align with the broader interests of their core customers. . It’s an especially good port of call for accessories that can streamline and elevate your practice, like blocks, straps, towels, and mats, for which there’s one of the widest selections you’ll find online. It is no coincidence that the brand is loved by yoga teachers and studio owners around the world.
hello yoga
Alo Stability 2-in-1 Pant
Outside of Bali, yoga’s contemporary spiritual home is Los Angeles, where Alo began his life creating comfortable clothing designed for the mat and beyond. All of his garments are well-designed for rigorous practice, yet feature an aesthetic that easily integrates into everyday wardrobes, embracing current trends in contemporary fashion and capturing the imagination of celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Taylor Swift. . We’re especially in love with their Triumph range, made from super soft knit fabric in flattering slim-fit yet relaxed fits.
Warrior Addict
Warrior Addict is a yoga brand that brings a distinctive sense of masculinity to the quest, which is otherwise still quite feminine. Her apparel and accessories come in a monochrome palette peppered with simple logo details, all enhanced with innovative yoga-specific technology, like elastic waistbands that keep tops in place inside out and mesh-lined shorts that serve the same purpose. Like all the best sportswear, a major part of the Warrior Addict’s appeal is that the interesting cuts can easily double as modern streetwear, so you’ll get a lot more wear out of your shopping than the hour a day you spend in the studio.
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Source: www.gq-magazine.co.uk