Practices for men

We are all moving irreversibly toward old age. When we are young, the questions connected with it seem unimportant and far away. But on reaching maturity (from about 45), a person begins to understand and feel that their vital reserves are running down. And if a person has not exercised or looked after themselves before, there is a high chance of ending up in old age as a frail old man who needs to be cared for and kept alive.

To prevent this, we need to take care of ourselves. Every man needs to do physical exercise: push-ups, pull-ups, dumbbell work and so on. Another very important factor affecting our physical and mental state is the tuning of the endocrine glands, our hormonal system. For this there are a number of practices and techniques to be done, and a number of rules to be followed.

It is important to understand that the most important thing in the techniques and rules described below is regular practice. Simply understanding them and knowing the theory of how to apply them gives no positive effect. You need to practice them regularly. This will lead to a predominance of positive states of mind and emotion, to a positive intellect. And then a steady feeling arises that you can do anything, that everything will work out; self-confidence appears.

ÁsanasA yoga posture held steadily and comfortably; it balances the glands and quiets body and mind for meditation. for men and vegetarianism

Men need to do ásanas to keep themselves in good, harmonious shape. It is best to begin with the basic set: yogamudrá, dirgha pranám (the long salutation) and bhujaungásana (the cobra pose). This set suits everyone and requires no preparation or special rules.

With regular practice of ásanas the body becomes supple and ready for more demanding practices. After 3–6 months of doing the basic set and studying the rules for doing ásanas, you can move on to the men's set of ásanas.

Let us single out two points from the rules mentioned above:

• Vegetarian diet. This set should be done once you have switched to a vegetarian diet. With such a diet your body is ready for any yoga exercises. Otherwise you can harm your health. Vegetarianism lets the body have enough shukra. Shukra is the most valuable substance produced in the process of digesting food. Shukra nourishes the brain and is its favorite food, and semen is also produced from it. So having enough shukra in the body is the key to good, strong health.
• Breathing. For ásanas and meditation the breath should flow through the left nostril or through both nostrils. If necessary, the breath can be switched. To do this, simply lie on your right side and put your fist in your armpit, and after a minute and a half the breath will change.

The basic ásanas for men

These ásanas are listed below, and it is recommended to do them all together, one after another.

1. Matsyendrásana (the twist pose);
2. Mayúrásana (the peacock pose);
3. Utkata pashcimottánásana (the head-to-knees pose);
4. Cakrásana (the bridge);
5. Sarváuṋgásana (the shoulder stand);
6. Matsyamudrá (the fish pose).

But if there is no time, you can do just the last four. After the whole set you will feel invigorated, your mental state will be even, there will be calm in your mind, and your meditation will be very good.

Please note that the ásanas for men have contraindications, and before you begin practicing them, read them carefully!

Wearing a langota and controlling sexual energy

However primitive it may sound, a man's greatness begins with the health of his reproductive glands. If they work well, if a man has learned discipline, does not spend his creative energy uncontrollably and has learned to conserve his strength, then the energy will rise to the higher centers, and emotions he has never felt before will open up.

To maintain reproductive health and to prevent mental energy from being wasted at the lower levels, men are advised to wear special underwear — the *langota. It is recommended to wear it while doing *ásanas, while dancing Tańd́ava, and also in everyday life. Wearing a langota helps one attain purity of mind and keep reproductive health for a long time.

Besides wearing a langota, a man should develop discipline in himself. In this context it means conserving and preserving his creative energy rather than turning it into sexual energy. Remember that forceful control is ineffective, because such suppression may later express itself as anger and other negative emotions.

Discipline is best instilled in a boy from an early age; then he will grow into a great man who will be able to bring about huge changes in this world. But one can set out on the path of self-improvement at any age.

Creative energy is a very important resource. It is like oil. We can pour it out of the tank, throw it away or burn it, or we can make many useful things from it (acrylic glass, plastics and so on). We ourselves choose how to spend it.

Tańd́ava, the men's dance

This is a very ancient dance, created by Sadáshiva — the first master of yoga, the father of all yogis. Tańd́ava is an exclusively male practice, because it changes the hormonal balance; male hormones are produced intensively. Performing the dance cultivates manliness in the mind and gives men joy and happiness.

The dance transforms energy from the lower centers to the higher ones and gives birth to a feeling of invincibility. When the energy reaches the anáhata cakra, a feeling arises that "the sea is knee-deep and the mountains are shoulder-high"; fear and anxiety disappear and stability comes to the mind. This elevated psychological state gives rise to corresponding physical achievements. And success becomes very easy to achieve.

Crude psychic energy (physical instinct) is transformed into subtle psychic energy and finally passes into spiritual energy.

The usual length of the Tańd́ava dance is 3 minutes. During the dance the circulatory system, the respiratory system and the brain are well stimulated. You feel clarity, and your memory and intellect become sharper.

Tańd́ava, as an ancient warrior dance, carries a certain symbolism. In the dance the straight arms should be stretched out to the sides. This position of the arms creates the idea of conquering space and gives birth to the feeling of a victor. It is a symbol of a man's strength. At the same time the concentration of cortisol, the stress hormone, decreases, and the concentration of testosterone increases.

In his left hand a man holds a snake or a human skull — symbols of death. In his right hand he holds a sword — a symbol of life, of the struggle for existence, of defending the right to live. In ancient times these objects were actually held in the hands; today it is enough simply to visualize them.

The Tańd́ava dance embodies the struggle between life and death. The important meaning is that our struggle with death is literally in our hands. This struggle is a constant, natural process that always goes on at all levels.

For example, in the morning the alarm clock rings and a person wakes up. At that moment he has already entered the struggle. And if he gets up, it means the force of life has prevailed over the force of death. Movement and dynamism have prevailed over inertia.

The same happens on the mental level. There is a curious intellect that wants to know the truth, and there is rigid thinking satisfied with dogmas and clichés. The force of life comes into conflict with the force of death, and either the pure, soft, supple and inquisitive intellect will win, or rigid, stereotyped thinking. Here everything depends on us.

The Tańd́ava dance is a very important practice; it creates strong men and gives birth to joy and kindness in their hearts. Because kindness comes from strength, not from weakness. By acting on the hormonal system and the psyche, the dance helps inner maturing: a man no longer feels like a teenager or a child; he feels like a grown, mature man.

So, to develop masculine qualities in yourself and make your health strong and robust, you need:

1. A vegetarian diet. It makes a person strong and healthy. And kind, of course :)
2. To do ásanas. Start with the basic set and then move on to more advanced ásanas. Remember that regularity and following the rules are what matter here.
3. To wear a langota. Maintain your reproductive health and control the spending of creative energy at the lower levels.
4. To dance Tańd́ava. Develop and increase your vitality every day!