This month I am reaching out to everyone who is thinking about taking a yoga class, with particular emphasis on men and athletes. Many times we sit on the sidelines and resist trying something because we are not sure it will benefit us. And as an athlete you may find that you are already doing a great physical program to keep yourself in shape for your sport. I would like to ask you to consider the additional increase in your ability to perform at your peak by adding the benefits of yoga to your routine fitness program.

The following excerpts are from the book "Real Men Do Yoga", by John Capouya. (2003 Health Communications, Inc.)

"Flexibility is yoga's main course, the dish that brings everyone to the table. You'll find out, though, that there's a lot more to the meal. Probably the biggest surprise for guys who try yoga is that the flexibility entrée comes with an extra helping - a side order of serious strength training (on the house)." (46)

Here is a quick taste of the rave reviews athletes are giving yoga:

Eddie George, star NFL running back, Heisman trophy winner: "Yoga's helped me to avoid injuries and made me stronger, particularly in the upper body. It gives me a competitive edge."

Barry Zito, pitcher, Cy Young Award Winner: "It's helped me tremendously flexibility-wise, and the relaxation techniques calm me down, which is particularly important on the mound."

Kevin Garnett, NBA superstar: "I've been doing yoga since 1995, when I first came into the league, and I practice my breathing exercises before every game." (xiv)

"For the sheer fun, working on your balance has got to be the best part of yoga. I think you're really going to enjoy it, even though you'll probably keel over a few times. But you know what? Trying to keep your balance, feeling yourself wavering and teetering, then when you know you can't stay up any longer, finally giving in and falling down is its own goofy kind of fun-kinda like when we were kids." (64)

"At the same time, balance work is also one of the most challenging aspects of yoga, and these moves are some of the toughest to master. The upside of this high degree of difficulty is that after you've worked on the positions for a while (and yes, bounced off the mat a few times) and you start to see your balance and body control really improving, you'll feel that you've made real athletic progress. And you'll be right." (64)

Keep in mind, though, that the benefits don't end with being able to stay up on your toes like a dancer, or maintain some other esoteric position. As with strength, the goal is not just to have good balance, but to do something with it. Call it functional balance. Joe Inman, a yoga devotee who plays on the PGA Senior Tour, explains what good balance allows you to do, in his game or any other. "Whether you're a pitcher in baseball or tackling someone in football," he says, "you can't deliver energy without balance. It's the same in golf: If you're falling around this way and that way, you can't make contact with the ball the same way every time like you need to do." (64)

"Yoga also: prevents injury and speeds up recovery, alleviates back pain, raises your energy level, gives you the best sleep of your life. And these are just the physical benefits. The way yoga gets you to listen to your body - it's been described as a kind of meditation in motion - also hones your mental game, your approach to sports, work and your family life. As Mike Lieberthal, the All-Start catcher for the Philadelphia Philly's, says, "Yoga's as good for the mind as it is for the body." That's because it: reduces stress and minimizes the harmful effects on the body, relaxes you mentally as well as physically, trains your focus and concentration so you can perform at your peak - in the Zone. Put all of the above together and it creates another huge upside to yoga that I haven't mentioned yet - and it's one of the biggest payoffs of all.

Yoga just makes you feel great!" (xv)-End excerpts.

As you can see and hear from many men who have tried and use yoga for maintaining balance, finding a sense of calm through the breathing techniques and adding flexibility to the body adds value when it comes to success in any sport.

I have been athletic most of my life; having run track at a very early age, growing up I played a variety of ball sports. As an adult I jogged and trained with an Olympic athlete for many years. Other aerobics included spinning. Most recently I have enjoyed zumba and I still love to roller skate. When I first started roller-skating, I fell many times, before I felt confident to skate on one leg or turn around and skate backwards. I find that this was the same when learning yoga. You start slow and you might need to use the wall to help you balance, until you feel more confident and that is perfectly okay. After a while you will feel comfortable with your balance. The key is that you are working incrementally during each class to build the strength and flexibility to come back to your sport or your life with a stronger sense of balance or more confidence in your body to take you through any physical and mental challenges.

Yoga is proven to be an incredibly effective method to improve flexibility, increase strength, build muscle tone, improve breathing and enhance a sense of balance and body control. With yoga the progress may seem slow, but in time and with a steady practice the benefits will become tangible and you will find the day that you take that next golf swing or shoot another basket or just another step on your life's journey and feel the benefit of your yoga practice off the mat.