Remember the opening scene to Pumping Iron? Where Arnold and Colombo and practicing poses in the dance studio?

The more I practice yoga the more I realize how it parallels bodybuilding.

The two art forms are all about body awareness. Learning mind-muscle connection, breath, building strength, and pushing the limits of the body.

I meet people all the time who say "yoga is cool but i don't like the yoga scene" or "I took a class and it was fine" or "I'd be the only guy there". You just didn't find the right class. I've taken many classes over the years from various schools of thought and the variety is amazing. Everything from a quiet meditative class on the beach, to a dark studio one on one with an instructor, to this current power vinyasa phase I'm on. Some of the classes did suck, some were good, but many are amazing.

The feeling I get after a class these days is almost like that extended cardio high I used to get from running but I feel great and grounded for about 24 hours.

These are the things I'm noticing and how they will apply to bodybuilding.

Metabolism slows down. The metabolism actually slows significantly in people who practice yoga. Men average about 8% and women about 18%, I just read this in the science of yoga. So for people who are concerned that yoga will make them too lean this is not the case it will actually help you bulk. If I get a 10% reduction in my metabolism that could translate into an additional 4-500 calories a day. For someone who has a difficult time eating the thousands of calories a day this is a wonderful thing. This will freak some people out but learning to slow down is a good thing for all of us.

Yoga improves posture. I had tight hips and shoulders my whole life which causes all sorts of problems with bodybuilding. My chest doesn't grow because of a shoulder imbalance. This is finally changing and my chest is growing. My hips are loosening up and my squat is finally sexy as hell. You see sets squats in the gym, usually women have a sexy squat, and you see MANY UGLY squats in the gym. I can proudly say I have a sexy looking squat.

I'm not in pain all the time. It used to be that I was always in pain, hips, shoulders, lower back, everything. This is not the case anymore. In fact, I have no pain anywhere at this point. It seems to give my whole body that beautiful swishy deca feel.

My posture is so much better. People comment all the time that I have exceptional posture but I'm not ridged, like people who force their posture. My heart is open so I lead with my chest rather than my head and shoulders. Walking properly changes everything especially your social presence.

I breathe much deeper. I am now aware that I was always a shallow anxious breather. If you learn to breathe, again everything changes. I'm sure Pank can attest to this - I doubt there is a sniper anywhere who doesn't know how to breathe. Learning to control your physiology through breath is a powerful tool. I'm just learning this now and I can't wait to see where it brings me. Bodybuilders all know the importance of breathing properly during lifts just imagine if you could breathe properly all the time. Learning to breathe properly can also apply to having great sex.

Energy gets trapped in tight muscles. Physical and emotional trauma gets stored in the body. Tight painful bodies do not allow for energy to travel properly. The become depressed, where almost no energy is moving, or anxious where too much energy is transferring in neurotic ways. Yoga opens these blockages freeing up all this bullshit pain we carry around everywhere we go. There is a huge amount of energy that is available if it can travel freely. We think energy comes from calories but have you ever been in love? No need to eat then and energy is everywhere.

The parallels are endless. I recommend everyone give it a try and look for a good class. Find a teacher you like. If you don't like it there then it's pointless. You may have to try ten classes before you find one you like. But I'm confident that almost everyone here could find a class they resonate with. Go with an open mind and ask yourself "how did I feel before this experience and how do I feel now?"

Well maybe some of you super macho guys out there can break free of what it is that you are "supposed" to look like. Because living like that is such a miserable trap.

Thanks for reading.