It’s time to get to know yoga for men (or “broga” if you prefer).

Yoga can make you stronger, support balance, reduce stress, enhance brain function, improve digestion, enhance blood flow (which can improve your sex life) and it can help you to feel more grounded, centred, relaxed and self-aware. 

Despite stereotypes, yoga can be tough too. It’s not all chanting intentions and meditation music. 

If you like an intense workout guaranteed to get your heart pumping and sweat pouring, look no further. 

Try this yoga sequence from yogi Miles Mortensen to get stronger, expand your healthy lifespan, and feel great! Plus, with no equipment needed, you can do this yoga sequence for men at home. 

“This quick and fiery sequence will strengthen the full-body, with a big emphasis on core engagement and activation. It's an energizing, full-body workout that you can smash out quickly, designed to leave you feeling uplifted and strong. It incorporates elements of cardiovascular training, back body engagement and strength training using body weight,” says Mortensen. 

YOGA SEQUENCE FOR STRENGTH & VITALITY 

WARM-UP: TURBO SUN SALUTATION A X 5 

“Sun salutations are the traditional yoga warm-up. They are made up of some of the most frequently cued poses in yoga and serve as the start of most yoga sequences.” 

1. Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Stand at the top of your mat with toes and heels in line. Arms are alongside the body with palms forward and fingers actively reaching out, the gaze is then forward. 

2. Inhale to Urdhva Hastasana. Stand in an upward salute pose reaching the arms up, bringing the palms together, followed by gaze to the thumbs. 

3. Exhale to Uttanasana (Standing forward fold.) Fold down over the legs, bringing chin into the chest with a soft gaze towards navel. Palms are flat on either side of the feet; knees can be bent or straight depending on your flexibility. 

4. Inhale to Hasta Uttanasana (Half standing forward fold) Lift the chest to look forward, coming up onto fingertips or hands to shins. Straighten the legs. 

5. Exhale to Chaturanga (Four-limbed staff pose or low push-up position) 

6. Inhale to Urdhva Muka Savanasana (Upward facing dog) From chaturanga, roll over the toes to come onto the top of the feet and extend the elbows. Knees are lifted off the ground, glutes are engaged and core is lifting to protect the lower back, gentle gaze up towards the ceiling. 

7. Exhale to Adho Muka Savanasana (downward-facing dog) Rolling over the toes, create a pyramid/upside-down V shape with the body. Hands are set about shoulder-distance apart, with the fingers spread wide. Depending on shoulders I like to have index finger facing forward. Hips are then lifting up towards the ceiling, heels drawing down towards the ground with knees either extended or bent depending on hamstring flexibility. Feet are hip-distance apart. 

Repeat 5 times. 

Hold the plank for 3 breaths. 

Then, from plank, practice a 3-legged dog – knee to tricep, to wrist, to opposite wrist, to opposite tricep. Repeat on the opposite side. 

THE WORKOUT  

ARROW LUNGE 

Starting with the right foot, step forward between the hands. Think of a high lunge position, but rather than reaching up, the front line of the body is hovering just above the thigh, and your arms are reaching forward. Reach through the arms, and focus on tensing the legs towards each other to engage the hamstrings and quads. 

WARRIOR 3 

Keep the arms reaching forward, take the weight into the right leg and then lift up the back leg. Keep the action of arms reaching forward as you were in arrow lunge; think of drawing navel in but lengthening through the abdomen. Back toes are pointing down. Drive the heel back and pull the quad up, engage the glute. Think of internally rotating the elevated leg. 

Complete half-moon toe taps x 3 

WARRIOR 2 

From warrior 3, step your left foot to the back of the mat. Back toes are slightly pointing in, just past 9 o'clock. The front knee is bent at 90 degrees. Be wary of the knee collapsing in – externally rotate at the front hip so that the knee comes out so you can just see the front big toe. The spine is straight. Have shoulders stacked up on top of the hips. Arms then reach out, right forward, left back, fingers spread wide, and your gaze is looking towards the front middle finger. 

HIGH LUNGE KNEE TAPS X 5 

From warrior 2, reach both arms up and lift the heel of the back foot. Slowly, hover the knee down to the floor, pause and then lift back up. Repeat 5 times. 

REVOLVED SIDE ANGLE 

Once done, twist your left elbow outside of your right thigh. Use the leverage of the knee against the elbow to rotate the chest around. Keep pressing the back heel back and pull the thigh up towards the hip, drawing the front heel back to engage the hamstrings. 

 VINYASA 

Release the hands down to frame the foot, step back to a high plank, lower down (chaturanga), move through upward facing dog and end up in downward dog. Take 3 breaths, then repeat on the other side. 

AWKWARD PLANK 

Come forward into a plank, then lift the opposite leg to the opposite arm. Hold for 3 breaths, vinyasa, then repeat the other side. Vinyasa back to downward dog. 

NAVASANA 

Step or jump through to a seated position, then lift the legs so that you're balancing on your sit-bones. You're basically creating a V position. Knees can be bent or straight, keeping the legs together. Reach your arms forward, keep the spine long with the chest lifting. Hold 15 seconds. 

Lower down to a hollow body hold. 

HOLLOW BODY HOLD 

Transition down to laying on your back. Think of creating a banana or dish shape, keeping everything squeezing tight into the midline with shoulders off the ground. Hold for 15 seconds. Then lift back up and follow Navasana for 10 seconds; Hollow Body Hold 10 seconds; Navasana 5 seconds; and Hollow Body Hold 5 seconds. 

BRIDGE 

Draw heals up towards the bum, feet hip-distance apart, arms running alongside the body so fingertips can just scrape heels. Think of pulling heels up towards bum to engage hamstrings, then lift hips up towards ceiling engaging glutes. 

SUPPORTED BRIDGE WITH BRICK 

Same as bridge, but bring a yoga block or any platform underneath the lower back to support. Find a passive release on the yoga block. 

SUPINE TWISTS 

Draw both knees into the chest, drop them over in one direction. Hold 5 breaths, then switch sides. 

SAVASANA 

Simply release the legs to the edge of the mat, arms alongside the body and close your eyes. Take 3 big sighs with 3 deep breaths and then just relax. Spend as long as you need to in this position. When you feel ready to come out, come out slowly, gently moving your body first, supporting yourself to seated, then slowly open your eyes.