Blokes’ yoga classes lift Dave out of the dumps

Starting an all male’s yoga class 18 months ago owner has helped Yoga Project owner David Kinnane change lives.

Yoga instructor David Kinnane does some yoga with Roy Nielsen. Photo: John McCutcheon / Sunshine Coast Daily

STARTING an all male's yoga class 18 months ago owner has helped Yoga Project owner David Kinnane change lives.

The classes aim to provide men with a comfortable and encouraging environment to learn yoga.

Mr Kinnane said he started the classes because he wanted to share the benefits of yoga with other men.

"It's about sharing something that I've come to have an awesome experience with," he said.

"I was in a really bad place in my life about four years ago.

"I moved through a divorce and yoga was a really clean and healthy holistic alternative to going to the pub with the boys, so yoga helped me a lot to move through and process that stuff."

Roy Nielsen, of Mudjimba, was the first to take part in the class which has now helped 98 men learn yoga.

Mr Nielsen said before starting the classes he "couldn't have cared less" if he had died but now had a completely new outlook on life.

"I can only give positive feedback," he said.

"It's done wonders for me.

"I was in an acquired state of disrepair.

"The body wasn't working, I was depressed but now I have been going to him for roughly two years and it picked up my game."

Mr Neilsen, who has had two knee reconstructions, a shoulder reconstruction, two open heart surgery and arthritis, said yoga had also helped him physically recover.

"They [injuries] are still there but I used to wake up in the morning in a lot of pain and now I think I'm going to live longer with better quality," he said.

Mr Kinnane said the idea for the classes was sparked by a simple conversation.

"I had a friend say that he would love to come to one of my classes, but he felt intimidated and was a little bit worried about what would happen when he came to a class for the first time," he said.

"His feeling was that the class would be full of women and he would be distracted, and he would be judged by the women so I thought I could start a class just for guys, so it removes a barrier."

Classes are offered on every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday's at a variety of locations.

For more information visit: https://bit.ly/38UN9I5.

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