As Movember is now upon us, here at Couturing, we took the liberty to give a shout out to all the males out there and dedicate this week to you! Women aren’t the only ones who get to have all the fun.
As males, health and wellbeing of the mind, body and soul sometimes gets neglected, some are even unaware that they ought to look after anything else except their appearance. I’ve taken this opportunity to inform all men out there how to keep feeding that mind, using that body and caring for that soul. Although it might sound silly and a bit effeminate for some of you, I assure you what I am about to write is both legit and beneficial.
Firstly, The Mind; many men neglect the well being of their mind, it is something that is constantly ignored and overlooked. As ‘lame’ as it may sound, meditation is actually a very good way to relieve stress, and also help you focus on your own strength both mentally and physically. I’m not saying head down to a meditation or natural healing centre and sign up straight away, there are many different styles and techniques of meditation, you just need to find the right one for you . I really recommend taking fifteen minutes or half an hour out of your day, you’ll be amazed at how empowered, and Zen you feel.
Now to mental health, again, this isn’t for everyone but many men don’t speak out about their mental health, and it can be so detrimental. Speaking from experience with friends, if you do feel like you need to talk to someone please do. Movember isn’t just about awareness for prostate cancer but also male depression and mental illness. So support your friends and ask a bro if they’re OK. If you’re worried about them, don’t let it go unsaid.
The Body; It’s always assumed that men focus on weight training and women do cardio, which isn’t the case. Women can do weight training and men can do alternate exercises too, recently, a new trend has hit the yoga scene called ‘Broga’, for all you guys out there, it is essentially male yoga, for the men who aren’t interested in joining a class with a bunch of gossiping soccer mums or aren’t looking to be in a women’s class in general, Broga is right up your alley, It also focuses on poses which aren’t for light flexible women, but manly men! Broga aims to be core-strengthening, muscle-toning, stress-reducing, clarity-enhancing yoga postures with functional fitness exercises, a great alternative to going running or lifting weights for an hour.
Here’s a great blog I found that talks more about different poses and meditation techniques http://brogamelbourne.blogspot.com.au/
Courtesy of www.broga.blogspot.com.au
Largely underrated is swimming, swimming is great for both muscle building and cardio, around Melbourne there are hundreds of indoor and outdoor pools open to the public (or with a membership) which is a great investment. The St. Kilda Sea Baths are huge, with a health club, gym and spa baths!
Or if you do consider yourself a ‘manly man’, you could always try your hand at Tough Mudder, a sporting event that comes around every year that tests endurance, strength and stamina, intense is probably an understatement, here’s their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/toughmudder?ref=ts&fref=ts
Lastly, we come to the soul. In my opinion, I believe the soul is your connection with life, without it you would be non-existent, your sense of being and identity, and it needs to be looked after. My advice; caring and looking after your self is the best way. Simply, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to work, and maintaining a social life is a must. I definitely don’t consider myself in any way spiritual or ‘at one with myself’ but I do admit sometimes to needing a break from life. Cooking is something considered ‘good for the soul’, being in a relaxing environment, cooking at your own pace. Even if you’re a terrible chef, buy a kids cookbook and learn from that, it’s not always a bad idea.
The most nourishing food for the soul would be to travel, not necessarily overseas, even going somewhere you’ve never been before still counts, visiting somewhere from your childhood or even traveling to the next suburb over and having a look around. Most of all, enjoying the company of friends and having a laugh. Also savoring your alone time, doing something that you enjoy and doing it only for you.
You know what also helps? growing a mo’ and supporting Movember! And if you can’t grow a moustache, here’s one i prepared earlier.
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