025: How Yoga Unlocks Radical Self-Acceptance with Benjamin Sears
The Better Man Podcast
Yoga
Yoga is a way of getting better at something, but it's incorporating new ideas. The poses are there to help you maintain your interest in the deeper goal of reconciling yourself with yourself. "I think that the poses are like really good tricks to keep people engaged in self-reflection," he says.
Many men stumble into yoga after a debilitating injury prevents them from training. This is how both Benjamin Sears and I discovered yoga. But even though this may be the cause of starting yoga, the reason you stay could be completely different.
Some men use it as a way to enhance their strength training and prevent injuries. Others use it to develop more flexibility and keep joint pain at bay. And some men find the tough workouts give them a way to develop radical self-awareness and self-acceptance.
Today’s guest, yoga instructor and founder of LuxYoga, Benjamin Sears, uses yoga to accomplish all three goals. Not only has yoga helped him improve his physical health, but it’s also made him a kinder person — to himself and to others.
Best part?
The “skills” he’s learned from yoga carry over to every other area of his life. And the same will happen to you if you’re disciplined enough to stick with them.
In this episode, you’ll discover how yoga allows you to accept your emotions and forgive yourself. Benjamin reveals the trick for doing repetitive poses without boring yourself. And he shares simple mindset shifts which help you improve every aspect of your life.
Listen now.
Show highlights include:
- How to tell if the way you’re training will wreak havoc on your joints before suffering a debilitating injury (5:12)
- Why being aesthetically “fit” doesn’t prevent you from serious injuries (and the best way to prevent injuries) (6:02)
- How yoga helps you confront your feelings and become comfortable with even the nastiest ones (9:40)
- The “Yoga Maps” method for using yoga poses to forgive yourself of your biggest mistakes and shortcomings (14:18)
- The “Perpetual Calibration” secret for doing the same poses thousands of times (without boring yourself to death) (23:03)
- How to use simple mantras to distance yourself from negative self-talk (without acting like a hippy-dippy yogi) (32:58)
- How strength training can be just as meditative as yoga (45:43)
- How to use Man Flow Yoga to lift heavier weights in the gym (and how to use strength training to improve your yoga poses) (48:08)
- The simple “Opportunity, not Obligation” mindset shift which unlocks profound improvements in your mental, emotional, and physical health (50:02)
If you want to connect with Benjamin, you can find him on Instagram at @Benjamin.Sears or check out his website here: https://www.luxyoga.com/.
Want to unlock more flexibility and strength, reduce your risk of injury, and feel your absolute best over the next 7 days? Then join the FREE 7-Day Beginner’s Yoga for Men Challenge here: https://ManFlowYoga.com/7dc.
Tired of doing a form of yoga that causes more injuries than it helps prevent? The cold, hard truth is men need yoga specifically designed for them. Well, here's some good news: You can start your 7-day free trial to Man Flow Yoga by visiting https://ManFlowYoga.com/join.
Power Quotes:
- “I went to yoga as a last resort.” (7:15) - Benjamin
- “Yoga felt like the only place I was allowed to have any kind of feelings.” (9:02) - Benjamin
- “One of the best things about modern yoga is the community it creates.” (14:07) - Benjamin
- “Poses are really good tricks to keep you engaged in self-reflection.” (16:40) - Benjamin
- “Progress is never linear.” (17:33) - Benjamin
- “The teacher’s job is to shorten the arc of suffering for the student.” (43:06) - Benjamin
- “Put intention in your tension.” (1:02:30) - Benjamin
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