HELENA — June is National Men’s Health Month which raises awareness of certain diseases to which men are more susceptible, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Yoga instructor at Hot Yoga Helena, Tyrel Suzor-Hoy teaches a Buti yoga class that can help combat some of these illnesses.

Buti yoga is a form of power yoga that incorporates a blend of primal movements, dance cardio, and HIIT-style sequencing.

“At Buti, there’s a ton of cardio work where we do a lot of cardio dance, we go up and down, and we incorporate stroke sequencing in which we get the heart rate really high and then calm it down. And that puts a little stress on the heart and makes it pump more properly and really helps it to function overall.Through intense cardio work you can improve cardiovascular health, you can increase blood flow in your body.And all of that is so good and preventing some of these diseases like hypertension prevents heart disease And man which is one of the biggest killers of men is heart disease And so working through that cardio and mixing also slow yoga poses really increase that heart health,” Suzor-Hoy said.

Suzor-Hoy is an example of how yoga can improve overall health.

“I have been doing yoga for about five years now. I’ve been teaching for about the same amount of time. And when I started doing yoga, my health was not very good. About a year ago I had a Mrsa infection (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) which entered my lungs and my lungs collapsed. So about a year later I started doing yoga, and what a change, I completely revitalized my health. I totally changed the way I breathe and the way my body interacts with itself and with the world. It has undoubtedly changed my life. I’m very happy to continue participating today,” he said.

Not only can yoga help with physical health, but it has also been shown to benefit mental health.

“In mental health, there’s a lot of stigma about men walking into a studio like this and working on things that torment them on the inside. Yoga is a great way to focus on what you bring to the table. And with depression in particular, yoga increases blood flow to the brain, which helps overcome some of these types of issues, anxiety, isolation, depression, are all tied together. And anxiety is a big one that men and everyone experiences. And with yoga, that and the breathwork it involves really helps with problem-solving and helps you reflect on what you’re presenting to the world,” Suzor-Hoy said.

Although the thought of entering a yoga studio can be daunting, the benefits are certainly worth it.

“There’s a male stigma in yoga and there really shouldn’t be. It’s not a female-focused workout or some sort of male-banning workout. It’s really an all-encompassing practice for everyone. And I encourage everyone to go to your local yoga studio, get involved, come here Monday night, do it at home. Whether it’s just a little snippet that you find on the internet , or if you want to come to the studio, I encourage it. I think it’s something that’s going to help you in life, it’s going to help your health and it’s going to benefit you, not only today but throughout throughout your life.