ABSTRACT
Modern yoga is an activity that is intertwined with notions of transformation, personal growth, and the enhancement of the mind, body, and spirit. Intrigued by the growing number of men doing yoga in rural New Zealand and also by significant gaps in the academic literature relating to men’s yoga experiences, this chapter aims to shed light on how yoga is experienced by two rural New Zealand male yoga teachers from Golden Bay, from the South Island of New Zealand. The chapter explores the consequences of challenging hegemonic constructs of masculinity in rural New Zealand through the practice of yoga and through the adoption of yogic philosophy. Using a research framework of narrative inquiry, the participants’ stories are presented as unique vignettes, allowing deep insights into what it is like to be a rural New Zealand man who teaches yoga. This study gives insights into the diverse ways modern yoga is understood and practised in small communities. Furthermore, it explores how yoga is a mechanism for New Zealand men to care for themselves, to care for others in their communities, and to also care for the Earth. The chapter highlights the evolving nature of masculinities and modern yoga in New Zealand.
