“That’s actually one of the battles that we have,’’ says Sidoti, the 41-year-old “Brogi’’ who teaches Broga classes in Somerville and on Martha’s Vineyard. “This is not a dumbed down version of yoga. There’s a lot of movement linking the postures, but adding push-ups and variations of squats. People see the name ‘Broga’ and they think it’s just a bunch of idiots. But there’s integrity.’’
At the small Saturday class led by Sidoti, there are nearly as many women as men (women are welcome to do Broga, although normally men outnumber women). This is a slightly more aggressive and physical incarnation of yoga; Sanskrit terms are avoided as much as possible, and poses are carefully explained.
“Broga offers a much more palatable introduction to yoga at a much more familiar level,’’ says O’Neill. “There aren’t a lot of esoteric yoga terms that are used. We move from the familiar to the unfamiliar.’’
Both O’Neill and Sidoti were once reluctant to commit to yoga themselves. O’Neill, 30, grew up in a house with a mother who was a yoga enthusiast. The solidly built O’Neill, who is over 6 feet tall, was more interested in basketball and lacrosse. When his mother suggested stretches that might help him, he dismissed her. Until he started having back problems in his 20s, that is.
“One morning I got out of bed and I collapsed on the floor,’’ he says. “I ended up having sciatica, which felt like I was shot in the [butt]. I had physical therapy for six months. I was hearing the voice of mom past telling me that I should have gotten involved in yoga. But in my social circles, doing yoga was pretty far outside the norm.’’
For Sidoti, whose sun-bleached hair gives him the appearance of a surfer, yoga was less of a stretch. He had tried his hand at nearly every sport and describes himself as a natural athlete. When his wife started practicing yoga, he joined her.
