Keep the Faith

More black men are embracing yoga to ease emotional stress

Doucette has joined a growing number of black yoga practitioners who view the ancient discipline as a way for black men to address the emotional and physical health disparities of their community.

The statistics are alarming. Black men are 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease and 60 percent more likely to die from stroke than non-Hispanic white men, according to the Black Men’s Health Project, an effort to develop strategies to resolve the disparities. And black men have the lowest life expectancy in the United States.

When it comes to mental health, African Americans in general are 10 percent more likely to experience serious psychological distress, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health.