Planet yoga
Stories from around the weird and wonderful world of yoga
Canada: Running feet
Yoga clothing giant lululemon is getting into running. The company is gearing up to launch a new apparel and footwear range as part of its support for a new women’s ultra endurance race in Canada. The company recently announced the launch of its first-ever road-to-trail running shoe, blissfeel trail. It joins blissfeel 2, as part of the brand’s next chapter of running shoes designed to support women as they go further on their runs. The new trail shoe offers traction and durability with an upper featuring a protective film and a rugged outsole for enhanced traction and grip.
USA: Hot and cold
Plunge — a company that has tapped into the cold water immersion craze with its own ice bath — is now turning up the heat. The US firm recently announced the launch of The Plunge Sauna, which will no doubt be immensely appealing to all those who have dared take a dip in icy waters! Create your own unique at-home wellness ritual with the ice bath followed by a lush sauna, all shown to have proven health benefits. But they don’t come cheap: at a cost of around $5000 for the ice bath, and a further $10,000 for the sauna, you’ll definitely need to de-stress after!
USA: Mindfulness at work
Having a hard time at work? You’re not alone. A report by mindfulness app Headspace reveals nearly half of workers now feel a sense of dread on a weekly basis, and a third fear that technology will replace their jobs. “Workplace mental health continues to be a top three business priority,” said Headspace CEO Russell Glass. “Companies must not only ensure they have robust mental health and wellbeing programmes in place, but that their leaders are tending to their own mental health, fostering open conversations with their teams, and helping to reduce stigma in the workplace.”
UK: Prison yoga
UK: Prison yoga
Laura Vilutis, a prison officer in Derbyshire, has been helping inmates experience the benefits of yoga at HMP Foston Hall, a women’s jail of 250 offenders. Speaking to The Derby Telegraph recently she said yoga had proved a valuable way of supporting prisoners to overcome trauma and that she had seen big improvement in behaviour among some inmates as a result. “A lot of our prisoners have had violent relationships in the past so we try and have a different approach,” she was quoted as saying by the newspaper online. “I do a trauma-informed yoga course that has gone down well — they love it.”
Australia: Masterchef, cricket… and yoga
What have Masterchef, cricket and yoga all got in common? They’re three of the main things that connect India with Australia, according to Indian PM Narendra Modi, who was in Sydney recently. “Cricket is something which has kept us connected for ages,” he was quoted as saying by Indian press. He also cited tennis and movies among other ‘connecting bridges’ between the two nations. “Our lifestyles may be different but now yoga also connects us,” he added.
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
