Blog

Good news is in rather short supply these days, so it was heartening to read of the sprightly attempts to keep active on the part of residents at an old people's home.

Pensioners at an Australian home have reportedly taken up fencing to keep fit and entertained.

One 93-year old, Delores Kirby, told London paper www.metro.co.uk that "it's a challenge. I'm always a bit afraid of falling over."

Good on them - anything must be preferable to slowly wasting away, slumped and lifeless in a corner.

But I can't help feeling that some very gentle chair yoga may be a less, er, dangerous option that hobbling around precariously, brandishing swords.

Only last month, new research confirmed what may seem obvious - that simple yoga postures and breathing exercises can improve stability and balance in people over 65.

If the medical profession was clued up on how yoga and similar activities keeps the body supple and young, surely stories such as this would be too commonplace to make the headlines?

Lucia Cockcroft, editor

This week, health professionals and scientists, among others, will assemble in Geneva for the congress of the European Association for the Study of Obesity.

Obesity is never far from the headlines - astonishingly, a quarter of adults in the UK are now officially very overweight and this percentage seems to be rising inexorably.

A while ago, newspaper headlines screamed that the generation growing up today face a diminished lifespan for the first time in a century. The reason? Simply that we're eating the wrong food, and too much of it.

In our affluent, material-grabbing western world, we seem to have many of our priorities topsy-turvey - and over-consumption is one of the most dangerous trends in modern times.

Yogis have always extolled the benefits of healthy eating, and eating in moderation. Those living in an ashram, or yoga community, typically only have two meals a day, and yoga philosophy extolls the benefits of regular fasting.

The ancient yogis saw Fasting as a form of physical and mental cleansing, or purification. Fasting allows the body to renew and detoxify, they say, and a quick internet trawl will bring up a raft of websites preaching - some of them in a rather off-putting, evangelical way - about the benefits of the practice.

I am also an (inexperienced) fan of fasting - but only for a short time. I'm not sure I would have the nerve or staying power to go for a long time without food. As I write, I am just ending a mini, 24-hour fast. I last ate 22 hours ago almost to the minute - admittedly it was a substantial Sunday lunch, complete with two full courses.

I am hungry, but not unbearably so. Lunch-time is in a couple of hours, and I'll take care to have a snack, rather than a full-blown meal, when I do eat.

Meanwhile, I swear my stomach is a little flatter, and my body feels lighter - and actually this is probably true. There is something rather empowering about not eating for a short period of time, when food in abundance is available.

I am conscious of my tendency to eat too much, or sometimes when I'm not hungry - a common western habit and a tricky one to crawl out of.

So for me, fasting now and again for 24 hours is physically and emotionally healthy - it's a great way of standing back, scrutinising unhelpful habits and reminding myself of the pleasure and necessity of eating good food, in small quantities.

I wonder whether those nutritionists and scientists meeting this week to discuss our growing obesity crisis would agree.

Do you fast regularly? Or have you ever tried it? How has it been for you? I'd love to hear. Please log in and leave a comment.

Lucia Cockcroft, editor

Traditionalists bemoan the rise of yoga's celebrity association - but, like anything, there's a flip side to the coin.

This time, yoga bags are in the spotlight. Celebrity designed one-off yoga bags are on sale on eBay to raise money to help breast cancer sufferers in time for Mother's Day.

A group of celebrities, including Courtney Cox and Susan Sarandon, teamed up with cut crystal leader Swarovski to each design a crystal-encrusted yoga bag.

Bidding will go on through May 15, with proceeds going straight to the Libby Ross Breast Cancer Foundation.

Check out the designs here - I think they are rather pretty.

Lucia Cockcroft, editor

Compared to world cities such as New York, San Francisco and Hong Kong, London has lagged behind with its yoga studios.

There are a handful of really good centres - Yoga Place in Bethnal Green, Yoga Junction in Finsbury Park and Yoga Home in Stoke Newington - but little rivalling the sophistication and scope of celebrity haunt Triyoga.

Until now, that is. Last month (April) saw the opening of Alchemy - a plush new yoga and meditation centre carved from nineteenth century stables and described by the owners as "a magnificent space, blessed with expansive rooms and airy vaulted ceilings."

Interesting, there are two studios for two pretty different activities: as well as a Yoga Room, there's a dedicated meditation Cirlce Room, designed for inner reflection and quiet.

Where Alchemy really threatens to tread on Triyoga's toes is in its aim to become a central community for London yoga fans.

Until now, Triyoga has been the only London yoga studio to have a designated chill-out area in the form of a cafe. It's a pleasant, open (though sometimes noisy) space where people can chat between classes.

Alchemy's cafe and juice bar also intends to be a draw to yogis looking for some low key chilling and socialising - "Alchemy has created a setting in which people can come and feel comfortable to sit and relax and share with others", the website enthuses.

It's about time someone gave Triyoga a run for its money (and reputation) - some healthy yogic competition in the UK's yoga capital can only be a good thing.

The fact that Alchemy is based in Camden, only a mile or so down the road from Triyoga, could make the potential rivalry interesting to watch unfold.

I'll be visiting Alchemy soon and will report back in full!

www.alchemythecentre.co.uk

Have you been to Triyoga or Alchemy? Are you a fan of either? Do log in and leave a comment.

Lucia Cockcroft, editor

A piece in yesterday's Times bemoaned the rise of degree courses that 'skirt science', after a table of universities with 'pseudo-scientific degrees' was compiled.

Among them, an MA in Naad yoga (healing through music), an MSc in Ayurvedic medicine, and a BSc in aromatherapy and therapeutic body work.

It's easy to dismiss these softer courses as unscientific and therefore less worthy.

But this disregards the bigger picture. I'm not sure about Naad yoga (which I confess I've not come across before), but Ayurveda is one of the world's most ancient, complete and thorough sciences.

Doctors, who are also trained in Western medicine, take a thorough, holistic view of the whole person that's often far more complete and effective than a GP's prescription of a few aspirins after a two-minute 'consultation'.

Perhaps the inclusion of degree courses that take a well rounded, holistic view of health and wellbeing should be welcomed rather than scorned.

Meanwhile, take a look at this YouTube clip of Naad Yoga: