My lunch date cancelled in the morning, at which point I knew I was about to make personal history that day =))

It would be the day when I visit the 14^th and final yoga studio in the Hallo Yoga book which was due to expire 2 days later – for those who don’t know, this book is a beautifully crafted guide and voucher book granting you one free entry in each of 14 studios in Zurich over 13 months.

I went to YogaNation for a Dynamic Yoga class with Béla which again confirmed to me how great it is to repurpose lunch and take a “real break” from the daily grind.

It was my first time in this really nice small studio just by Bellevue. We were 6 in the class, and I reckon maximum capacity is 10 mats, so it’s certainly a very intimate atmosphere. There’s a shop at the entrance, which I only photographed and didn’t browse through properly (see pics below) – I must say, it’s good Xmas present inspiration!

Béla guided us through a really refreshing 60-minute class, complete with mini vinyasa flows, welcome stretches for stiff office workers, balancing poses and short Kundalini sequences (my horror grrr) 🙂 He was kind, attentive and precise – and really funny when we did a twist that resonated in cracks all around the room: “We’re still quite crispy, aren’t we?” LOL

This class, coupled with the chat I had with Christian from ‘Hello Zurich‘ made me reflect on some “stats” on yoga practice in Zurich.

First of all, the gender ratio: Béla was the 3^rd male teacher I practiced with, and that in the 26^th studio I visited in this city! Quite shocking, especially when I think that back in Frankfurt I trained almost exclusively with male teachers.

Secondly, the age group concentration: I was asked in the interview whether mostly young people do yoga. I never seriously thought of the age group before, but upon reflection I had to confirm that ~80% of yogis are in the 25-to-34 age cluster. Which is sadly disproportionate! Béla did not belong to this age group and was a great demonstration that you can practice and teach at any age.

So back on my YogaNation mat, I was super happy my Hallo Yoga book enabled me to live, see and reflect on these differences.

There’s certainly still lots of hurdles to cross before truly popularizing yoga beyond social media feeds – even in the city of 70+ studios and countless teachers! – but each step ahead counts.

So why not take 14 steps in the next 13 months? Go for it!