Today, June 21st, is International Yoga Day.
Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India, and the word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness.
These days, yoga is practised in various forms around the world, and continues to grow in popularity and reach.
Recognizing its universal appeal, the United Nations proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga back in 2014, and the idea of an International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states.
“Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition," said Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in his proposal to the UN.
"Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action ... a holistic approach [that] is valuable to our health and our well-being. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature.”
More important than ever
During the pandemic and lockdowns, more people than ever embraced yoga, as a way to stay healthy and rejuvenated and to fight social isolation and even anxiety. Y
This year, the theme of International Yoga Day is 'Yoga for Humanity' – a way, perhaps, to shed light on how yoga does not only mean balance within the body, but also balance in the human relationship with the world and our planet Earth. Yoga emphasizes the values of mindfulness, moderation, discipline and perseverance. When applied to communities and societies, Yoga offers a path to sustainable living.
Yoga wear has become mainstream
Over the past couple of years, faced with lockdowns and work-from-home orders, so many of us embraced athleisure as a dress code – all day every day. And want to know the best thing about athleisure going mainstrem? That so many amazing Irish brands have cropped up, offering gorgeous, functional and super-cute workout clothing and athleisure wear – and at far more afforadable prices than some of the more famous international brands too.
1. Powercut
Launched in November 2019, Bronagh McKay and Craig Mulhall launched Powercut in the aim to create and provide high-quality athleisure wear, primarily for women. The couple, who are parents to baby boy Finn, both have a deep-rooted interest in design and wanted to develop high-performance products, especially for people disillusioned at paying over the odds for below-par quality.
Their idea for a business came about when, after moving back from years living in Australia, Brónagh discovered it was a lot harder to find quality gymwear at a reasonable price here in Ireland.
Today, Powercut clothing is still designed in-house at their Dublin Offices and, working closely with partners across Turkey, China and Germany, the brand has grown exponentially in just over one year. This year, further expansion plans are on the cards to open up their mens apparel offering and further advances to their women's range.
2. GymGoddess
Behind Irish brand GymGodess is Phoebe McVey, a busy mum of two who has previous body building experience.
Between bodybuilding competitions and having babies, Phoebe’s weight fluctuated a lot and and it was at this point she came to recognise the need for premium yet affordable gym wear made for different shapes and sizes.
In 2019, GymGoddess Clothing was born, with the mission to make every woman feel comfortable and confident while working out – to feel like a Goddess.
And perhaps even more impressive than the clothing itself is the company’s commitment to the environment and sustainability.
All GymGoddess clothing has been sourced to the highest standards, with their manufacturers being among the top clothing suppliers in Asia, all material used complies with EU textile regulations, and the company’s main goal for 2022 is for all GymGoddess clothing to be made from sustainable materials.
Coupled with the fact that one tree is planted with every order, the brand can certainly be considered a green one.
3. Peachylean
At the age of 33, Sharon Keegan had a baby and subsequently struggled with postnatal depression.
Feeling the need to embark on something new, she then decided to go back to college and study Innovation and Entrepreneurship at University College Dublin.
This, Keegan reveals, helped her to not only overcome her anxiety and postnatal depression, but also compelled her to help other women who were going through similar experiences.
After designing and experimenting with multiple products, Keegan realised that her passion was in physical and mental wellbeing.
And having found huge solace in exercise throughout her most arduous times, she decided to create a product that she couldn’t find on the market: supportive, comfortable, excellent quality leggings that would not only support a woman’s shape, but would also help give them the confidence and self-esteem to move for their mind.
Sharon’s mission was simple, to help women to silence their inner critic, to stop holding themselves back and discover their true potential in life, and to ultimately love them 'Self.'
