An overview of…Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

Welcome

Welcome to our magical May issue, folks. With the summer

Contributors

A dedicated yoga practitioner and teacher from London

My secret place

This photograph was taken in a place called Ifton Meadows

N@maste

Love OM magazine and want to tell the world? Here’s your chance

YOGA CHANGED MY LIFE

Yoga has helped Kat Farrants through her most testing times

Floating away

An illuminated origami flotilla took to the water in London recently to celebrate all things mindfulness and wellbeing

WHAT’S YOUR AFFIRMATION?

An affirmation for prosperity, gratitude and embracing the richness of life

Flat pack yoga

Furniture store Ikea has just launched its first range for the modern yogi

Yoga & Aromatherapy

The month of May is a time of celebration, starting

Amazing spaces

Stylish and inspiring studio design ideas and interiors

Om loves

Beautiful things for beautiful people

Ecocentric style

Functional sportswear using fabrics that provide the highest level of comfort, breathability and support from Carrot Banana Peach

Planet yoga

Stories from around the weird and wonderful world of yoga

Subscribe today

For £36 (12 issues) and receive a Dr Teal’s Epsom Salt Soaking Solution worth £7.99

Yoga is for every body

Send us happy shots, fun pics, great asana (or bad

A MAT FOR ALL SEASONS

Victoria Jackson explains her growing yoga mat collection

Step Into Spring

Welcome to this short and sweet practice with Kirsty Norton to celebrate spring and get yourself feeling brilliant!

Competition

WIN A VIP London weekend with world-renowned spiritual master, healer, and humanitarian, Her Holiness Sai Maa worth £650 plus lots of additional prizes*

OM meets… Robin Watkins-Davis

Three years ago, Robin Watkins-Davis qualified as a yoga instructor, aged just 16, making her one of the youngest teachers in the country. Now at 19, she’s looking to help other teens and young people experience the same joys and benefits of yoga

Break up or make up

Love yoga? Or fallen out of love with it? Meg Jackson offers tips for striking the right balance

Yoga for FATIGUE

Three simple and accessible yoga tools to help you return to the peace within yourself.

Memory gloss

5 ways to boost your grey matter with yoga.

POWER UP

Strength train your way to a better yoga practice.

Drug addict to kundalini yoga teacher

Meet Tommy Legge, a former drug addict and convict, who’s now on a mission to spread love, peace and joy through yoga

MAN ON THE MAT: Handstand (for basketball fans!)

Aformer pro basketball player in Atlanta, Jason Anderson

The Manchester Scene:

Amazing teachers, amazing yoga and one amazing place

Joy Division

Kundalini yoga classes held at various locations in

The new order

It’s not hard to find fantastic yoga teachers in the Manchester area…here are four rocking to the city’s yoga vibe

High on yoga

If it’s kundalini yoga you’re looking for then look no further than High On Yoga, with a mix of classes serving the Manchester and regional communities

Hale yeah!

Rediscover your magic at the mighty InHale Yoga studio in Hale

The inner architect

Meet man on a mission, Mick Timpson, who runs social enterprise The Yoga Life Project to help raise Manchester’s happiness levels

Iyengar in Manchester

Looking for the authentic Iyengar experience in Manchester? Well, you’re in luck: just head to the Manchester & District Institute of Iyengar Yoga, one of the country’s oldest Iyengar hubs

Some like it hot

Located outside Preston, a drive northwest from Manchester, Trybe Hot Yoga is a welcome new addition to the region’s Iyengar in hot yoga scene

Calm & creative

There’s plenty going on inside Prestwich’s Creative Calm yoga studio, a hidden gem perched above the high street

Time to ascend

Move to a higher level at Ascend Hot Yoga

WHY ARE WE HERE?

Finding the inspiration to live a life filled with meaning, purpose and joy.

Yoga daily healing

How to fully use the healing powers of yoga in everyday life.

Buddha cakes

Happiness-inspired cakes from Elizabeth Stewart, the mystical baker who uses meditation as her creative force in the kitchen

Chakras: an introduction Part 7 of 9 - ear chakras

Yoga therapist Sarah Swindlehurst continues a nine-month exploration of the chakras

THE EIGHTFOLD PATH OF YOGA PART ONE

A modern introduction to the eightfold path of yoga. Part one of three: ethical considerations ‘Yamas’ and personal observations ‘Niyamas’. By Elisabeth Vegter

LIFE IS A CHOICE

To be a ship with or without a rudder. Steering or being pulled along.

Eat drink yoga

Giving potatoes a run for their money, Nim’s Pear,

Food for thought

Healthy body, healthy mind: delicious, natural, healing recipes straight from the OM kitchen

Plant-based diets

From vegetarian and vegan to pescatarian there are a number of diets that fall under a broad ‘plant-based’ umbrella.

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN

A valuable lesson from a father and daughter on how we must stand together.

TEEN SPIRIT

Why do teens do yoga? Veronica Greene asks a group of teenagers from one of her classes what brings them back to the mat

OM: A whole new meaning of the word

Joanne Morgan describes how yoga is getting her through her battle with Ocular Melanoma (OM), a rare eye cancer

Rachel’s story

Rachel Lett, 27, has Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and uses hot yoga to help her through the illness

My Yoga Biz

Tips from the experts to help you grow the yoga business of your dreams.

IS 200 HOURS REALLY ENOUGH?

Michelle Nicklin explores plans to introduce 250 hours as the minimum requirement for all new trainees

Who are you without asana?

What if you could not practice or teach asana? Is it still yoga?

Om books

Writing with the same warmth, clarity and humour that

OM Travel

Awe-inspiring retreats and ideas for yoga explorers

A place of sanctuary

Transformational yoga retreat for younger women on active breast cancer treatment