Constant notifications, phone messages, ever updated video, image and text content. The barrage of information and data we are exposed to every day creates an information overload of epic proportions. A study by UC San Diego found that the average American person processed around 34GB of information and 100,000 words daily (1). Here's the interesting bit: the study was written in 2008!
2008! We all know how much data availability and our consumption of data has increased since then. To put it into context: the iPhone 3G was released in 2008, and the UCSD research relied on data taken from watching television. Researchers estimated that the data consumption growth rate between 1980 and 2008 was 5.4%/year. If we extrapolate this trend to 2024 even without taking into account the factual increase in availability of data via smartphones and internet, we can assume that our daily data consuption in 2024 is now almost 79GB/day - or 17.5 HD movies a day!
Okay, I have to let that sink in for a minute.
Even just thinking about this overwhelms my mind. No wonder I feel like my brain cannot take any more some days. Do you feel the same? All this data and processing makes it hard to focus or find peace.
Running a yoga studio for slower yoga for years has shown me that there is a great need for slowing down, for taking a step back. Whilst the studio is sadly gone, my new business offers a way to step back from these stresses by providing the chance to unplug and recharge, allowing your mind and body to find balance again.
Imagine this: You come to a yoga class and pause in a quiet, supportive environment, deeply relaxing and resetting for both body and mind. Engage in slow, gentle yoga practices, allowing your nervous system to settle and your mind to clear. Get in touch with your body’s and mind's needs, helping to release tension and build resilience against the pressures of everyday life. Think candles, a darkened room, gentle aromatherapy. Few words, quiet touch. If partying into the night is your jam, this may not be for you.
Personal stories highlight the power of yoga. I had many messages from students that have told me how Unwind yoga helped them overcome years of anxiety and chronic conditions, dependencies, unhealthy life choices. Yoga allowed them to explore new ways to manage stress and listen to their bodies' signals. One likened it to water becoming calm when left undisturbed.
Calm when left undisturbed - beautiful!
Your mind really can find stillness when given space. This simple, quiet time helps to build a toolkit for managing stress and finding peace.
There is so much anecdotal evidence about yoga being helpful for body and mind, but science has been interested, too. Research supports the benefits of yoga. Studies show that yoga helps with reductions in blood pressure and weight, as well as better sleep and less anxiety, chronic pain, and other health challenges, with students feeling happier and healthier.
I am designing a new class style with the years of experience of practicing, learning and teaching yoga, meditation and mindfulness, a class to offer a fresh perspective on life.
Stephen Cope, director of Kripalu’s Institute for Extraordinary Living, notes that deep experiences don’t change our lives so much as they shift how we view them, opening up new possibilities (3). Time away helps you hear your inner wisdom, guiding your choices about where to focus your energy and time.
The demands of modern life continue to grow. 2025 will bring more data, more information, more distraction. Yoga provides a much-needed space for recalibration. My classes are not just an escape as I don't believe that escaping is the answer. Practicing resilience and coping techniques is a better response to stress.
Yoga helps you renew your mind, body, and spirit, to reconnect with what truly matters to you, to reset, regain balance and find a clearer path for what lies ahead.
Sources:
(1) Bohn, Roger E., and James E. Short. How Much Information? : 2009 Report on American Consumers. University of California, San Diego, Global Information Industry Center, 2009.
(2) Cohen MM, Elliott F, Oates L, Schembri A, Mantri N. Do Wellness Tourists Get Well? An Observational Study of Multiple Dimensions of Health and Well-Being After a Week-Long Retreat. J Altern Complement Med. 2017 Feb;23(2):140-148. doi: 10.1089/acm.2016.0268. Epub 2017 Jan 9. PMID: 28068147; PMCID: PMC5312624.
(3) Stephen Cope, 2012: https://kripalu.org/resources/can-i-live-fulfilled-life
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