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Thread: Yoga

  1. #181
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    Diabetes study in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine

    Mind- and Body-Based Interventions Improve Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    Fatimata Sanogo, Keren Xu, Victoria K. Cortessis, Marc J. Weigensberg, and Richard M. Watanabe
    Published Online:7 Sep 2022https://doi.org/10.1089/jicm.2022.0586

    Aims/Hypothesis: Only 51% of patients with type 2 diabetes achieve the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) <7% target. Mind and body practices have been increasingly used to improve glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes, but studies show inconsistent efficacy. The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between mind and body practices, and mean change in HbA1c and fasting blood glucose (FBG) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

    Methods: The authors conducted a literature search of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov seeking through June 10, 2022, published articles on mind and body practices and type 2 diabetes. Two reviewers independently appraised full text of articles. Only intervention studies were included. Reviewers extracted data for meta-analysis. Restricted maximum likelihood random-effects modeling was used to calculate the mean differences and summary effect sizes. The authors assessed heterogeneity using Cochran's Q and I2 statistics. Funnel plots were generated for each outcome to gauge publication bias. Weighted linear models were used to conduct study-level meta-regression analyses of practice frequency.

    Results: The authors identified 587 articles with 28 meeting the inclusion criteria. A statistically significant and clinically relevant mean reduction in HbA1c of −0.84% (95% confidence interval [CI]: −1.10% to −0.58%; p < 0.0001) was estimated. Reduction was observed in all intervention subgroups: mindfulness-based stress reduction: −0.48% (95% CI: −0.72% to −0.23%; p = 0.03), qigong: −0.66% (95% CI: −1.18% to −0.14%; p = 0.01), and yoga: −1.00% (95% CI: −1.38% to −0.63%; p < 0.0001). Meta-regression revealed that for every additional day of yoga practice per week, the raw mean HbA1c differed by −0.22% (95% CI: −0.44% to −0.003%; p = 0.046) over the study period. FBG significantly improved following mind and body practices, with overall mean difference of −22.81 mg/dL (95% CI: −33.07 to −12.55 mg/dL; p < 0.0001). However, no significant association was found between the frequency of weekly yoga practice and change in FBG over the study period.

    Conclusions/Interpretation: Mind and body practices are strongly associated with improvement in glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. The overall mean reduction in HbA1c and FBG was clinically significant, suggesting that mind and body practices may be an effective, complementary nonpharmacological intervention for type 2 diabetes. Additional analyses revealed that the mean decrease in HbA1c was greater in studies requiring larger number of yoga practice sessions each week.

    Qigong-as-Medicine
    Yoga
    Gene Ching
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  2. #182
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    funny if you practice yoga...

    Police called to yoga class mistaken for ‘mass killing’
    A member of the public in Chapel St Leonards, Lincolnshire, called emergency services to report people lying on the floor
    Sammy Gecsoyler
    @SammyGecsoyler
    Thu 7 Sep 2023 12.05 EDT



    A yoga class was cut short after a member of the public called the police to report a “mass killing” after seeing several people lying on the floor.

    Participants in the class, which was being held at the Seascape cafe, inside the North Sea observatory in Chapel St Leonards, Skegness, Lincolnshire, were in the midst of meditation when officers turned up on Wednesday night.

    In a Facebook post, the cafe said someone had “reported a mass killing” after seeing people on the floor inside the building.

    They wrote: “If anyone heard the mass of police sirens in Chapel St Leonards at 9.30pm last night then please be reassured …

    “They were on their way to the observatory after someone had reported a mass killing in our building, having seen several people laying on the floor … which actually turned out to be the yoga class in meditation.

    “Thank you to Lincolnshire police for their prompt response. I can’t imagine for one moment what would have being going through their minds on the way.”

    The cafe regularly plays host to yoga classes in the evenings. The Facebook post added: “We are not part of any mad cult or crazy clubs.

    “All in all, this situation turned out positive and we are of course grateful.”

    The North Sea observatory has large, triangular windows that face the sea. A Facebook post on the cafe’s page says the venue holds New Moon yoga classes on Wednesdays from 7.30-9pm where you can feel “called to dive deep into the lunar cycle”. Pictures in the post show yoga mats next to the window.

    Lincolnshire police confirmed to the PA news agency that the call was made at 8.56pm “with good intentions”. A spokesperson said in a statement to PA: “A call was made following concerns for the occupants of the North Sea observatory, at Chapel St Leonards.

    “Officers attended, we’re happy to report everyone was safe and well.”
    Way to disrupt your sivasana.
    Gene Ching
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  3. #183
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    Weed yoga

    Is Weed Yoga Really Worth It? We Tried it and Found Out!
    LAST UPDATED: 09/26/2023

    IMG VIA JILLIAN PFENNIG
    Yogis across the country (and world) look to their yoga practice to allow them to reach enlightenment. With almost 50,000 yoga studios in the US, it’s a safe bet that you’ve tried yoga for a similar reason– whether as a form of body movement, meditation or mental health practice. But have you tried yoga under the influence of cannabis?

    The yoga community is split on whether cannabis is good for a yoga practice, but agreed that it’s ultimately a personal choice. I practice yoga often, especially restorative yoga, so I was interested in trying THC-infused yoga to see if it enhanced my experience the way some yogis claim it does. So, I attended a weed yoga event at The Artist Tree in West Hollywood, CA.


    Arriving at The Artist Tree in West Hollywood, CA for Weed Yoga

    The weed yoga event I attended took place at The Artist Tree in West Hollywood, CA. The dispensary has a dispensary on the bottom floor, a lounge on the second, and an event space on the third. We got there a half hour early to indulge in some cannabis treats before heading up to the third floor for yoga.

    Not knowing what to expect in the lounge, I was overwhelmed with the vast array of options. Their menu separated indica, sativa and CBD. They even had different devices such as bongs, gravity bongs, and vaporizers to rent for the optimum smoking experience– not to mention THC infused cocktails!

    Our server, Clay, was so knowledgeable and welcoming, and he complimented my adorable Old Navy outfit. Clay answered all of my questions and actually allowed me to mix the liquid cannabis into our cocktail myself. Liquid THC concentrate is the prime method used during weed yoga events.

    The THC cocktail was actually very good, and once mixed in, you couldn’t taste the concentrate. But would this actually help me connect mind, body and spirit?

    My Plus Size Experience at a Weed Yoga Event


    IMG VIA JILLIAN PFENNIG
    Heading up to the third floor we were offered another vial of liquid cannabis and it was up to us how we wanted to use it– add it to the cocktail we purchased, shoot it like a shot, or sip on it throughout the class. I decided to mix it into the delicious strawberry lemonade cocktail I was already drinking.

    Laid out on our mats, the instructor, Amy, began the yoga class. The small intimate class was definitely the right environment for this experimental weed yoga. As the experts say, “Yoga is a journey of the self”, and I was beginning to feel more relaxed and centered than before while sipping on my cocktail.

    Moving from pose to pose, I was definitely more in my body than my mind without needing to focus too much, which I attribute to the THC. My mind is always running a mile a minute, so when I normally practice yoga, it takes a lot for me to breathe out all of the distractions. But I 1000% didn’t have to work as hard to calm my mind as I usually do.

    After the first half of flow yoga, we moved into restorative yoga, which is something I’ve grown very accustomed to following my past surgeries. This is really where I felt the THC added to my yoga experience. Restorative yoga is all about holding poses for a long time and really allowing your body to breathe through the pose (unlike flow yoga, which is constantly moving).

    As someone always in their head, restorative yoga really challenged me to breathe life into my body as I lay in each pose, and not allow my mind to wander. The second half of the class is where I really felt the THC aid my yoga practice, as I didn’t have to constantly tell my mind to relax. I fell into it much quicker and didn’t find myself adrift as much. I was simply in my body and not my mind.

    As the class ended, we decided to hang out at the lounge for a bit longer. Artist Tree is not allowed to serve food in the lounge, so they are partnered with two places where you can order food to be delivered. We ate lunch and smoked the remainder of the joint we bought earlier while enjoying the post yoga feeling in our bodies. I don’t know if weed yoga will become a regular practice for me, but I did get an extra vial to take home and try it again!



    BY JILLIAN PFENNIG
    Jillian Pfennig (she/her) hasn't met an adventure she doesn't love. She is a writer, photographer, plus size model and traveler of the world.

    marijuana-tcm-!-!-!-!!

    Yoga
    Gene Ching
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  4. #184
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    Gregorian Bivolaru

    I was hypnotised, told to join orgies and given yoga guru's urine to drink at depraved sect: Cult 'victims' were also stripped naked at 16 and made to parade at sex beauty pageant
    Gregorian Bivolaru was arrested in Paris last Tuesday after years on the run
    By JAMES REYNOLDS
    PUBLISHED: 10:22 EST, 7 December 2023 | UPDATED: 11:18 EST, 8 December 2023

    Agnes Arabela Marques was only 15 when she met the leader of a controversial yoga sect accused of running an international tantric sex ring that used women as slaves.

    'At first he seemed nice,' she said of 71-year-old guru Gregorian Bivolaru, who was arrested last week in Paris after six years on the run on suspicion of rape, exploitation, kidnapping and people trafficking. 'He was very respected, speaking with a very calm voice.'

    But things soon took a sinister turn. Bivolaru invited the young Marques to his home and pressured her into performing lesbian sex acts with dozens of other women, before having sex with the yogi himself - presented as her initiation into tantric yoga.

    Within a year, aged 16, Marques was one of around 300 women parading naked at a 'Miss Shakti' beauty pageant on the Black Sea, with some even masturbating on stage in front of thousands of onlookers.

    Former members of Bivolaru's so-called Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute (MISA) have since described the horror of being held in overcrowded houses in the suburbs of Paris where they were shown pornography, hypnotised, encouraged to take part in orgies and given the guru's urine to drink.

    The terrifying sect saw dozens of women held in 'deplorable conditions' over a period of nearly two-decades before the raid last week, a multinational effort to bring the guru to justice.


    Agnes Arabela Marques was only 15 when she met 71-year-old guru Gregorian Bivolaru


    Romanian guru Gregorian Bivolaru is escorted to a vehicle, after a hearing at the Romanian Police headquarters in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Aug 24, 2016

    The year was 1999 and Marques, a dual Romanian-Portuguese national, had just followed her older sister from a small town in Romania to the capital Bucharest to join Bivolaru's Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute (MISA) yoga school.

    The school, one of the first in a network that eventually spread to over 30 countries, taught tantric yoga, a practice loosely based on an ancient Hindu philosophy about achieving liberation through sex, among other rituals.

    Any misgivings Marques had about the school's teachings were allayed by the fact that among the students were 'important people' like doctors and lawyers.

    'I told myself I had nothing to worry about,' she said.

    Bivolaru soon inducted Marques, then a minor, taking her to his home and pressuring her into sex acts. She believed it was part of an initiation ritual, the start of her spiritual journey.

    'We were told the sexual act with the guru was a consecration, that it was approved by God,' she said, but Bivolaru nonetheless warned her 'not to say anything' about how she lost her virginity.

    'Bivolaru claimed that, if I had sex with him as a yoga master, I could achieve superior levels of tantric spirituality,' she explained. 'In his apartment, there were constantly girls that were there to have sex with him.

    'The girls living in that apartment would spend a few days or even a few weeks there and afterwards their place would be taken by other girls.

    'This way Bivolaru wanted to ensure the so-called 'avalanche state'. In order to keep sexual desire alive, he said it was not good to live with your partner for too long.'

    'Gregorian Bivolaru was interested in an Indian myth that said you could get to a high spiritual level if you had sex with 1,000 virgin girls. He knew the age of each girl he had sex with because he received photos from his yoga students and the date of birth was written on the back.'


    The women freed today had been 'kept in deplorable conditions' both in terms of space and hygiene, a source said

    For two decades this continued to run the sect out of safehouses in multiple European countries. For years, the 'MISA' school stayed in the crosshairs of judicial authorities in Romania, Sweden and France, a source close to the investigation says, as it continued to bring together hundreds if not thousands of members.

    The movement became known for its bizarre rituals called yoga spirals, in which devotees would gather and hold hands in order depending on their zodiac sings.

    Women were also encouraged 'to agree to participate in fee-paying pornographic practices in France and abroad', a source said.

    Women paid for yoga workshops via sex chats and men paid through manual work, a judicial source told Afp. The workshops were 'clearly exclusively dedicated to the satisfaction of the main suspect's desires,' the source said.

    French police were finally able to move in and arrest Bivolaru in a house in Ivry-sur-Seine near Paris on Tuesday.

    More than 50 women were found, being kept in 'deplorable conditions' between two overcrowded houses in the greater Paris suburbs.

    They included nationals of Romania, Argentina, Germany, Belgium and the United States.

    The police said the women had been 'freed from a sect' and that they found sex toys, pornographic material and photos of Bivolaru.

    At the guru's own home in the southeastern Paris suburb of Ivry-sur-Seine they also found over 200,000 euros ($215,000) in cash, pornography and fake identity documents.

    Ashleigh Freckleton, a 31-year-old Australian woman who joined a MISA ashram in Romania in 2018, took part in one of the French 'initiation rituals'.

    On arrival in Paris, she was taken with a group of other mostly foreign women to a house in the Paris suburbs with all the blinds drawn, where they were shown pornography, hypnotised and encouraged to take part in orgies.

    Her passport and telephone were confiscated, she told AFP in a phone interview.

    The women were also given Bivolaru's urine to drink but Freckleton pulled up short at having sex with a man presented as 'an enlightened being'.

    'I knew I needed to get out,' she told AFP.


    MISA was kicked out of the International Yoga Federation and the European Yoga Alliance in 2008 because its commercial practices were judged to be 'illicit'


    On its official website, yogaesoteric, the group describes itself as the 'largest yoga school in Romania and in Europe' and Bivolaru as its 'spiritual mentor'

    In 2004, he fled Romania, where he was being investigated for sex with minors, for Sweden, where he obtained political asylum.

    In 2013, a Romanian court condemned him in absentia to six years in prison but he avoided arrest until 2016 when he was arrested in France and handed over to Bucharest.

    Within a year he was free, after securing early release, but was immediately the target of an Interpol search warrant after complaints from several Finnish women, who claimed they were forced to have sex with him in Paris.

    It took six years before French police caught up with him last week and placed him in preventive custody, along with five other suspects.

    A French human rights group has collected statements from 12 of his former followers alleging abuse.

    One French judicial source told AFP that MISA, also known as ATMAN, taught tantric yoga with the aim of 'conditioning victims to accept sexual relations via mental manipulation techniques which sought to eliminate any notion of consent'.

    Women were pressured both to have sex with Bivolaru and 'to agree to participate in fee-paying pornographic practices in France and abroad'.

    One investigator said the group was 'reminiscent of the mafia' with 'pimping disguised as philosophy'.

    MISA denies wrongdoing, telling CNN Bivolaru had not founded Atman (the international name for the school) nor taught yoga since 1995.
    Yoga
    This is inappropriate here but I'm posting it anyway - health-benefits-of-urine
    Gene Ching
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  5. #185
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    Anxiety and Yoga, Tai Chi & Qigong

    Yoga-based interventions may reduce anxiety symptoms in anxiety disorders and depression symptoms in depressive disorders: a systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression
    http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1332-4544Javier Martínez-Calderon1,2, María Jesús Casuso-Holgado1,2, Maria Jesus Muñoz-Fernandez2,3, http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2621-2098Cristina Garcia-Muñoz2,4, Alberto Marcos Heredia-Rizo1,2
    Correspondence to Dr Cristina Garcia-Muñoz, Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Faculty ofNursing and Physiotherapy, University of Cadiz, Cadiz, CP 11009, Spain; cristina.garciamunoz@uca.es
    BMJ Learning - Take the Test

    Abstract
    Objective To summarise the effect of mind–body exercises on anxiety and depression symptoms in adults with anxiety or depressive disorders.

    Design Systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression.

    Data sources Five electronic databases were searched from inception to July 2022. Manual searches were conducted to explore clinical trial protocols, secondary analyses of clinical trials and related systematic reviews.

    Eligibility criteria Randomised clinical trials evaluating qigong, tai chi or yoga styles with anxiety or depression symptoms as the outcomes were included. No intervention, waitlist or active controls were considered as control groups. The risk of bias and the certainty of the evidence were assessed. Meta-analyses, meta-regressions and sensitivity analyses were performed.

    Results 23 studies, comprising 22 different samples (n=1420), were included. Overall, meta-analyses showed yoga interventions were superior to controls in reducing anxiety symptoms in anxiety disorders. Furthermore, yoga-based interventions decreased depression symptoms in depressive disorders after conducting sensitivity analyses. No differences between groups were found in the rest of the comparisons. However, the certainty of the evidence was judged as very low for all outcomes due to concerns of high risk of bias, indirectness of the evidence, inconsistency and imprecision of the results. In addition, there was marked heterogeneity among yoga-based interventions and self-reported tools used to evaluate the outcomes of interest.

    Conclusion Although yoga-based interventions may help to improve mental health in adults diagnosed with anxiety or depressive disorders, methodological improvements are needed to advance the quality of clinical trials in this field.

    PROSPERO registration number CRD42022347673.
    Yoga
    Tai-Chi-as-medicine
    Qigong-as-Medicine
    Gene Ching
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  6. #186
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    BLACKPINK in your area

    BLACKPINK's Jisoo is the New Face of Alo Yoga
    Each product has been independently selected by our editorial team. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.


    Alo Yoga

    By ETonline Staff
    Published: 7:10 PM PST, January 17, 2024
    Jisoo is the newest ambassador for Alo Yoga, starring in the brand's new Spring 2024 collection campaign.

    BLACKPINK‘s Jisoo is the new face of Alo Yoga, fronting the brand’s Spring 2024 collection. Unveiled on January 17, Alo's line for the upcoming spring season features a range of items in the brand’s new spring color drops. For the campaign, Jisoo sports a mix of Alo Yoga's core styles and yet-to-be released spring pieces.

    “This partnership with Alo felt like the perfect match because my health and wellness have always been a priority for me. I love to move whenever I have the time, especially with Yoga and Pilates,” says the K-pop star in a press release.

    Shop the Alo x Jisoo Spring 2024 Collection

    The new Spring 2024 collection ranges from $24 to $348, and includes styles that can be worn as fashionable winter running gear, cozy loungewear, and ultra-stylish everyday outfits. From the quintessential Airlift High Waist leggings in a new mulberry color to a snow-ready puffer jacket and even a puffer mini skirt, both the campaign and collection put an emphasis on comfort.

    Jisoo has often been seen sporting the Los Angeles athletic brand's clothes, so this partnership may not surprise BLINKS. The singer and actor will be the face for the brand’s entire spring 2024 collection, which plans to have a series of drops throughout the year. Styles are already selling out fast, so we recommend hurrying to snag these trendy pieces for yourself.
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  7. #187
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    Beyond Yoga

    Former CEO of Athleta to lead Levi’s Beyond Yoga as co-founder exits
    Marianne Wilson
    Editor-in-Chief
    1/19/2024


    Beyond Yoga operates six stores, with its newest (above) in Chicago.

    A Gap Inc. veteran has been tapped to lead a growing athletic and lifesyle apparel brand.

    Beyond Yoga has named Nancy Green, former president and chief executive of Athleta, as CEO effective Feb. 1. She will succeed co-founder Michelle Wahler, who is stepping down from the role.

    Beyond Yoga said that Green will lead the company as it looks to scale “its continued growth and expansion” within the Levi Strauss & Co. brand portfolio. The denim giant acquired Beyond Yoga in 2021 as part of its strategy to tap into the lucrative activewear market and diversify its portfolio. The brand contributed nearly $100 million to Levi’s net fiscal year 2022 revenue.

    In addition to Wahler, COO and CFO Jesse Adams, who has been with the company for more than a decade and was instrumental in its success, also will be stepping down, the company said.

    Established in 2005 as a premium, wholesale-focused brand promoting body positivity, Beyond Yoga is female-founded, female-run and nearly 90% female-led. The brand opened its first physical store in 2022, in Santa Monica, Calif., and has since expanded to five other locations, with its newest in the Fulton Market district of Chicago.

    "We set out to develop a brand that honors real women’s bodies, and I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished with Beyond Yoga,” said Wahler. “I always believed that Beyond Yoga could be a $1 billion brand, and with Nancy’s experience, I look forward to seeing how she takes our vision into the future.”

    In a statement, Levi’s president and CEO Chip Bergh said that, under Wahler’s leadership, Beyond Yoga has grown from an idea to a nearly $100 million omnichannel retailer.

    “I want to thank Michelle for her leadership and for integrating Beyond Yoga into the LS&Co. portfolio,” he added.

    Incoming Beyond Yoga CEO Green served as president and CEO of Athleta from 2013 to 2019. During her tenure, the company’s revenues grew from $250 million to nearly $1 billion, with operating margin significantly growing and its store network expanding from 39 to 175 stores.

    From 2019 to 2022, Green was president and CEO of Old Navy, where she oversaw the brand’s growth from $8 to $9 billion, with significant growth in activewear. She also held several other executive positions within Gap over the course of her career, along with a four-year stint at Pottery Barn.

    Green has served on boards that include Marine Layer, Allbirds and the National Retail Federation, and is on the advisory board of Lily AI. She is a senior advisor at the Center for Equity, Gender and Leadership at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

    “We have arrived at a natural inflection point for this incredible brand, and as we pursue the next stage of growth, we believe Nancy has the experience to fully unlock the potential of Beyond Yoga by leveraging her impressive retail expertise and LS&Co.'s extensive global resources and capabilities,” said Michelle Gass, Levi’s president and incoming CEO.

    Beyond Yoga is poised for further expansion through increased direct-to-consumer channels, including brick-and-mortar, category growth and an enhanced wholesale footprint. The brand will continue to operate as a standalone division within Levi, maintaining its core ethos while leveraging the company’s resources to expand its reach and impact.

    “As a purpose-driven leader, I’m inspired by the fact that Beyond Yoga stands for more than just comfort and performance; the brand has created an inclusive, body-positive community that celebrates diversity and giving back,” said Green. I’m committed to staying true to these values as we continue to build this community and scale this brand for its next chapter of growth.”
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  8. #188
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    white women aesthetic

    Young women in China abandon traditional beauty standards to ‘imitate’ Western habits like wearing yoga pants, eating ‘white people’s food’
    Growing numbers of young mainland women seek more relaxed lifestyle
    Online observers say copying Western ways is not always possible in China
    Yating Yang
    in Beijing
    Published: 2:00pm, 9 Feb, 2024


    Increasing numbers of young women in China have latched onto a growing trend which has been dubbed “white women aesthetic” on mainland social media, in which they mimic Western lifestyle choices. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

    Young women in China are abandoning traditional beauty standards and mimicking Western lifestyle choices by eating healthy “white people’s food” and copying their clothing choices.

    Females across the country are shunning patriarchal norms as China witnesses the rise of a new trend which has been dubbed “white women aesthetic.”

    It reflects a growing desire to embrace a more relaxed lifestyle and a desire to attain middle-class status, according to a report by Huxiu.com.

    The phrase “white women aesthetic” recently emerged as a buzzword on the Xiaohongshu social media platform, accompanied by the slogan – “Question white women, understand white women, become white women” which is gaining currency online.

    The lifestyle switch is characterised by Lululemon yoga pants, Stanley thermos and “white people’s food” which is considered to be healthy.


    Yoga pants and yoghurt have emerged as a central component of the new lifestyle phenomenon. Photo: QQ.com

    Women are being drawn to a range of products, from tank tops and yoga pants to backpacks and thermos, indicating a shift towards a more relaxed and comfortable way of life.

    Central to the food component of the trend is the yoghurt bowl.

    This involves filtering Greek yoghurt overnight to create a dry and thick yoghurt cube, then combining it with nuts, cereals and low-sugar fruits like blueberries, creating a dish rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and fats.

    The “white women aesthetic” first gained popularity on Western social media.

    Influencers in the US frequently share their daily routines on TikTok, showcasing their lives in tidy, luminous houses where they often start their day drinking water from a Stanley thermos, dress in popular influencer-branded outfits, make lattes on pricey kitchen countertops and prepare bowls of yoghurt and oatmeal.

    Fitness blogger Da Mengli was among the first influencers in China to popularise yoghurt bowls on Douyin, inspiring others like Juanzi to follow suit.

    Da Mengli often wears tank tops to show off her muscles in her home, which has under-floor heating, while Juanzi’s similar style tops expose non-toned shoulders and her cold, unheated home in southern China.

    While in Da Mengli’s videos she is seen standing up while eating in a Western-style marble kitchen, Juanzi can be seen in plastic slippers while doing the same.

    However, one online observer pointed out some problems with the new aesthetic.


    However, some online observers say different living conditions and dietary habits in China can make adapting to the “white women aesthetic” difficult. Photo: Shutterstock

    “In a shared apartment, it’s impossible to replicate the feel of a suburban villa. A worker with a monthly salary of 8,000 yuan (US$1,120) can’t wake up at 6am for skincare and exercise.

    “This is especially the case when they need to catch the early subway. Also, eating oatmeal yoghurt bowls every meal would upset a Chinese stomach.”

    A third person said: “So many people don’t really know what lifestyle they truly enjoy, they just follow trends blindly.”


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