I have no idea exactly how many yoga clubs there are in Moscow. According to this site, there should be at least 270. The so-called “non-traditional” practices were popular even before 1991, but the surge of interest that followed was quite bewildering. Yoga, Pilates, cigun, as well as Buddhist meditations – this is just a handful of non-Christian practices that attract followers of all sexes and ages.
What was hard to see was a public meditation. There is a club in Manchester, for instance, that regularly organises such events, but you also have naked bike rides, Manchester Run, etc. Can you then imagine a Muscovite, fresh from different political marches, to come upon a scene like in the photo below? To me, it was practically a culture shock!
 |
| Yoga in Public in Chistye Prudy |
 |
| Practising Yoga in Moscow |
 |
| #ClimbAbai |
One thing you may notice is that the Guru (or whoever is the guy who sits in front of the other two) is speaking a lot. I don’t know if this is a custom, or maybe he was saying something his disciples were supposed to contemplate. I must add, though, that on a fairly hot evening when lots of people were walking in Chistye Prudy Boulevard it would be hard to concentrate on anything, so well done to the guys!
By the way, the group sat a stone’s throw away from the now famous Abai monument.