{"id":180884,"date":"2025-06-13T10:51:29","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T10:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/180884\/"},"modified":"2025-06-13T10:51:29","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T10:51:29","slug":"the-women-behind-the-yoga-picnic-on-why-its-not-just-about-the-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/180884\/","title":{"rendered":"The women behind The Yoga Picnic on why it’s not just about the exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Three yoga devotees have joined forces for what has developed to be quite the energetic business venture \u2013 and have opened up to Styled By on what makes it so special.<\/p>\n

The Yoga Picnic \u2014 Ireland\u2019s award-winning yoga festival \u2014 is back, blending tranquil vibes with serious style. This isn\u2019t just yoga; it\u2019s an experience that redefines relaxation while turning heads with its chic, yoga-ready ensembles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Picture stunning views of Lilliput House overlooking Lough Ennell, tents pitched to perfection, and a community ready to twist, stretch, and find their inner calm.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Galway sisters Katy and Alice Harrison along with Westmeath yoga teacher Mary Gardiner are set to host the fourth iteration next month, and chatted to us about just what it \u2013 and they \u2013 are all about.<\/p>\n

The Westmeath-based trio have been staunch advocates for the benefits of the ancient art of yoga for decades with Alice first picking up the craft over 25 years ago with Katy following suit in 2012 \u2013 whilst Mary has been practicing yoga for 15 years and has been teaching for the past decade.<\/p>\n

\u2018So we came up with the idea of setting up The Yoga Picnic \u2014 originally, it was going to be a simple gathering of a few people doing yoga together and a little picnic together afterwards.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2018But, being Ireland, we\u00a0 quickly realised we would\u00a0 need some tents just in case the weather didn\u2019t play ball. So once we had tents, we decided to add a few more elements to make the most of the space, and in the first year, we welcomed 120 people,\u2019 said.<\/p>\n

The two sisters, who joined us for the shoot at the festival\u2019s venue, can trace the roots of their yoga beginnings right back to their father, Jack Harrison, who is something of a seminal figure on the Irish yoga scene.<\/p>\n

\u2018Our dad Jack began practising yoga in the 1970s in San Francisco,\u2019 explained Katy.<\/p>\n

Jack is also principal author of a seminal book on the parallels between yoga and the Celtic world and he has recorded three acclaimed albums of yoga music<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2018<\/strong>Yoga is important to all of us for so many reasons. Mentally, it gives us space to take time for ourselves, to slow down and reconnect. It supports us in lots of different areas of life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018A huge part of our drive is the belief that yoga can help prevent mental health issues \u2014 not just support people who are struggling, but actually help people build the tools to stay well,\u2019 said Katy.<\/p>\n

And while yoga is practised best when practised diligently, the three girls are equally serious about wanting to inject the lighter side of yoga life into their picnic.<\/p>\n

\u2018We want people to come and not just enjoy the day, but leave feeling like they\u2019ve learned something that can ripple out into their daily lives. We also love the sense of community and connection that naturally forms through yoga, and The Yoga Picnic really encapsulates that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2018It brings people together to share an incredible day of learning, connecting, and just enjoying being in each other\u2019s company. It\u2019s all the reasons we love yoga \u2014 mental health, physical health, connection, community, wellbeing.\u2019<\/p>\n

The event has grown from strength to strength and is now Ireland\u2019s largest and only award-winning yoga festival. It has grown into a festival of international standards and welcomes teachers and attendees from all over the world, such as the USA, South Africa, France, India and the UK.<\/p>\n

But beginners need not feel daunted as all are welcome \u2013 and there\u2019s even kid-friendly activities planned.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a beautiful day out for families,\u2019 Katy added. \u2018We have children\u2019s yoga, forest yoga, laughter yoga, family yoga, face painting, and loads of fun, creative activities designed especially for kids. It\u2019s a space where people of all ages\u2014young and old, men and women, families and solo visitors\u2014can come and feel included.\u2019<\/p>\n

Time to get pracitising our downward dogs\u2026<\/p>\n

STYLE NOTES<\/p>\n

Yogi Girl<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The best yoga clothing must be many things \u2013 comfortable, stretchy, supportive, sweat-wicking and sturdy. Yoga apparel must have the ability to move with you during ashtanga yoga, so as not to\u00a0 restrict your flow, whilst simultaneously stay in place to avoid distracting slips during meditative yoga.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

So when considering the best gear to get your yoga on it is functionality over fashion. But that said, the sheer abundance of choice means that it\u2019s not an \u201ceither or\u201d situation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So when choosing both a stylish and comfortable yoga outfit, consider high-waisted leggings and a fitted top like the Trendy & Bendy sage leggings with a white tee or black tank top.\u00a0 Loungewear can also be a fashionable choice, offering both comfort and style. Choose clothes that are not too tight, allow for ease of movement, and are made from moisture-wicking fabrics.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Keep it simple but also keep it chic. The basic yoga bag should comprise at least two basics: a good sports bra and some soft-but-supportive leggings. <\/p>\n

And while it has been said that how we dress when doing any form of workout is immaterial, the opposite has proved to be \u2013 with research suggesting how we dress impacts our psychology and can prove a performance boost.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wellington Cutes<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It\u2019s summer in Ireland and that can mean only one guaranteed style staple, the wellington boot.<\/p>\n

Bit just how did the farmers\u2019 favourite become a cultural footwear phenomenon?<\/p>\n

Who can forget those iconic images of\u00a0 Kate Moss when she pitched up at Glastonbury Festival\u00a0in 2005? <\/p>\n

The supermodel was photographed sporting a black waistcoat, tiny Daisy Duke shorts, and\u00a0a pair of muddy wellies by posh brand Hunter. The look became an iconic symbol of\u00a0 festival chic leading to other fashionistas like Alexa Chung and Florence Welch copying\u00a0 Moss and rocking the rain boot with a dizzying array of clothes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Who can forget those iconic images of\u00a0 Kate Moss at Glastonbury when she pitched up at Glastonbury Festival\u00a0 in\u00a0 2005, the supermodel was photographed sporting a black suit vest worn as a top, teeny\u2014weeny Daisy Duke denim shorts, and\u00a0 a pair of muddy, below-the-knee Wellington boots by Hunter. The look became an instant iconic\u00a0 symbolic of\u00a0 festival chic leading to others fashionista like Alexa Chung and Florence Welch,\u00a0 copying\u00a0 Moss and rocking the rain boot with a dizzying array of clothes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Steele Her Style<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Helen Steele is making waves at Dunnes Stores, with her latest striking collection of movement-led activewear.<\/p>\n

Steele has long since been lauded for her vibrant sports ranges and her most recent \u2013 Hit The Trail \u2013 is inspired by summer adventures with exercise-ready pieces in her signature vibrant hues, which include sugary shades of pink, bold blues and pops of tangerine, green and black.<\/p>\n

SHOT ON LOCATION AT LILIPUTT HOUSE WESTMEATH
PHOTOGRAPHY\u00a0BY EVAN DOHERTY\u00a0
MAKEUP BY SARAH O\u2019BRIEN
HAIR BY JESSICA DOWDALL<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Three yoga devotees have joined forces for what has developed to be quite the energetic business venture \u2013…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":180885,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4322],"tags":[1630,105,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-180884","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114675678640883527","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180884"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180884\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/180885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}