Kate Hennessy : Freelance Writer

Observe all the men huffing and puffing in gyms today and it’s clear many are just as concerned about body image as women are believed to be. But could the activities lots of men enjoy, like weight-training or high-impact sports, have a perfect counterbalance in yoga? Yoga experts say ‘yes’. They also list reduced stress, deeper emotional insight, better life balance and less ego-related conflicts and worries as major benefits for men as well as greatly increased flexibility and strength. Sounds like the making of a dream man, right?

But men are much less likely to do yoga than women: around 90% of Australian yoga participants are women. Ironic, considering yoga was originally practiced in India exclusively by men.

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Wellbeing Magazine, January 2011

In a sparse, working-class home in Calgary, Canada, a mother is feeding formula to her newborn baby. ‘It’s best for the baby’. The mother is 20-years-old and this is her third child, a girl named Sherry. It’s 1967 and the formula is still laced with monosodium glutamate (MSG). Her first two babies were breastfed and later she returns to breastfeeding for her fourth. It’s cheaper that way.

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GATEWAY TO RUGGED DRAMA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S KIMBERLEY REGION, BROOME IS FULL OF COLOUR AND CHARM. EVEN WHEN IT’S WET DURING ‘THE DRY’.

Legend has it that a couple travelling from Darwin to Perth were once debating where to do their laundry. ‘Derby or Broome?’ they mused. Years after deciding on Broome, the two blow-ins are still there, happily ensnared by the laid-back lifestyle in the stunning Western Australian town.

The self-guided beach walk at Eco Beach

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During the Industrial Revolution, workers staring into the iron maw of machinery that did not fatigue, responded by fighting for the eight-hour day. Underpinned by the belief that quality of life was best maintained by eight hours labour, eight hours rest and eight hours recreation, now the Information Revolution is infiltrating all three.

The internet and its glossy harem of mobile devices give us access to information and entertainment anytime, anyplace. They have delivered a knockout blow to previous ways of life. Those of us cynical of technology’s benefits are considered old-fashioned or – worse – ‘out of the loop’. But constant connectivity is shadowed by health and wellbeing concerns. These include stress, disturbed sleep, less dedicated family time, plummeting concentration skills, weight problems, eroded holidays and burnout. Still, we can’t get enough. Demand for iPhones grew by 230% in Australia last year and globally children spend more time online than ever.

Spinning like tops in the middle of all this convenience and connectivity – are we happier?

Susan Maushart decided to find out.

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First published in The Brag.

Following her U.S tour supporting Animal Collective last year, Portland-based ‘textural songwriter’ Grouper didn’t check to see if her MySpace site had spiked from playing a string of huge venues to sold-out crowds. “I have to admit I don’t know,” says Grouper, aka Liz Harris. “I don’t log onto MySpace anymore. I don’t really want to pay attention to that kind of thing.”

Liz Harris

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