How yoga changed a Hong Kong woman’s life and how she gives thanks by running free outdoor yoga classes

Janae Hagen seemed headed for a life of limited mobility after breaking her leg at the knee when she was young – then she discovered yoga.

“Yoga has kept me moving, quite literally. Before I started practising, I was fast-tracking towards a knee replacement by 30,” says the 28-year-old American. “It’s also a five-star stress reliever, especially in Hong Kong. I work a corporate job with the classic fun-yet-stressful combo of an unrelenting inbox and working across a dozen time zones.”

Hagen was certified as a yoga instructor in 2014 and began teaching. Moving to Hong Kong in digital marketing about 18 months ago, she began ad hoc community classes for friends last spring.

Word of Hagen’s free classes spread and recently she began regular sessions: two Sunday mornings a month, at Tamar Park in Admiralty. The vinyasa-style class is meant for all levels.

“People always tell me they don’t do yoga because they’re not flexible,” Hagen says. “I always laugh, because yoga is not designed exclusively for flexible people, it’s designed to help you find more flexibility in your body and mind.”