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TRY: Virtual Yoga

Now more than ever, it’s important to make time for a bit of zen. Some of us achieve this by sweating it out in the gym, going for long walks or finding time in nature – all of which are pretty hard to do at the moment. The good news is a number of Melbourne yoga studios have started streaming their classes online, giving us a way to move, unwind and connect with the community from the comfort of our own homes. Whether you’re looking to restore balance, improve flexibility or master a ‘formidable face pose’ (google it), we’ve compiled a list of studios that will guide you through it in an approachable, enjoyable way.

I Am That Yoga
This Collingwood studio is committed to making Yoga more accessible – no pretentiousness or exclusivity here. For $9 a week enjoy access to live classes streamed daily as well as a huge back log of pre-recorded content. There’s even kids yoga for the little ones.

Good Vibes Yoga
A Melbourne yogi institution, Good Vibes Yoga are known for being the best of the best. They’re currently streaming short classes and meditations on their website for free. Be sure to check out the stunning studio in the background.

Humming Puppy
Humming Puppy in Armadale are currently offering three full yoga classes online or unlimited classes for $15 a month. A low hum can be heard in the background of every video – this is meant to ground you and optimise your experience.

One Hot Yoga
Starting with a five day free trial, South Yarra’s One Hot Yoga is offering a range of online classes suited to all skill levels. If you’re super serious about honing your practice, they even offer one on one private classes.

Universal Practice
Offering yoga and Pilates classes taught by certified physiotherapists, Universal Practice have recently launched their online platform. Updated weekly, enjoy unlimited access to their classes for $49 a month.

Annie Belcher
For a spiritual and nourishing yoga practice, Annie Belcher’s website features free audio classes for a range of purposes including self-compassion and ‘noticing where you are’. Don’t worry about the lack of visuals– the classes are simple, straight-forward and easy to follow.

Yoga213
From hip hop yoga to mellow flow and meditation, Yoga213 in Richmond are streaming a number of free classes on their website. Each one comes with its own tailored Spotify playlist for a super immersive experience. If you’re loving the classes and want to show support, there’s also the option to make a small donation to the studio.

REMEMBER: Board games from your childhood? They’re having a moment.

Cast your mind back to a simpler time when weekends indoors meant board games and not ten hour Netflix binges. While we are major ambassadors of the latter, we’ve also recently rediscovered the sweet, sweet bliss of beating friends and family in an old-school game of board. From the fast paced to the mind boggling to the outright absurd, there’s nothing quite like dusting one off and taking your loved ones to school.

Here’s a list of 9 classics that are bound to get your nostalgic and competitive juices flowing.

1. Uno
Ok, so it’s technically a card game, but it’s impossible to look past Uno when it comes to indoor activities. Nothing compared to the utter betrayal of being served a ‘draw 4 card’ by a loved one. Nothing.

2. Cleudo
Summon your inner detective and get sleuthin’. In this timeless whodunnit game, it’s every player for themselves as you endeavour to find out the who, what and where of that fatal murder in the mansion. Dn dn dn!

3. Operation
Engage those fine motor skills as you manoeuvre your way through the inner organs of a very unwell gentleman. A family favourite that is bound to elicit screams and maybe some queasiness.

4. Mastermind
Warning: not one for the impatient or short attention-spanned. The ultimate code cracking game, Mastermind is a problem solving classic for when you’ve got a bit more time to focus/tear out your hair.

5. Battleships
Mastermind, but with ships. Battleships is a thrilling naval combat game involving guessing, elimination and just a hint of mathematics. Sink your opponent’s ships and cackle wickedly while you do so.

6. Monopoly
If you’re in for the long hall, nothing beats good ol’ Monopoly. While there’s a plethora of editions on the market including Disney, Friends and Fortnite, original is still best in our humble opinion. Trade properties, send your opponents into bankruptcy and revel in that capitalist spirit!

7. Scrabble
Before Words With Friends, Scrabble was all we had, the game of vocabulary finesse invented in 1933. Make sure you have a dictionary at hand so you can drive home those 30 point words.

8. Trivial Pursuit
If you’re a big fan of The Chase, why not whip out Trivial Pursuit, the iconic quiz game with questions on everything from entertainment to geography. Get your hands on the classic edition for 80’s retro charm and throwback questions.

9. Guess Who
How could we forget Maria’s sassy beret or Bill’s menacing goatee? This iconic face-guessing game guarantees easy fun and bulk laughs. We encourage thinking outside the box with your questions, for example ‘does your person have a dark past?’ or ‘does your person churn their own butter?’

APPRECIATE: Local businesses.

During these tough, straight up crazy times, it couldn’t be more important to support the ones who fed us, kept our pantries stocked and made our homes pretty pre-iso. Local businesses are pretty darn special. In addition to being the lifeblood of the community and economy, they give our neighbourhoods character, they know their customer’s names by heart and they remember that we don’t like onion in our sandwiches. We’re lucky to have some insanely talented friends in the worlds of food and design, so we thought we’d share what they’ve been up to, and how you can get your hands on their goodies without even having to change out of your tracky dacks.

1. Stanley Street Kitchen
Think twice before hitting that order button on your next UberEats meal. Stanley Street Kitchen is delivering wholesome, hearty and reasonably-priced meals to Melbourne households within 15km of their Flemington base. A concept by the Fonda team, the menu features the likes of spag bol, lentil curry, pumpkin soup and texan chilli con carne, with each order serving approximately 4 people. Simply heat it up, put your comfy pants on and enjoy. There’s also a choice of five wines (an iso essential) plus Fonda’s Mexican house beer to wash down your meal.

The kitchen only uses Australian ingredients, so you’ll be supporting homegrown producers too – bonus!

Check out the website here.

2. Sonny Chiba
If a lack of Japanese food in your diet is making you turn to instant ramen packets, we have good news: Sonny Chiba in Armadale is now delivering! Load up on a mixture of traditional and inventive Japanese dishes including mouth-watering nigiri, fresh hiramasa kingfish, tasty gyoza or their Wagyu Tataki. Something about the combination of sushi and wine makes even the 1most slobbish of nights feel fancy.

Check out the menu here.

3. Barton Milk Bar
If you’re not one of the lucky few with a coffee machine and the barista skills to go with it (no, Nespresso pods do not count), you’re probably in dire need of a good coffee spot. Barton Milk Bar in Hawthorn has taken takeaway coffee to the next level – simply text your order to the number listed on their Instagram and swing by their takeaway window where it will be hot, ready and waiting. You can also pick up toasties, B.L.A.Ts and an assortment of sweet treats. Iso breaky sorted.

Peruse the selection here.

4. Nimble Activewear
Fun fact: we’ve recently discovered that activewear also doubles as sitting-on-the-couch-wear. I think most of us have given actual pants the ditch at this point, but it can be nice to keep yourself feeling a little luxe while WFH. Especially if you’re going for lunch time walks or doing home workouts on the reg. Nimble in Armadale sells a unique collection of active and lounge wear made from recycled plastics. Whether you’re trying a virtual class or bingeing Netflix, the beautiful and ridiculously comfy pieces have you covered. Hot tip: Nimble is also streaming short workouts on their Instagram (@nimbleactivewear). The perfect way to try our your new ensemble.

Get browsing here.

5. Botanicah Melbourne
Like many, we’ve been using iso as an excuse to cultivate a cute little family of plant babies. They’re the next best thing to an actual pet, and given all the time we’re spending indoors, it’s nice to bring a splash of nature into the home. Plus they look hot. Spread over 350 square metres, Botanicah in Prahran is something of an indoor jungle, home to a diversity of handpicked plant species and gorgeous pots. You may have to get off the couch for this one, but they’re currently limiting the number of people allowed in the warehouse to only a handful at a time so you can explore freely and safely.

Feast your eyes here.

EDUCATE: Yourself on the Guggenheim’s spellbinding art collection – from your sofa.

With an aim to provide solace, inspiration and entertainment during social isolation, the Guggenheim is opening its virtual doors to the public with online tours of the museum. Navigate its grand halls – street view style – through the Google Arts & Culture website. Admire Frank Lloyd Wright’s striking architecture from within. Discover the world’s most revolutionary examples of post modern, conceptual and installation art. It’s like the real thing except you get to wear pyjama pants. We’re sold.

If you want the spontaneity of real life museum exploration (getting lost and all) there’s the option to manually spiral your way down the building, or if you’d prefer, click through the handy guide on their homepage. Beside each piece is a note describing the details of the piece. You’ll happen upon exhibitions like ‘Under the Same Sun: Latin America Today’, ‘No Country: Contemporary Art for South and South East Asia’, and ‘The Little-Known Glass Works of Josef Albers’.

In addition to the virtual tour, the Guggenheim’s website offers podcasts on the building’s architecture along with artist talks, ‘behind the scenes’ videos, a database of all works held by the museum and much more. You’ll leave iso a bonafide art connoisseur, complete with a black turtle neck and black-framed specs.

More virtual museum tours:

Museum of Modern Art, New York
Uffizi Gallery, Florence
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
British Museum, London
Tate Modern, London
Musee d’Orsay, Paris
Picasso Museum, Barcelona