[title]
For all of us neck-deep in the rat race, the commute is a cherished part of the day: a rare chance to pop on a podcast, gather our thoughts for the day and breathe in the sweet stench of stranger’s sweat.
London is now taking this concept to the next level with the world’s first ever mindfulness trains. Launched ahead of World Mental Health Day on Sunday, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) trains have been decked out with special ‘chill out’ carriages to help reduce back-to-work anxiety for commuters after many months of working from home. It’s the brainchild of London charity Youmanity, who named the campaign ‘Inner Journey’ (no, it’s not a gap year holiday package).
Encouraging people to use their commutes to pause and reflect, 12 trains each have their own dedicated ‘mindfulness’ carriage, decorated inside with images of mountains, forests, oceans and countryside (plot twist: each mindfulness carriage is open to all passengers as usual). ‘Meditation corners’ have also been installed at the platforms of Canary Wharf, Tower Gateway and Woolwich Arsenal stations, and will be in place for at least six months. Want more? There's a meditation app that commuters can download, with tracks created especially for use on trains and in stations. Woah.
Check out what it looks like here:
Women are calling on TfL to bring back the night tube.
Climate crisis could see London replaced by some other damn city as the UK capital.