Welcome to the "Find the Street Yogis" challenge! Are you ready to explore the streets of Berlin in a unique way? Look for these hidden little wooden figures that are said to bring happiness and good fortune. Your task is to find at least three Street Yogis, snap a picture of each one, and note their location. And for those feeling extra adventurous, why not try practicing some yoga poses alongside the Street Yogis? Or even create your own Street Yogi and mount it on a street sign for others to discover! Get started on this exciting challenge and share your discoveries with us using the hashtag #ucberlin. Happy exploring!
1. Find some Yogis
What’s so special about Street Yogis is that, even though they’re openly displayed in public places, they’re usually unnoticed by passers-by. You’ll find them perched on top of street signs, just above the sightlines of the pedestrian traffic passing by.
When a Street Yogi lets itself be seen, though, it’s usually because it wants to bring you happiness and luck!
Your task is to find at least 3 Yogis.
Snap a picture of each one and take a note of where it is at. Your chances to spot them are best in Kreuzberg and Neukölln, where most of them mingle, but they can be found throughout all of Berlin. You could start looking in Karl-Marx-Straße for example.
For advanced Urban Challengers, join the Street Yogi in practicing some asanas on the streets.
2. Bonus: Create your own Yogi
You can help populating the city with more Yogis by creating one of your own. This is also a good excuse to have some bottles of wine – you’ll need that cork.
To make a Street Yogi, you’ll need 2 corks (from wine bottles), 1 skewer (30 cm), a wood drill with a middle- and large-sized bit, a knife, and some waterproof glue. (Although solvent-free adhesives are frost resistant, they don’t glue for a decent length of time unless they’re high quality.)
Because glued wood is not very strong, bent elbows and knees should be reinforced with plaster if the Yogi’s position demands it. Keep in mind that your Yogi should also be able to withstand strong blasts of cold winter wind.
3. Put your Yogi on a street sign
To mount your Yogi, apply a layer of adhesive glue (it’s best to use a high quality, all-purpose glue like UHU®) on the chosen spot. Add a drop or two of super strong glue to make sure your Yogi sticks with it, and place it in the right position.
The real challenge here, of course, will be getting up to the street sign to place your Yogi in the proper stance. You’ll need something to stand on: perhaps a friend’s shoulders or a stationary object that’s already on the street. Just use your imagination and improvise (but don’t break the law). We’re sure you’ll find a way!
Take a picture of your Street Yogi and share it with us! Use the hashtag #ucberlin
