Train Service Aims to Reduce Yuletide Blood Pressure
December 2, 2005
We’ve all been there. After piling on the arctic weather gear to brave the wintery conditions outside and shedding them in sweaty frustration on entering sub-tropical department stores, the dreaded Christmas shopping expedition then reaches its most dangerous phase: the journey home.
Stress levels are at a maximum high. You are struggling to hold a child’s BMX bike under one arm and the handles of the bulging shopping bags full of goodies in the other hand have turned to cheese wire. If that’s not bad enough, you now have to join approximately 300 similarly burdened potential heart attack victims on the train journey from hell. Merry Christmas!
But wait. Before the big vein in your head pops, take a moment. You are one of the lucky few who are traveling home with Deutsche Bahn. The German rail operator is providing customers with an opportunity this Yuletide to look back on their journey with a contented and relaxed smile.
Deutsche Bahn employing yoga teachers
Fearing punch ups and excessive profanity on their trains during the festive season, Deutsche Bahn is employing yoga instructors to help calm stressed out passengers with a number of new services.
"Supervised yoga and relaxation exercises will help passengers de-stress after work or on weekends, especially in the run-up to Christmas when people have to fight their way through crowded shopping districts," said a DB spokesman.
As well as murderous shoppers, workers sharing carriages with combustible consumers will also be able to enjoy massages from the teams of yoga teachers and physiotherapists that will be on hand.
Massages and relaxation techniques on offer
Experts will not only provide hand and shoulder massages to rub away any thoughts of crowning the noisy passenger in the next seat with a special edition Monopoly set but will also offer advice on how to sit properly, where their reflex zones are and how to do relaxing breathing exercises.
The stressed-out in Munich will be the first to take advantage of the service but Deutsche Bahn intends to extend the massage offer nationwide should the scheme prove to be a success in Bavaria.