I Review the Labubu “Lazy Yoga” Series
Watch the video or read the review below.
This is a super serious video in which I look at the popular Labubu series “Lazy Yoga” and talk about the poses the Monsters are in! 😉
Review
For fun—this blog is a review of the Labubu series called “Lazy Yoga.” Let’s take a look at this series of figures from my perspective as a yoga teacher. Are they actually doing yoga poses? Regardless, they're super fun!
First, some questions I had when I was considering buying these. Are they furry like the more popular Labubus? No, they are not plush. They don't “squeeze.” They're pretty firm but they have a fuzzy texture.
Scale-wise, they’re about a third the size of those plush dolls (such as the “Big Into Energy” series). They are close in size to the “Pin for Love” type figures.
When you buy them in “blind boxes,” you gamble on which figure you will get. Otherwise you can purchase the whole set of ten, at once. There is a chance you will get the rare figure, the brown “Yoga Coach.” This is a common thing in Labubu Monster series.
The Figures
Most of these Lazy Yoga figures do correspond to yoga poses, sometimes combined with other types of exercise and using lots of props.
The figure called Stretch Out is in a pose like Boat (navāsana). If the legs were down on the mat, it’s essentially a Forward bend (paścimottānasana). They are assisted by a little bit of a strap and a cushion behind them. Many figures are on mats, all of which have different designs. There are little pegs on the mats to help secure the figures to them.
Lay Down is lying back over an exercise ball. This position is a lot like a Bridge pose (setu bandhāsana) with the foot up. Are they enjoying themselves or is this a lot of work? The expression seems joyous.
In Sweating indeed, this monster is sweating. It’s performing a kind of opposites/spinal balance. This is sometimes called a Sunbird or Bird Dog (cakravakāsana).
Several figures are featured in a promo video, which sheds light on the inspiration for the name, “Lazy Yoga.” In the video, you see Little Bird struggling to reach the ground in this Side Angle pose (parśvakonāsana). He is rewarded for his effort when a little birdie lands on his finger. :) Other characters are shown being quite lazy or struggling but they find their energy in the end.
Show Off is definitely doing the most difficult pose, Firefly (tittibhāsana). It’s extra showy because this Labubu is also doing atop a yoga block. I’ve never trained to do this pose properly. This figure is quite top heavy and prone to tipping over.
Sleeping is seated in the Lotus posture (padmāsana) and meditating on a cloud. There is a bubble at the nose, which is a manga/anime convention that represents sleep. I should note that when one is in meditation, it is not sleep. However, the ancient texts do describe the state of successful meditation like that of deep sleep.
The least yogic figure is called Americano (!), which probably refers to the little coffee cup in front of them. It’s using a resistance band to do some hip/glute strengthening, which isn’t a yoga pose, per se, but I will often do things like a side-lying Bow or Side Plank in class.
Zone Out is oddly named. I think that this Dancer pose (natarajāsana) is pretty intense and it’s hard to imagine zoning out doing it. The Labubu is using an exercise ball but in real life very few people would be short enough to use a ball. The little monster is flexible enough to reach its back leg, a hallmark of this pose.
The Ab Roller figure is detached from the mat. There is a clock reading “12:00” which, if it means ‘noontime,’ yes that might be lazy! (Hard to believe anyone lazy would be exercising at midnight.) It has an expression with ‘spiral eyes,’ which indicates intensity! And the wheel of the ab roller actually works. This exercise is much like a classic Plank, which are kind of universal.
I think Confident is one of the funnest figures—it's also the least stable, with only one peg. But there is a butterfly that has come to land on the Monster’s little hand. This pose is a version of King Pigeon, Rājakapotāsana. Some people might call this a Mermaid pose (some poses have wildly different naming).
This full-length intermediate yoga practice provides challenges to build our inner fire! From the yogic perspective, the fire element is one that is more than just heat—it provides illumination and power for transformation.