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Bikram Yoga, practised in a room heated to 42 degrees Celsius, is one of the most intensive forms of exercise. Sure to make you sweat, this form of physical yoga is not for everyone, but at the Bikram Yoga studio in Prague, the classroom is at capacity most of the time. Its director Tereza Bonnet-Šenková talks about what the practise entails and what the benefits of Bikram Yoga are.

This week saw the opening of a new exhibition of some of the best work by one of former Czechoslovakia’s most famous illustrators, painters as well as the father of Czech animated film, Jiří Trnka, who died in 1969. Trnka is beloved for his creative use of highly detailed and mobile marionettes, and remains a veritable favourite among children for his illustrations – not least in Jan Karafiát’s famous Broučci (Fireflies) and also Trnka’s own much loved children’s classic, The Garden – about five boys, five elephants, a curmudgeon of a tomcat and

Film versions of fairytales are hugely popular in the Czech Republic, with the likes of Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella, The Golden-Star Princess and Once There was a King staples of the television schedules around Christmas time. Many of the best loved film fairytales were made during the communist era at Prague’s famous Barrandov studios. A year ago, an exhibition organized in collaboration with Barrandov for the first time gave Czech fairytale fanatics a chance to take a peek at the original costumes used in their favorite films. This year, another

In 2007, Prague graphic design students Jan Kloss and Jakub Korouš updated the 1966 model of the classic Czech Botas sneaker for a school assignment. Little did they know that their chic version of the retro sneaker would be a huge hit. I recently met with the two young designers at their Žižkov studio.

The Prague Conservatory – teaching music and acting – is one of the oldest and most remarkable secondary schools of its type in Central Europe. Dating back roughly 200 years, the school has currently begun celebrating the upcoming anniversary of its founding with a series of exhibitions, publications and events to take place over the next 24 months or so.

Czech-Japanese entrepreneur Tomio Okamura is a household name in the Czech Republic, both for running a successful tourist business to representing one of the country’s largest tourist associations. As an expert in his field, Tomio makes numerous appearances on TV and radio and is also jury member on a well-known business reality programme. His success, in a way he says, is linked to one thing: the Velvet Revolution. Ahead of the upcoming 20th anniversary, Tomio agreed to come in to the studio to discuss how the fall off Communism changed his life.

Over the last 20 years Czechs have embraced consumer culture in a big way, with a great number of shopping centres, both city centre and out-of-town, now dotted around the country. To discuss how the experience of shopping has been transformed – and how range and price now compare to other countries – I met up with former Elle editor Jana Cíglerová at Prague’s Palladium shopping centre, a short walk from Wenceslas Square.

Descending the historic Old Castle Stairs on the way from Prague Castle to the left bank of the Vltava River, an unusual structure will catch your eye in the middle of a small park between the river and a busy road. The five-and-a-half-metre tall wooden watchtower looks strangely out of place among the 19th-century urban architecture. It is an exact replica of a watchtower from a communist-era labour camp near the town of Příbram southwest of Prague. As a symbol of the oppression of the communist regime, the watchtower is part of an extensive outdoor

One of the biggest book events in the Czech Republic was held in the town of Havlíčkův Brod, in eastern Bohemia, at the weekend. The 19th Autumn Book Fair brought together more than 150 publishers from across the country, and attracted some 15,000 visitors. In spite of the economic crisis and competition from other media, Czechs seem to stick to books, no matter what.

The Shaolin Monastery in the Chinese province of Henan, has long been famous for its connection to Buddhist training and martial arts – finding a niche even in Western popular culture, in everything from 1970s cult TV series to the most recent martial arts films. But why settle for Hollywood, when you can see the real thing? Over the last ten years monks from various schools in Shaolin have regularly performed abroad, displaying their skills and traditions across four continents. On Thursday, they take the stage here, at the Congress Centre in