Tegenstellingen.

What is YUGO Gear all about?

There’s a great article on Sport.nl about Dutch Tour de France winner Joop Zoetemelk (https://sport.nl/artikelen/2015/07/wordt-de-tour-echt-gewonnen-in-bed). Back in 1980, Joop famously said, “The Tour is won in bed.” He didn’t just mean sleep, but rest in a broader sense. Sleep and sport may seem like opposites, but they’re often deeply intertwined in life. This is known as duality: growth arising from opposites. To perform at your best as an athlete, you need to be able to rest. Some examples from daily life: when applying for a job, you might seem like a more attractive candidate if you’re not overly invested in whether you get the position or not. To reach a goal, you might need to face a few failures along the way. To be strong, you need to be familiar with your weaknesses (or areas for improvement!). Sometimes, you say the most by staying silent, and often, your message loses impact if you talk for too long. Effective leaders understand vulnerability and know when humility is needed (consider Chancellor Willy Brandt’s historic moment in Warsaw).

This concept inspired YUGO. The name actually comes from 融合 / Yūgō, which means “fusion” or “coming together” in Japanese. Meditation offers insight into our inner contradictions, and the more aware you become of these opposites within, the more freeing it feels. It even gives you confidence. Embracing this is a journey, and that’s why I chose the name YUGO Gear. I want to create products that help everyone embark on this journey, both indoors and outdoors. That contrast is essential too 🙂

I’m curious: what contrasts do you often encounter in your life? Or do you have questions about them? Let me know!