YOGI WHO IS ONLY GETTING STRONGER

MOST people wave by means of greeting, but visitors to Francie Hughes’s house might just be greeted with a handstand instead. Yoga-mad Francie, who is 71, admits that is he practices yoga four or five hours a day, or ‘all day if I can’.

In fact, his proficiency and skill at the exercise leaves yoga teachers baffled, particularly since he only started practising regularly 12 years ago.

‘I was late enough getting into it, probably about 58,’ says Francie, a celebrated musician who enjoyed a career as a trombonist for the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra, and in the 70s was part of big Irish showbands.

Francie reveals he was actually due on stage the night of the Miami Showband killings on July 31, 1975. ‘We were on the road on the way to the gig and we saw all the commotion,’ recalls the Monaghan man. ‘We got to the scene about 20 minutes after it happened. It was just so shocking, so sad. I had spoken to the lads that day.’

Francie has always been a fan of fitness, completing triathlons in the late 1980s and 1990s, but yoga has completely won his heart. His practice of choice is the notoriously difficult Ashtanga series.

‘I just love the physical challenge and discipline I suppose,’ says Francie.

The father of four and grandfather of five even travels to the home of yoga — Goa in India — every year for six weeks to hone his skills. It’s just something he adores he says, and even though his wife doesn’t share his obsession for the exercise itself — ‘she prefers a glass of wine and a walk’ — she fully supports and encourages his passion.

She even accompanied him on a trip to India in 2016, but they were involved in a horrific bus crash in which Francie almost lost his arm, leaving him without his beloved yoga for almost seven months.

‘I found that so difficult, I couldn’t even sleep for two months. I had to sleep almost kneeling down. But at least I had the breathing and meditative side of it.’

He credits yoga for getting him through the tough times in his life, like the aftermath of the accident and the devastation of losing his sister in the same year.

Despite his discipline, Francie says he does have some bad habits — like a very sweet tooth. Suffice to say however, those calories are burnt off pretty quickly.

‘I’m not a vegetarian, like devout yogis are,’ he says.

‘I was never that into the spiritual side of it. I don’t drink alcohol alright, but I love my sweets, curries and cans of Coke.’