Oso: A little slice of peace on the Lark Lane of the North

In a world so dominated by noise, moments of tranquillity can be hard to come by, especially when they are interrupted by unwanted phone calls, a knock at the door, or a sudden reminder to take the washing out of the machine.

Mindfulness has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, no doubt due to the amount of overstimulation we’ve become accustomed to. Becoming more self-aware and paying attention to what’s happening in and around you has been found to pose many benefits, and Health and Gift Shop Oso has the things you need to support your journey.

Ran by husband-wife duo Ben and Linzi, Oso opened its doors in September last year. Upon entering the clean and comfortable space Ben and Linzi have created, you are greeted by the smell of incense, which we were told is their best seller.

Linzi told The Guide:

“I think because I do therapy I’ve always been quite interested for a long time in people’s wellbeing. At the moment, we’re just renovating the back of the shop, in which we hope to put on some small workshops like yoga, soundbaths and things like that.

“It’s still quite full on, but we’re starting to shift the balance a bit.”

Open every day on Waterloo’s St John’s Road, Oso, named after the Spanish word for bear, has become part of a regeneration in the North End of the city.

“There were a lot of shut units on the road when the shop first opened. What we’ve sort of had feedback-wise from people who live in the area is that the road feels like more of a destination now. There are lots of interesting places to pop in, whether it’s for gifts or just browsing or food and drink and things.”

Linzi has been mindful of rising prices and told The Guide how she tries to keep prices below suppliers’ recommended prices.

“It’s alright wanting people to shop local and expect to be supported by the community, but you know money is a real issue for people, so we do try to keep an eye on prices and bring our prices as low as we can.”

Ben and Linzi have the help of their four children in running Oso, in particular their daughter, Poppy, who gives her parents respite by working in the store when they take a break. Her sisters Heidi and Heather also help out, and their brother Joe took care of some tiling that needed to be done in the shop. 

Linzi said:

“I know I am sort of more mindful about the stuff that I buy. I think people have become quite disillusioned with the sort of mainstream experience, and the stuff that is being pushed on us all the time with advertising.”

As well as incense, Linzi told us about other items that sell particularly well at the shop, including their range of quirky greetings cards and 20-minute mindfulness candles. 

“You get a chunk of them in a box, and the candles burn for 20 minutes. It wouldn’t really matter what you were doing for those 20 minutes; you could be meditating or in a bath for 20 minutes, or you could go right, I’m gonna sit and crochet for 20 minutes’

“So, it’s things like that, how can we get people to slow down and create a bit of space in life because that’s where you start to notice what is actually wrong and what we actually need.”

Oso is open at 80 St. John’s Road, Waterloo.

You can follow Oso on Instagram here.

Find more Liverpool news here.

Find out what’s good up North on our new platform, The Northern Guide. 

From the best hotels, beauty spots, days out, food and more up North – visit thenorthernguide.com and follow The Northern Guide on Instagram HERE.