We’ve all had the first-time jitters, so allow me to walk you through some of the things I wish I’d known before I started doing this weird thing called yoga…

You’ve watched it on websites. Perhaps you’ve seen people do it on social media. Maybe you had a go at it when you were on your own one evening. You’ve even bought a magazine about it! So why haven’t you actually been to a yoga class yet?

I clearly remember the dread I felt before my first yoga class. I was going because I wanted arms like Madonna (circa 1999; see ‘Beautiful Stranger’ video for reference; apparently she got them by doing a trillion hours of Ashtanga a day). But even the desire for beautiful biceps, toned triceps, and deltoids so tight you could bounce a pound coin off them, wasn’t enough to get me skipping through those church hall doors…

Have you been wishing your yoga teacher came with subtitles as to what she actually meant when she said that? Don’t blame us. We’re just trying to get creative….but I admit it can sometimes be a bit bewildering. So here’s a quick introduction to some of the things you might hear us saying, and what we might mean…

If I’m an expert in one thing, it’s giving up yoga. Then starting it again. Then stopping. Then….Well, you get the picture. So if anyone was going to write a blog about all the ways you can get your asana back on the yoga mat, it’s me….

Recently I’ve been having a little play with taking some of the tools that my yoga practice has taught me into the other ways I move my body. Sometimes it’s cycling, sometimes it’s running, but when the going gets tough I’ve found that dipping into my yoga toolkit has been really handy.

Having one figure to which you can turn for emotional insights, guidance and support can be incredibly useful for those of us who feel like their yogic and/or spiritual path is taking way too many undesirable diversions. But – what if we could be our own guru? (And the best news is then there’s no unkempt beard, questionable robes, dodgy headwear, brain-washed cult, massive financial donations, or illegal activities required. Winner!)