Yoga has long been on my mental list of things I’d like to try, and I finally started a class last year run by a wonderful teacher called Renee.

Renee’s mantra is that every position should feel good. There are always options in every pose; to find a shape that might stretch but doesn’t strain.

Throughout each session, Renee reminds us that it’s time for ourselves, to focus on self-care and to let go of external concerns. She often asks us to be aware of the background noise and voices in our heads. Acknowledging them allows us to switch them off or at least turn down the volume. It’s made easier through a breathing exercise in which we actively slow down our heartbeat (I didn’t think it was possible, but surprisingly it is!)

Every session concludes with Shavasana, literally ‘corpse pose’. We’re encouraged to wrap up in warmer clothes, the lights are turned off, and we close our eyes. I usually find myself in that strange meditative place, halfway between awake and asleep, though I have been guilty of the occasional snore.

Coming out the other side always leaves me feeling very calm, slightly detached but able to look at my current challenges with a new perspective. The issues that need fixing can be solved. The ones that can’t, can be let go. I can only control how I react to people and events, but not how others behave towards me. It’s very liberating when you embrace that.

Do you have a moment of Shavasana in your week? A time to step back and figure out what really matters?

Namaste.