Reflecting on where my Yoga journey started

In June, in the lead up to my first day retreat, 'Reflect and Reset', I found myself back in a place that shaped my yoga journey – the very gym where I attended my first inspiring class 20 years ago. Only this time, I wasn’t rolling out my mat as a student… I was there as the teacher. Sometimes life comes full circle in the most unexpected ways...

I used to love going to the gym and doing all sorts of high-impact classes. Thinking that I should probably add some stretching into my routine, I booked into a Yoga class. I tried a few teachers and the classes were okay, and then I found a teacher that I loved — her name was Bex. She had a more spiritual approach, and the more I went to her classes, the more I discovered another layer to Yoga beyond just stretching. The mindful movements gave me time to relax, listen, and focus on myself: how my mind and body were feeling, and how to bring them both to a state of calm. With more experience, I realised that I could take the practice off the mat and have more control over how I was feeling in different situations. To say it was 'life-changing' might be an exaggeration, but I certainly felt the benefits in all areas of my life.

This was probably about 20 years ago, but I can still remember being in that studio and the feeling of tranquillity that hour brought me. I found myself inspired – what a great job! She got to go to work and make people feel calm, relaxed, and reset — ready to face life with a clearer mind. Every Wednesday evening felt like a gift.

Time passed, the teacher moved on and left that health club, as did I, and our paths have never crossed again. But since then, in my most stressed moments (and there have been many), as I feel myself beginning to spiral, I have always relied on my Yoga practice to ground me. These practices can be very different — sometimes I don’t have time for a full hour of Yoga, and sometimes I don’t feel like moving at all. My Yoga might look like 10 minutes of movement, 5 minutes of meditation, or just a few minutes of a breathing practice. I often say to people that Yoga is like a toolkit — just use what you need in that moment. 

This week, for the first time in about 10 years, I found myself back at the health club where I met that amazing teacher — in the same studio, same space. But the difference this time was that I was the Yoga teacher. It was my job to make everyone there feel safe, confident in their movements, to guide their focus and bring a sense of calm. Joyful! Although I was there holding space for others, I certainly took a moment to absorb the gratitude I felt — being in the same place, but as a very different person.