I was introduced to yoga in my early thirties following a lower back problem that left me in excruciating pain and unable to sit or stand for extended periods of time.

Up until then I’d always been sporty - I used to cycle, run, and had even dabbled in triathlon - suddenly even putting my socks on was a challenge.

I visited an osteopath who suggested yoga. I was aghast. I didn’t do yoga. I felt it was just a pretentious name for stretching. How wrong I was. I borrowed a DVD and watched as two people, one my age and one in their 70s, moved their bodies in ways I could only dream of. I immediately knew I wanted to be as flexible as that.

I hated the first class I attended. It was too slow. I felt stiff and inflexible. My body didn’t move in the way that other students’ bodies did. And I hated Savasana, hated lying still. I just wanted to fix my back and get back to some ‘proper’ exercise.

I persevered, attending classes two to three times a week. Very soon not only was my back pain free but I could touch my toes. More significantly though, I was sleeping better, and feeling happier.

Early 2020 the pandemic started and, whilst working from home, I started a daily hour long practice. It was then that I really fell in love with yoga - the enjoyment of moving my body in time with breathe, and the simplicity of stillness. I decided that I would embark on my teacher training, so that I could share the physical benefits of a regular Yoga practice, and the more subtle benefits discovered through a mind-body practice.

I undertook my Yoga Alliance certified Teacher Training in 2021 and have been teaching Yoga in Sussex since early 2022.