I can only speak from a male perspective (Kathryn also runs both ladies and mixed classes) – but I guess I am the same as many of us, a man over 40 who thinks he is still 30, trying to keep reasonably fit and healthy. Too much beer but hopefully a fair amount of fruit and veg to help keep my body functioning. My regular exercise recently has been running or swimming – but mainly due to the fact that there is no need to plan and I can go  anytime I want, with little to no preparation or kit.

Why am I mentioning this? Because I felt I knew all I needed to know about yoga. It was a mix of gentle stretching exercises, which might indeed help me – but I just didn’t have the time or the motivation. Running and swimming would keep me fit, espoecially if I could manage 4 to 5 times a week. Let me just say at this point that I hugely overestimated my understanding of yoga – and more correctly, I definitely didn’t have any understanding at all.

20 minutes into my first yoga session with Kathryn and I was wondering if I was actually going to be able to finish – So much for running and swimming!! This is a hugely enjoyable but hugely challenging 1hr 15 session. It is not only good for keeping the body supple but it is also a full-on cardio workout, leaving me sweating profusely after the first 10 minutes and elated at the end of the session. Over just a few sessions, I have seen my body change in ways I thought I never would again – Little niggles are gone, balance is hugely improved, the change to my posture is incredible and I am mentally stronger.

With my running, I now have a bounce in my stride that was never there before. I can feel my feet gripping on the paths and propelling me up the hills. Due to my new found core strength, I no longer hunch forwards when running, allowing me to breathe like never before. And my arms now power me forward – and I don’t have to run 5 times a week to achieve these gains.

I am finding that one session a week makes such a vast improvement that I am considering doing more (but no-one mention this to Kathryn – I would hate for her to know that I am now an enthusiastic yoga practitioner after my initial misgivings!)

Anyway, let’s just say that I am both thoroughly enjoying yoga as well as reaping the benefits. Anyone that has seen Novak Djokovic slide around at Wimbledon will now understand the flexibility that yoga brings – He is a keen yoga advocate. I now know that I know only the smallest amount about yoga – but I am looking forward to continuing to learn, little by little.

It is a great group of people that attend these sessions – Everyone is hugely friendly and welcoming, with the right balance of seriousness and hilarity, as I fall over once again. None of us are experts and we are all just there to learn and enjoy – so all levels are welcomed. Let’s just say I won’t be stopping doing yoga any time soon 🙂