My Grandma introduced me to yoga. In the school holidays she’d take me along to her class in Sowerby Bridge. They didn’t have a teacher; they took it in turns to teach or would listen to a recorded class on the record player. I loved it, it was such a contrast to school PE, which I wasn’t all that keen on.

As I grew up, I’d practise yoga from books or videos. I didn’t often go to classes and my practise was sporadic. Then in my 30s I figured I should get fit before I got old! So joined the local gym where I gravitated more towards the yoga classes. Then just before I turned 40, I booked onto a yoga retreat in Turkey, this was the turning point, a regular practise. Yoga every day for a week made me feel amazing, I kept it up when I got home and found a class at the yoga centre in Hebden – beginners ashtanga. Ashtanga is a set sequence so it meant that I could learn that and practise at home too.

It made me want to learn more, so I did the British Wheel of Yoga Foundation Course, which led me to the BWY Yoga Teacher Training Diploma Course. This was a different level, it’s a three year course which is Ofqual regulated to level 4 (so the equivalent of the first year of a university degree), it’s extremely thorough, and involves learning more about yoga and how to teach. I learned more about yoga history, philosophy, postures, breathwork & pranayama, meditation and much more through lectures, teaching practise, yoga practise, group discussion, presentation, research and essay writing. It was absolutely brilliant.

Today my own yoga practise is a combination of classes and home practise – but I’ve ditched the videos and instead focus on aspects of the ashtanga sequence or whatever movements feel good that day, along with pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation.