I remember the first yoga ashram I attended regularly in London in the early 90s. It was in a prestigious neighbourhood in Putney, one of the first of its kind. 

I was already drawn to mind-body practices and bodywork from a wonderful teacher I had at Uni, and the healing bodywork I’d done for myself on my back. 

This style of yoga was tougher than I expected, and in many ways, it hit the spot, and the physical challenge gave me a big dopamine boost. 

To get into and hold a headstand was great for my confidence, although looking back, my body, especially my spine, didn’t love it. 

(Side note: I don’t do or teach headstands anymore. I hang upside down from a hammock which is  💯 better for decompressing the spine).

As time went by, I knew there was something missing for me. Then one day, sitting around drinking chai after a workshop with the rest of the group, I realised what it was. No one seemed particularly happy or relaxed. No one was smiling, instead they seemed still as stressed and angry as when they’d gone into the class. 

Not long after this, I decided it wasn’t my place. 

“Where’s the joy?”, I thought to myself. Surely this was meant to be about finding your bliss, and this wasn’t it for me. 

Later on in my teaching journey I learned that yoga was about finding your own path. Everyone is different. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to put the joy into the experience. 

I’m now known for my mantra through class “smile and breathe”. 

My theory is that if you can’t breathe and you can’t smile, you’re going too hard. As in life, as on the mat. When the body is smiling, it’s in the right state to release and let go. We are in a higher vibration, which means a healthier body and mind. 

I don’t mind if people don’t agree with me on this, I don’t judge anyone else for their style of teaching, but this is mine. 

The world has enough stress, serious topics, and we are hard enough on ourselves as it is. I don’t want my classes to be another cause of strain or worry. Rather a safe place to be yourself and maybe even enjoy it. 

When I’m asked what type of exercise I’d recommend, I’d always say “the one that you’re going to stick to because you enjoy it”. 

Whether it’s running, cycling, pickleball or waterpolo, as long as you’re finding your joy, then none of it is wrong. 

It’s only problematic if it’s creating rigidity. A rigid body is synonymous with a rigid mind. An open and flexible body tends to lead to an open and flexible mind. 

We can either flow or force. 

If your goal is healing, force isn’t going to work. 

Even the top sportspeople in the world, you can see in how they play. The footballers who look like they are dancing on the ball, the tennis players who move with lightness of being, they don’t just outperform the others, they have longer lasting careers. 

So it’s with this philosophy that I make sure I bring some joy into my retreats. When I see people laughing and having fun, this makes my heart sing. This is the healthy state I’m aiming to help people find. 

No rules except “make sure you’re breathing , and make sure you’re smiling, and as long as you’re not hurting others, do what the fuck you want, because it’s your life and your body”. 

So here are a few of those random moments of joy from earlier this year that I’ve seen and felt, and make all the hard work worth it.