Having worked in the Health and Fitness industry for years and tried every fitness craze and new exercise under the sun in the past, all in the bid to have more toned abs, a tighter backside.... The list goes on. I, like so many others out there, struggled with body image for years from my early teens.
I was your classic gym bunny who had to work out for at least 2 hours a day and had what I now realise, was a very unhealthy attitude to food.
With images from social media about completely unrealistic ideals of beauty, we are continually bombarded with the next food fad or a promise of dramatically changing our body in weeks!
I admit I was drawn to Ashtanga Yoga for the strong physical aspect of the practise and the fact that Madonna came out with those ''Yoga toned arms from her daily 2 hour Ashtanga Practice''.
It is a truly physically challenging practice, but as we continue to learn and practice, we discover that strength extending to our inner strength.
Many people have the idea that Yoga is only for bendy people and is something to further increase our flexibility, and eventually move our body into all the advanced pretzel shapes we have seen on social media and in many books.
To me Yoga is about building strength, of both mind and body. As Yoga has become such a huge part of my life and my personal practice evolves according to my needs. Sometimes it is a gentle Yin, Mindfulness practice to restore and reconnect.
If I am feeling strong it may be a full hour of vinyasa with arm balances and inversions and longer holds.
In every class I teach, I really remind students to connect to what serves them today and only practice to find your personal edge, with a balance between effort and ease.
I do need any more flexibility and mobility within my joints but I do need strength.
I have added Pilates Reformer to my weekly practice a couple of times a week and this has made profound changes in my overall body control and core strength. My Yoga practise feels more controlled and I am definitely stronger.
My attitude to food is completely different. I eat what I fancy and never count units of fat or calories.
If I have a day when I overindulge, I have no problems with that, and eating has become one of the greatest pleasures of life.
When I opened ''Wellbeing Warehouse'', I wished to create a community feeling in a beautiful, yet tranquil space where the main objective of the classes we provide is about maintaining a healthy body and mind, without the need for perfection.
Since practising only Yoga and Pilates, and eating a little of everything I want, I have never felt more at ease and comfortable with who I am.