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This month, I have been getting reacquainted with my yoga mat.

Cultivating a regular yoga practice had been on my to-do list for some time but, in the end, it was an upper body injury that kick-started my most recent yoga journey.

In the run-up to Christmas and during the holidays, I was hitting the gym hard and often. I was delighted with my consistency and progress but began to notice various aches and pains throughout my upper body which, at first, I chose to ignore.

Eventually, when general discomfort turned into acute pain, I realised I could no longer “push through.” It was clearly my body’s way of telling me it required my attention and some serious TLC.

By that point, I was experiencing headaches alongside the upper body pain, as well as niggles in my lower body; tightness in my hips, thighs and calves and a general stiffness that made me feel I was decades older than my actual age. The stiffness alone was enough to convince me to get back onto the yoga mat.

For months I had made excuses not to practice yoga because I thought I needed the space in my living room. But, with various family members passing through at all times of the day, there never seemed to be a “good time” to do it. I would negotiate with my partner a suitable time for me to practice but found that this need to “schedule” exercise to accommodate others, took away the element of choice and made it feel like a chore.

Although some structure is important, my inner rebel resents this kind of rigidity. Without the flexibility to change up my routine if I wasn’t “feeling it”, I ended up regarding it as more hassle than it was worth.

Then one day I discovered that I could practice yoga in my bedroom. We recently got rid of a large dresser which took up a lot of space, leaving hardly any room for a yoga mat let alone contorting myself into a variety of poses. Now that we had replaced the dresser with a tall bookcase, there was enough space. What’s more, when I created a cozy ambiance, with a heater and some fragrant candles, practicing yoga in this space became a rewarding experience, even something of a ritual.

In many ways, it had become surprisingly easy to incorporate yoga into my daily routine. The benefits to my mental and physical wellbeing meant I rarely lack the motivation to practice and I managed a 17 days streak before “life” got in the way.

I like to see results quickly – tangible evidence of progress keeps me motivated – and with this particularly yoga journey, I found that, within a few days, my aches and pains were melting away.

Within a week, I found that I could bend down to take my shoes off, even whilst wearing a relatively constricting long quilted jacket, with much greater ease. When unloading the dishwasher and putting away dishes in a cupboard close to ground, I was astounded by the ease at which I did so.

I felt what I can only describe as a ‘lightness’ when I moved my body, unlike anything I have experienced in recent years. I no longer felt stiff or sore when I woke up in the morning, the headaches disappeared, and I didn’t experience any discomfort either during or after my swims.

When I noticed this for the first time, I realised it had been months since I swam without discomfort or felt able to climb out the pool without feeling as stiff as the kick board I’d been using for my lengths.

Taking into account, this incredible improvement in such a short period of time, it’s not surprising that I am keen to keep this new habit.

Around Day 18, I got super busy at work and in my personal life. I missed one day – then another – and this eventually turned into four.

I recall a podcast episode I had been listening to where one of the guests quoted James Clear, author of the bestseller, Atomic Habits. Apparently Clear maintains that although it’s okay to miss one day, if you miss two you are essentially breaking the habit. This makes total sense to me as I’ve found this to be the case with many of the habits I’ve tried to cultivate over the years. This is why I have been invested in my practice and so keen to keep it up even when I am busier than usual or feel tired or less motivated.

The self-sabotaging voice in my head was telling me I’d failed and was urging me to give up- but the benefits of my latest yoga journey were so far reaching, there’s no way I was going to give them up. The only way to tackle my inner self saboteur or address my demons around the concept of failure is to get back on the horse so-to-speak. Besides, I’d only just got “yoga practice” off my to-do list; there was no way I was putting it back on, to taunt me again for months to come.

I got back on the mat on Monday evening. I was tired. A little stressed. I’d had a busy day. Scrolling mindlessly on TikTok felt far more appealing – but I considered how I would feel if I completed a session:

Calmer? Hopefully; more grounded, for sure; like I’d achieved something – definitely.

Like any task or activity that you find yourself procrastinating over, it’s best to start small so I picked a short full body stretch. I figured it wasn’t a huge undertaking, certainly manageable – and away I went.

The following evening I struggled with myself (TikTok was calling again) and my commitment to the mat but it was that promise I’d made to myself and my once poor, aching body, that finally got me there. It has occurred to me in recent months, that the lack of care that I give my body – this incredible vessel that allows me to do so many things, that I take so much for granted – is actually a form of neglect; a sign that I don’t love myself enough. I abuse my body every day, walking thousands of steps, swimming dozens of lengths, plodding along a pavement or lifting weights and don’t give it the time it deserves for rest and recovery. I don’t express my gratitude by stretching out my limbs or attempt to connect with it properly.

Yoga is a form of self-care and self-love directed at both body and mind. I have experienced many of the mental wellbeing benefits during and after my practices but the physical benefits are what keep me coming back to the mat.

Getting reacquainted with my yoga mat has been an act of self-love and a meaningful way to connect with my body once more.