When I started doing yoga I was mostly just pissed that I couldn’t reach my toes.

I spent most of the classes railing against the teacher (in my head) for making me hold chair pose and then telling me to smile. It made me want to punch someone (mostly him).

I’d watch the clock and feel like I was wasting precious time. Didn’t the teacher realised I had STUFF to do?

He was in no rush at all, it made me agitated.

I didn’t really see how yoga was ‘doing’ anything for me. But I persevered because I liked the bit where you get to lie down at the end, and I wanted to be bendy. And because the Eat Pray Love chick seemed to get a lot out of it.

In time I started to experience what the yoga teachers were on about. I felt calmer after doing yoga, and a lot less anxious and bitey.

I also started to notice how much inner resistance I was carrying around with me. Whatever happened in life and in yoga – I resisted it without realising, and it made me an internal ball of stressy annoyment. Yoga helped me unwind that big chaotic mess so I could flip out less and chill out more.

It turns out that aside from looking sexy on Instagram,

yoga’s purpose is to calm the fluctuations of the mind. It’s one of many steps used to calm the mind and prepare the mind and body for meditation. (Interestingly, brushing your teeth is also one of those steps!)

Who knew?

So if you’re not already, give yoga a go! If you’re already into it, do an extra class this week. And definitely brush your teeth.

I’ve never felt more inspired and alive than when I did 6 days of yoga a week for 6 weeks. I should really do that again. I can’t recommend anything more highly for a bloody good life – if it pisses you off, you definitely need it.

Read this if you need more convincing

Ps – how rad is my Mum, head-standing in Nicaragua! What a legend.