Friends of KPY

Ann is a busy working mum who has been practising yoga intermittently for about 15 years. She feels strongly that the benefits of yoga go beyond the physical to include the mental as well. Find out more about how being present on the mat has improved Ann’s life.

What has been your relationship with yoga like?

I took my first yoga class back in 2008. I remember practising regularly through my first pregnancy. However, I stopped in 2014 as my busy life took over. I started to think about coming back to the mat again in 2016. That was when I discovered KPY. Looking back over the years, there have been periods whereby I ‘left’ the mat, only to come back again.

What is important to you when practising yoga?

Being able to be comfortable in my own skin and my own body at that exact moment is important. I am just focusing on being on the mat, and truly feeling my body in each motion and each pose. Yoga to me is not just a physical exercise, but also an exercise of mental focus – to be present in the moment. 

There are so many yoga studios around. What do you think is different about KPY?

Teachers at KPY focus on teaching yoga for ‘normal’ people, regardless of physical fitness or age. This puts me at ease. I love the variety of options given for each pose. There are poses where I can get into easily one day, but the next day, I struggle with. And that is okay. Also, when I see more mature students at KPY, I am inspired by them to keep going, to stay active.

In my earlier years of practice, I have been to yoga studios where there seemed to be peer pressure to wear certain types of clothes and where I see super fit people all around me. It actually discourages me! In my favourite KPY ‘All Levels’ class, there is a good mix of students of varying fitness levels, and the teachers are well equipped to handle that. Everyone feels comfortable and everyone gets something out of that same class.

As a busy working mum, how has a regular yoga practice benefited you? 

Yoga forces me to pay attention to what I am doing at that moment. Being present creates a space for me to take my mind off everything else that is happening in my life. Also, KPY still offers livestream options for some classes, which is great when I am too busy or lazy to get out of my house!

Your children occasionally practise yoga at KPY too. Do you find that sharing a love for yoga has brought you closer as a family?

Yes, I even have fun memories of us squeezed into a room doing livestream yoga during the Covid lockdown period. My children periodically ask me to let them do livestream yoga together with me.

What advice do you have for busy, stressed out individuals who might want to get started on yoga?

Just show up for a class. Don’t worry about whether or not you can keep up with regular practice. Even if ‘life takes over’ and you stop for months, don’t judge yourself for it and just come back to the mat again. 

Also, I love this quote from James Clear, author of ‘Atomic Habits‘:

“Your favorite chef’s first meal was just as bad as yours.

Your favorite artist’s first work was just as bad as yours.

Keep going.”