I have tried nearly every exercise class under the sun; partly because I am addicted to free Class Pass trials, partly because my destroyed attention span forces me to switch up everything I do so I don’t die of boredom, and partly because I love being able to turn my brain off and follow instructions for an hour. Most days of the week I find myself in the gym, on a run, on the tennis courts or in a random studio, and I love it – I think. 

Now nobody needs my unqualified self to tell you all the benefits of exercise, but just for fun, let’s list a few. Your sleep improves, you have more natural energy, the endorphins make you happier and less stressed, you have better cognitive function, your risk of chronic disease is reduced and, of course, if you do it enough, your body physically changes. As all annoying gym addicts say, I have never once regretted a workout. It always, without fail, makes me feel good afterwards. However, I tend towards more high-intensity workouts, like boot camp style classes. Often the mental convincing it takes just to get there, knowing how intense it will be, is half as strenuous as the class itself. 

So, when I was offered to attend a free yoga class with Ashleigh (@yogaclubleeds on Instagram), I jumped at the chance. 

Yoga is a practice that I have always held very dear. My grandma Carole was a yoga teacher and continued to teach almost her entire life. In Year 11, along with three of my best friends, I attended weekly classes during the “stress” of our GCSEs (bless us we had no idea what was to come). In my first year at Leeds, I also joined Yoga Society, practising in the Union’s beautiful Jade Studio. Even this summer, when working in a Mexican food truck at Glastonbury, I went to classes in the “Yoga Whale” to get into a good mood before my shifts (and repent for my sins the night before). More recently I have been going to yoga classes in my gym, but no more than once a fortnight. I clearly really enjoy yoga, so why do I not prioritise it anymore?

Yoga is an ancient practice, with its own set of benefits, many of them being mental. It has great benefits to one’s strength, balance and flexibility. But, more often than not, yoga is a fairly low-impact exercise compared to other types. Personally, I often opt for high-impact exercise, because I perceive it as having more “benefits”. However, I have recently been wondering if I only believe that because it is the exercise that changes my body the most physically. For some reason, I’m convinced that I’m “wasting my time” actively choosing exercises that prioritise mental well-being more. Knowing that this thought process is not only illogical, but quite harmful, I took the opportunity to attend Ashleigh’s class to challenge this mindset.

The session was in a small studio in Kirkstall, home to many different classes. Ashleigh was immediately warm and welcoming, creating a community feel in her kind nature. I arrived carrying a lot of stress from my third-year deadlines, so was initially slightly reluctant to be there. However, I almost immediately found myself lost in the positivity of the class, following Ashleigh’s instructions to choose to let go of the day and ground myself in the room. 

The poses that we held were strength-based and fairly challenging, demanding you to bring every ounce of attention to your own body. Towards the end of the class, Ashleigh taught us all how to do a headstand, which we had been preparing for with our dolphin poses. Although this was something I hadn’t attempted for God knows how long, I really wanted to give it a go. Ashleigh’s instructions were clear and precise, and low and behold, with a bit of encouragement, I did it (for about two seconds)! The class finished with a short meditation, in which we were encouraged to feel pride in our decision to prioritise our wellbeing by coming to the class. 

Leaving the studio, I felt totally rejuvenated; all the stresses from the day had melted away. I felt pride in the strength of my body for carrying me through the class, I felt proud for having the confidence to attempt a headstand, I felt proud for getting myself there in the first place, and most importantly, I felt pride in prioritising my mental health. 

Exercise should be an act of love for our body, never a punishment. Choosing to do yoga is choosing to actively love your body and yourself, by doing something kind for it. Although I’ll be continuing with my different workouts, this class has been the perfect reminder to start prioritising yoga, and my mental well-being again. I encourage anyone reading who is under the stresses of university, or just life in general, to give yoga a go, specifically @yogaclubleeds for a similar experience. Use discount code “gryphon” for 50% off your first class.

Words by Anna Lawrence-Wasserberg