“How weird is that? I mean — how weird is that?” I met up recently with a girlfriend, one of my dearest, oldest friends, but absent from the country for quite some months now. Last time she saw me in early summer I was pre-TT, still unable to articulate what I was doing or why, and without a convincing plan for how I was going to get through the demands of TT. Back then she was clearly worried about me and I suspect she thought I’d become slightly unhinged by too much time on the mat!

So when we met up this time she had to get to grips with the idea that I’m now qualified to teach yoga. It’s not how she sees me — or rather it’s not how she’s seen me. So, yeah, it is weird. I feel that too. But once she’d shouted out to the entire bar that it was really weird that I taught yoga now (seriously!), she started to find the idea pretty cool. The inevitable next question: would I teach her? She wants to work up a simple new routine to replace her decades old morning practice that she’s beyond bored with. Hmm, interesting challenge — how to move her along after years and years of doing the same thing!

So we’ve just met and worked through a simple sequence together. It went really well — after the first few minutes when she looked me up and down in my leggings and vest and told me again how weird it was… Once we’d got that out of the way again, she was attentive and polite and I just focused on the body in front of me and giving her my best attention and care.

Teaching always feels like an honour. A bit weird, yes, but so wonderful.

And so she wants to meet again.