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Before I begin, it’s worth mentioning that I am no yogi. Whilst yoga is a weekly must for me, it’s not something that I practice every day – so when I heard about Inspire Yoga, I was instantly intrigued. Founded by Neelam, who has been teaching yoga for over 12 years, Inspire Yoga offers one-on-one, tailored yoga classes in the comfort of your own home.
From the beginning, it was very clear that the class would cater specifically to my needs and goals. My flexibility is pretty terrible – I long to be one of those girls who folds in half during a yoga class, but since I normally go to group classes where you don’t get such a personalised experience, I’ve never really had the right direction to achieve it!
I must admit, I was a little apprehensive about practicing yoga in my apartment; it’s not huge (in fact, it’s very small) and I wouldn’t describe it as very “Zen” either. But once my instructor Sally arrived, we got straight to it – I didn’t even have time to offer her a cup of tea, let alone think about the feng shui of my apartment! Sally has an extensive yoga background and specialises in Yin Yoga; Neelam chose her as my teacher because of her understanding of holding poses, which would help improve my flexibility and suppleness.
The session began with three “Om”s – given I find these embarrassing in group classes, you can imagine how beetroot red and close to giggles I was letting out three very weak “Ummm” and “Hmmm”s in the company of just one other person(I told you I was no yogi!). The next five minutes was focused on breathing, something that I admittedly forget to do properly in most classes. Feeling my body slowly relax, I connected with my breathing and felt very in tune with my body.
Once that was established, we started to move – and boy, did we move! Unlike Hatha and Hot Flow, Yin Yoga’s slow-paced style of yoga includes poses that are held for comparatively long periods of time. Sally led me through every pose hands on, focusing specifically on posture. I held each one for either 30 breaths or five minutes, and I could feel my body stretching with every second. It was somehow uncomfortable but comfortable, painful but painless, natural yet totally alien – something I had ever experienced in any yoga class before! If you’ve ever been in a yoga class where the instructor has realigned your position and poses, there’s a sense of “Oh wow, that’s it” – well, it was basically like that for a whole hour!
As well as being pulled and stretched like a rubber band, I was also forced to be more aware of my breathing. I’ve previously been a bit slack with deep breathing but having just one other person in the room made me really think about taking control and being in touch with my whole body.
The hour passed really quickly and by the end of it, my body felt amazing. I was so relaxed… and exhausted! With one quick and awkward “Om” to finish the session, Sally left as quickly as she arrived and I was left standing in my apartment, feeling uber Zen and fully worked out.
One-on-one yoga is truly a unique experience – and now I can see how people can become obsessed with the practice!
Inspire Yoga classes can take place with a maximum of four people and they can visit you anywhere. Five private one-on-one beginners classes cost $4,500; the price varies depending on programmes, packages and number of people in the class.
Call 9167 3376, email [email protected] or check the website here for more details.
