When the body sets the pace

Just a few weeks ago, I was unwell with dengue. It wasn’t severe or dramatic in the way we sometimes imagine illness, but it was deeply uncomfortable and strange — fluctuating fevers, waves of fatigue, aches, brain fog, and symptoms that seemed to change day by day. It left me feeling unsettled in my body, unsure of what I needed from one moment to the next.

---

During that time, yoga supported me in very quiet, subtle ways. There was no 'practice' as such. Instead, there was a lot of resting, breathing, and listening. Simple breath awareness helped calm my nervous system when symptoms felt unfamiliar or worrying. Gentle pauses, lying down, closing my eyes, placing a hand on my chest or belly — helped me stay connected rather than spiralling into frustration or fear.

What helped most was giving myself permission to truly listen to my body. To stop before exhaustion set in. To rest without guilt. To trust that doing less was not a failure, but exactly what healing required. Yoga reminded me that awareness is an action, and rest is not passive — it is intelligent, responsive care.

This experience reaffirmed something I come back to again and again in my teaching; yoga is not about pushing, fixing, or overriding the body. It’s about relationship. When the body is run down, recovering, or simply asking for tenderness, yoga meets us there — through breath, presence, warmth, and compassion.

February often carries this same energy. A time of gradual return, not sudden renewal. Of listening closely to what’s still tired, tender, or in need of support. If you’re feeling a little off, low in energy, or not quite yourself, know that your yoga can be as simple as breathing, resting, and being kind to your body. That, too, is practice.

Yoga is a lifestyle and a practice that can support you whatever is going OM. Please anchor yourself in practice this year, you absolutely won't regret it. Click here to get involved.