Ustrasana opens the front body while strengthening the back and stretching the shoulders, hip-flexors and quadriceps - and it's one of my favourite backbends!

Have you been avoiding something difficult for a while? When was the last time you set a big personal goal and worked steadily towards it?

Pasarita Paddotanasana Stephanie Quirk once told us to take our legs out extra-wide in this pose so that we could get the feeling of freedom with the head on the floor. For me it took the strain out of my shoulders and neck, and allowed my spine to lengthen more!

Do you ever sit quietly and contemplate life? When was the last time you simply sat and noticed what was going on around and within you - no phone, no distractions, just you?

Virabhadrasana 1 is not my favourite pose. I struggle to keep my back heel down on the floor, when I bend my front knee...

I've been working on it for about ten (!) years and it's definitely progressing - albeit very slowly. #nevergiveup

Although there's so much yoga available these days, many people still think it's just stretching and creating strange shapes with the body, or a gentle form of exercise.

In a way, this is true - but it's so much more...

Utthitha Trikonasana is one of the basic standing poses we learn as beginner yoga students. It may look and even feel easy at first, but after more than 10 years I'm still refining and working on it and I'm always discovering a little more space and stability each time...