Beginnings.

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There is something about September. The mornings are getting lighter. The days are stretching out. There's a little more warmth in the air and suddenly it doesn't feel quite so hard to get out of bed in the morning — or leave the house again at night.

Spring has always felt like a season of new beginnings. We open the windows. Spend a little more time outside. Things that have been dormant through winter start growing again. And perhaps we feel a little more ready to move too.

There's a natural energy to spring that makes it feel like a good time to start something. Or restart something. Or simply try something different.

Which got me thinking about beginnings. Because in yoga, beginning isn't something we do just once.

We are all beginners.

The 26+2 hot yoga sequence is, quite literally, a beginner's yoga practice.

The same 26 beginner postures and two breathing exercises are practised in the same order, every class. And while the practice stays the same, we don't.

We bring a different body to the mat each day. One day strong and energised, another tired and stiff. Something that felt easy last week can feel surprisingly difficult today - forcing us to begin again. Perhaps we've sustained an injury and can no longer do what we could before - another opportunity to begin again.

The same goes for the mind. However long we've been practising, we're encouraged to bring a beginner's mindset to class. To listen. To notice. To stay curious rather than assuming we already know what today's class will bring.

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And perhaps that's why the idea of beginning again feels so at home in this practice.

There's a well-known Bikram sentiment about never being too old, too sick, too injured or too late to start from scratch again.

Maybe you've never practised yoga before. Maybe you're returning to something you haven't done for a while. Or maybe you've done these same postures hundreds of times.

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What happens when we begin?

In some ways, our Winter Challenge gave our studio community an opportunity to put this idea into practice.

For some, it meant beginning to practise a little more often. For others, challenging themselves, making more time for themselves or simply seeing what might happen if they kept showing up.

Day by day. Class by class.

At the end of the six weeks, we asked everyone to stop and notice what had changed. And the results gave us a lovely glimpse of what can happen when we begin.

87.5% said their physical wellbeing had improved. Almost 70% felt improvements in their mental wellbeing. More than 60% said they'd become better at making time for themselves, while others noticed greater confidence and consistency in their practice.

The individual reflections perhaps said even more.

People talked about improved strength and flexibility. Less stiffness. Feeling calmer and more grounded. Sleeping better. Becoming more comfortable in class. And beginning to understand instructions and postures that hadn't made sense before.
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One newer student reflected:

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I love that.

Because beginning doesn't mean everything suddenly changes. Most of the time, it doesn't. We begin. We return. We learn a little. We wobble. We try again. And gradually, something shifts.
Although apparently there is one thing that can speed the whole process along. Stickers!
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When we asked what helped people stay committed to the Challenge, among the answers were:

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So perhaps the ancient yogis missed something. Sometimes all we really need is a hot room and a sparkly sticker.

A good time to begin.

Spring gives us a pretty good excuse to begin.

Maybe that means stepping onto a yoga mat for the first time. Maybe it's trying Hot Pilates and discovering muscles you didn't know you had. Maybe it's slowing things right down with a Yin class. Or perhaps it's simply coming into the same 26+2 class you've done a hundred times and seeing what today brings.

Beginning doesn't always have to mean doing something big or completely new.

Sometimes it's simply being willing to try. You don't need to wait until you're fitter. Or more flexible. Or have the time. Or until you feel completely ready.
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You just start with the body, mind and life you have today.

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No big reinvention. No grand plan. Just begin. And tomorrow, begin again.
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P.S. If you've ever wondered why, after hundreds of classes, we still call 26+2 a beginner's yoga practice, we'll come back to that one next month.