“You should try yoga!” can feel like patronising advice, especially at the start of a new year when the pressure to overhaul your lifestyle and become a ‘new you’ is pretty noisy. And social media certainly has no shortage of miracle supplements, detox diets, and reformer pilates classes to flood onto our feeds, making us feel like there’s always a better version of ourselves just around some very expensive corner. It seems like every week there’s a new wellness micro-trend to remedy every ailment, every stress, every deficiency you’ve ever suffered.

Physical and spiritual practices such as yoga have enriched human communities since ancient times, and across the University, colleges have started to include yoga classes in the list of wellbeing activities on offer for students. For thousands of years, yoga has been said to facilitate self-knowledge and connection to a higher self, with serial yoga-goers swearing by its transformative power to still the mind, compose the body, and unknot tensions that you might not even have noticed you had.

“Can an hour spent contorting my limbs whilst desperately trying to imitate the motions of an instructor really be relaxing?”

Yet, for the averagely-flexible, perhaps slightly sceptical person, the concept might seem too good to be true. Can an hour spent contorting my limbs whilst desperately trying to imitate the motions of an instructor really be relaxing? My 16-year-old, overwhelmed and anxious self would probably have wondered the same thing. But, in an effort to get a change of scenery, escape from my desk, and just give my brain a break, I decided to go to a yoga class. Myself and my cheap TK Maxx yoga mat found the shadowy back corner of the studio, smiled awkwardly at the mothers of people I went to primary school with, and hoped for the best. Whilst I must admit that it takes some getting used to, once I embraced the slight absurdity of flinging my left foot into a three-legged downwards-facing dog, the experience was completely rewarding. In a grind culture which insists on productivity and progress, setting aside an hour of stillness felt almost rebellious. The sensation of flow through each movement, and the awareness of my breathing, suddenly reminded me that we exist as physical bodies too, not just busy and overloaded minds.

Rather than targeting and aiming to alter specific parts of the body, yoga is a truly holistic practice which seeks to align the mind and the body. Through a combination of physical sequences, active breathing techniques, and meditation, you should leave a yoga class having found a sense of balance, both within yourself, and a connection with the world around you.

“once I embraced the slight absurdity of flinging my left foot into a three-legged downwards-facing dog, the experience was completely rewarding”

More and more Cambridge colleges are incorporating yoga classes as an activity for staff and students alike. At Lucy Cavendish, the balmy aroma of incense fills the Nautilus conservatory twice a week as the space becomes a restful yoga studio. Creating a refuge from the chatter and busyness of the day, these classes are an invaluable opportunity to learn from professional instructors, improving physical mobility as well as mental focus. In summer, Cambridge’s beautiful outdoor spaces are used too – with the sunny lawns at Jesus College providing a fitting backdrop to feel truly present and grounded, as you move in synergy with nature.

So, whilst it may not be for everyone, a college yoga class could be the perfect addition to your routine this year. By hosting these classes, colleges are offering students the opportunity to embrace a new way of exercising which takes a holistic approach to wellness, promising steady progress rather than instant results. The discipline and concentration that the practice instils can translate into everyday work too: practising breathing and meditation techniques sharpens focus and eases distractions. To truly transform our mindset and handle stress effectively, we could have a lot to gain from the teachings of centuries of tradition.