Now is a great time to try a new exercise class. Thankfully, the amazing yoga teachers of Oxford and the city’s well-loved yoga venues are beaming up live classes via WiFi. I usually practice at Yoga Quota and am now taking the opportunity to dip my toe into the waters of Prana Yoga, usually based at a studio on Walton St - though this time, of course, I do the class in my own back garden, without the structure of a studio.

The class is bookable on the Mindbody app, which advises sourcing props such as blankets to add warmth, books to be used as yoga blocks and duvets to act as bolsters, in order to create the studio experience at home. Scarves and dressing gown belts can also be used, to provide resistance to moves. I chose the Vin Yin class as this is a mixture of Vinyasa flow to build fire in the body and Yin poses to stretch out the muscles.

This is my first experience of a live-streamed class. The instructor, Venetia Adamson, welcomes me as soon as I pop up in the Zoom room and there is an option to switch my video screen off if I prefer. The music for the class is available on a Spotify playlist and clicking on the link for this is optional. It works fine listening to Venetia’s calm, clear instructions with the birds in my garden as background noise.

I am surprised at how a yoga class online has the same enriching quality as a class done in person at a studio. The side profile of the instructor is clearly visible on the screen, which makes each move easy to follow. A complete beginner to yoga may benefit from knowing what a plank and a child’s pose is in advance, although there is always the opportunity to jump back into the flowing routine with a down dog. Venetia gives easy versions of the movements, as well as tougher variations for those with legs like spaghetti noodles. Two of the Yin poses that are particularly rewarding are caterpillar and stag pose; both are a perfect choice for easing away tension after several hours spent working from home.

During the class I connect to my breath by inviting it in: this is a lovely resource to use during lockdown. The yoga mat feels like a safe space and I am encouraged to step away (mentally) from the room I have been in all day. Venetia explains that Yin yoga, where poses are held to restore the body, is a good way to embrace and work with boredom.

The class is a valuable solace. Just fully charge up a smart device, dig out some cushions and say hello to a new yoga community.