A call to the southern state (Australian Capital Territory) for duty as an uncle and the opportunity to put my body through its paces – Bikram Yoga, mountain biking and bunch rides with a few Crossfit training sessions thrown in.

No Bikram Yoga in Canberra, I hear you mutter? Well luck has it my good friends, Nick and Ally have recently relocated here. Ally, an accredited Bikram teacher, is in the process of setting up a mini studio in her house for personal practice and private instruction. If you think a standard Bikram Yoga class is powerful, try a “one on one” workshop!

As Ally guided me through each posture, I wondered… was there sacred, unspoken wisdom behind the standard dialogue that would open up my body for the perfect Standing Bow? Alas it was not so, my Standing Bow may as well be called knotted plank pose.

However, a “one on one” gives you the opportunity to pause and ask questions, expose your weaknesses, harness your strengths and take your postures to the next level. With subtleties fleshed out, tweaked and put into muscle memory, I floated out the door, stress and futility replaced by happiness and contentment.

I really didn’t think I’d have that much fun in Canberra but a great time was had with family and friends. Bunch rides (road cycling) with my brother, Mick and mountain biking and Crossfit training with Nick.

It was action packed and I definitely worked my body, but I still rate Bikram Yoga as the perfect all rounder. Strength, stretching, alignment and mind/body control rolled into one.

If you’re in Canberra and would like an introduction to Bikram, let me know and I will refer you to Ally, whose studio will hopefully be up and running soon.