The joy of flex: a yoga retreat in Dharamsala

It's 5am, and after having washed off last night's toxins with a cold shower, I'm putting on light cotton clothes and preparing for my practice. This is the second day of the retreat, and I'm a little nervous: meditation is new to me, and sitting for a long time in the lotus position feels unfamiliar.

When I reach the meditation room, the group is quiet since we've been told by our guru, Swamiji, that unnecessary talking is a waste of energy.

I'm in the heartland of spirituality, Dharamsala, at the foot of the mighty mountain range with many peaks of over 7,000 metres. The reason for my visit? A focused week of chanting, meditation and yoga.

I've enjoyed the exercise side of yoga on and off for a long time, but lately I have also started to become fascinated with the spiritual side. When I found out about the Ashram in the hills, I knew this was my moment to take my yoga one step further.