Remember how I told you about my Mother’s Day surprise? Well, shortly after that, and for no reason I can imagine, Mum bought me a collar with a little bell on. This is a nuisance as it makes it almost impossible for me to stalk any prey that’s not stone deaf. My kills were way down and the constant jingling turned me into a nervous wreck. She also locked my cat door in the evenings so I had to spend the entire night in the house! Yes, you heard me correctly: the entire night!
You can imagine the state I was in. I paced the floors, howled in frustration, did a pooh in a bad place, scratched Mum and Dad’s bedroom door – you get the picture. Life wasn’t worth living. Then one night, in utter frustration, I pounced on the TV remote control and chanced upon a programme that has changed my life: a yoga course! It was soothing and reassuring, relaxing and stretching, and when it had ended I felt I was floating on air – wonderful! I’ve watched it every night since and am turning into quite a Yogi.
In case you want to give it a go, here are some simple postures to help your mind and body unwind.
Start in a comfortable sitting position and observe your breath: in and out – in and out: see – it’s easy!
Now arch your back as far as it will go, paying particular attention to your tail, which should perform a graceful circle – like so.
Then bend the other way: paws forward, head down. This posture is called *whispers* ‘Down Dog’ *giggles*, which is why I didn’t take a photo of it. Repeat those two postures several times, until you feel your spine getting supple and long...
Now for a spine twist; sit down, slip your hind legs to one side and push off with your forelegs. Hold this posture for five breaths, then repeat on the other side. Doesn’t that feel good?
Finally, lie down and relax. You’ll be asleep in seconds!