The Conservatoire, Blackheath, 6 March 2023

Quick poses to begin: three of 1-minute, which I timed for the class by counting in my head “30, 30, 29, 29, 28, 28…“, then 5 and 10 minutes timed by tutor Victoria Rance shrewdly using a clock. One long pose would follow. Arriving at The Conservatoire, I had agreed to stand for the long pose so I sat for the 5 and 10 minutes. I think I must have sat well, however, as the plan was changed and I sat for the long pose too.

We started the long pose a few minutes before 8pm and would be staying with it until 10pm. I’d been offered stretch breaks every 20 minutes but declined the first two and instead went through till close to 9pm before taking time-out. I’d taken care with each angled limb, twisted muscle and supporting pressure point, to ensure the pose would be as ache-free and sustainable for as long as possible.

I’ve probably said before but it’s worth saying again: on a long pose, make the period before the first break last as long as possible. The reason? We relax when creating a new pose, but we must tense our muscles to recreate it – it’s not possible to relax the same way twice. I had one more arm-stretch before the session reached its end. And then: the artworks… such wonderful drawings! A particularly rewarding session.