DISCO YOGA IS MY NEW FAVOURITE KIND OF YOGA

possibly because before disco yoga i didn't have a favourite kind of yoga, but whatever the case, i do now. i'd heard about the alternate-exercise craze a few times through the guys who run musical bingo (my favourite kind of bingo), but never really been drawn in - possibly because i'm not that big into yoga. or exercise. or a combination of both. again, whatever, the fact remains: i never went.

then, a few weeks back i was invited to come along to a class as part of a bigger event to help promote a new natural overnight recharge remedy (more on that in a bit), and i was puzzled as to how the two were connected - a dance class and sleeping tonic, but i was keen to find out. especially because i've made a deal with myself to do more things to make me happy, and i think that disco-anything is the kinda stuff i had in mind for that. plus, if musical bingo is anything to go by, then disco yoga was going to be a breeze... how wrong i was.

i was running so late from work, so by the time charlie and i had made it to trapeze bar by old street and changed into our 'athleisure wear', i was sweating buckets already. add one sweaty human to an underground window-less room with disco lighting and jazzy yoga, and you're in for a very hot, and very uncomfortable ride. i put in a good five minutes worth of effort before i really thought i might slip over in my own sweat and/or pass out from overheating, but the sweet, sweet angel that is dj darlo soon came to my rescue with a bottle of cold water so i could re hydrate whilst i re balanced.

from there it was an hour of yoga, but not as you know it. set to the hits from the dance floor of the 70s, classic yoga moves became "disco dog" and "lotus queen" while we partied our way from pose to pose like the dancing queens we are. and you know what? after an hour i was fricken exhausted, so i can confirm that it's a genuine exercise class, and not just a laugh. for the sixteen quid you pay for the honour (plus bonus disco ball cocktail at the end to celebrate a class well done!), you do at least want to walk (or hobble in my case) away with a sense of achievement. and i definitely did.

i've been going on about it to everyone at work since, too, and trying to convince all the girls at work to come with me for a team bonding night. they're all saying yes to placate me, but i'm sure they think it sounds ridiculous. to be fair, i also thought it was ridiculous, until i was there, so... i'll get through to them... somehow.

so now, what's this got to do with an overnight recharge treatment? i guess because yoga is meditation and meditation aides sleep and sleep makes you energetic and you need lots of energy for disco yoga (fact). the fact that i have trouble a) sleeping, b) waking up, and c) feeling human without coffee is not a secret; i have legitimately tried every single herbal, medicinal, and physical remedy on the market, with little success. yes, my medication helps in a way - it lowers my anxiety which makes sleeping less of a mind fuck, but i will never be one of these people who can fall asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow or who rolls out of the bed with glee in the morning - i just won't. well, benenox reckons i could be, actually.

this new product claims to reduce tiredness and fatigue, support your mental health function, and helps to maintain normal energy production, all with a night's sleep. the fact is that when you sleep, we think we're resting. what actually happens is your brain - for obvious reasons - continues to function and in doing so, uses a lot of energy while your body rests. benenox is a combination of honey, sustamine, and vitamin b-6, which - when taken before bed can supplement your body's stored energy levels to support good quality sleep, leaving you feeling full of energy the following day. 15ml is all it takes, and one bottle fulfils around nine servings.

i tried it two days in a row prior to the yoga class, to mixed results. on the first night i was feeling particularly restless, and i found that though the remedy didn't help me fall asleep (though, it doesn't claim to), i did feel more energised in the morning. i still went through my daily ritual of allofthecoffee though, so i'm not too sure where the effects stopped. i do know that they were there. the second night though? nothing. i was stressed from work and the gym, and i probably was too "jazzed up" before bed to really feel any benefits. when i chatted about these results with the other guests, there were some mutters of agreement, and some not.

charlie tried it every day for a week, and only realised on the last day that she too had been going through the motions every morning, without noticing any changes. then, on the morning of the event, didn't have her usual coffee. she wanted to test whether she was just in a habit, or it her body needed it, and.. she felt great. no coffee, no withdrawals, no headaches or cravings.. so, perhaps the key is persistence? i am definitely willing to give it another go, and in fact, plan to take it with me to japan to see if it can combat the jet lag i'll likely face at both ends.

so, i'm pretty excited to have another little helper in combating those sluggish mornings - especially as we come into autumn and become a lot less bright. what about you; how are your mornings getting on? at £12.49* a bottle - just over a quid a night for a better head start on the day, is this something you'd consider for yourself?

*i was a guest of benenox, but all words are my own.