Wash or wipe? The odd lesson this MD learnt from a yoga guru in India

Dean Willemsen is managing director of construction group Prime Build. He lives in Sydney.

How did you get into yoga and how long have you been practising it?
I met a woman in Los Angeles who was cool, calm and collected. After discovering she was a yoga teacher, I knew it was for me (as I was anything but). I promptly booked flights and travelled to Arhanta Yoga Ashram in Khajuraho, central India, to study yoga for a month. I learnt about meditation, Eastern philosophy and physical, practical asanas [poses] in a life-altering journey, totally disconnected from life at home in Sydney. That was almost five years ago.

What kind of yoga do you do?
Hatha yoga [traditional style].

Do you go to a class or do it at home, and how often do you practise?
Not enough. My wife and I attend a weekly class at Baulkham Hills and practise at least once a week at home.

Do you have a guru or favourite teacher?
I admire James who runs the practice we attend. He recently received his Gold Opal Card [transport concession card for the over-60s] and can still hold postures that most yogis only dream of.

Do you feel different now compared with when you started?
Absolutely. I considered myself very inflexible, with tight hamstrings. I could not touch my toes – and thought I never would. Yoga helps the body to be the best version of itself and my flexibility continues to improve with practise.

Favourite pose?
Head stand – a body position foreign to anyone like me who didn’t grow up doing handstands and the like. The best thing about this pose is that with practise, anyone can do it.

Least favourite pose?
Dhanurasana, the bow pose, because my body doesn’t seem to bend that way (which really means this is what I should be working on most). I also cannot do supta virasana, the reclining hero pose with your legs folded virtually parallel to your back – my genetics will simply not allow it.

What about the spiritual aspects of yoga?
Yoga means to meet oneself. The physical practice is only part of the overall philosophy that, in my view, is all about getting to know who you really are. I would not describe myself as spiritual, but I value learning more about myself and how I approach the uncomfortable parts of life. Yoga has helped with that.