If you’re no good at mindfulness or meditation, you may be looking for your zen in the wrong place. After years of trying to focus, I found that all I had to do to stay grounded and calm was to slip on a pair of ballet shoes.  

The change came in the form of a tendu. It’s a movement where you take your foot forward along the floor in ballet. It looks like the easiest thing in the world, but it’s the foundation upon which everything else is built and doing it perfectly means contracting every single muscle in your leg, supporting from your core and squeezing your butt. Think of it a bit like the ballet version of a squat – if you’re doing your tendus properly, you’re probably going to be sweating. I learnt almost immediately that when you’re doing ballet – even if you are astronomically good at it – it is nigh on impossible to concentrate on what your feet and arms are supposed to be doing and think about anything else at the same time.