BEACH BODY
YOU MIGHT THINK PATRICK BEACH LEADS A CHARMED LIFE, JETTING AROUND THE GLOBE TEACHING AT WELLNESS RETREATS. BUT IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT SHOWING OFF ON INSTAGRAM, WHERE 334,000 FOLLOW HIS ADVENTURES. IT’S HIS DEDICATION TO THE ART THAT’S MADE HIM ONE OF THE MOST IN-DEMAND YOGA INSTRUCTORS AROUND AND NOW VIRGIN ACTIVE’S GLOBAL YOGA AMBASSADOR
WORDS: ADAM DUXBURY // PHOTOGRAPHY: MARKUS BIDAUX
What brings you to the UK?
I’m working on a huge yoga project with Virgin Active. I’m their global yoga ambassador and we’ve been working for the past six months to create a programme that’s more accessible to people — people of all levels of fitness, all levels of activity and all levels of yoga. We even have a beginners’ programme that I created to help those who might have looked at yoga and said: “What the heck is that?”
And yoga isn’t just one thing, is it? How would you demystify it for a complete novice?
One of the best things to do is to take a beginner’s programme, or sample different types of practices because every style is slightly different; some are more intense, some are faster, some are slower, some are calmer and some are meditative. If you try one kind of yoga and it’s not your cup of tea, then try something else — you will find something that works for you.