For a while I concentrate on my breath and try to get my tears under control.

But even with my eyes closed, I sense someone coming closer until they’re standing over me. I take a peek and see Sal looming, regarding me with a mixture of pity and kindness.

‘Yoga can sometimes be an emotional release. Don’t be embarrassed about crying. Realize that it’s doing you good to let go, to feel the emotions.’ He pauses and rests a warm, tea-tree-infused towel over my eyes. I feel like I’m in a spa, but also kinda gross, because where did the towel come from? ‘Breathe, have a sip of water, and only leave when you feel ready. There is no class in here for an hour, so you have plenty of time to collect your thoughts.’ With that he leaves me alone.

Post-shower and make-up removal I’m still a bit puffy and numbed, like when you have a cold. I can’t quite walk properly, but eventually I zombie out of the changing room and spot Tilly ogling the overpriced yoga clothes.

‘Bea! I loved the class. And I love these leggings.’

They are far too patterned for me, but I can see that Tilly would look great in them, so I nod.

‘Shall we get some food?’ I’m starving. Crying makes me hungry.

‘Oh, I’m doing this alternative day fasting thing, so I can’t really eat, but I could have tea? We have so much to catch up on!’

And we do. Somehow we haven’t seen each other for at least four months. How does this happen?

My hunger can wait, but hanging out with Tilly can’t. I’ll pick up food on the way home.

‘You grab the seats, I’ll grab the tea.’ She heads towards the seating area in the entryway whilst I potter over to the massive urn, fill a couple of glasses with an unknown herbal tea and narrowly miss knocking over a tray with my bag on the way back.

I sit down and try to shake off my feeling of numbness and concentrate instead on the friend sitting in front of me.

‘Tills, how was the yoga retreat?’

Part of the reason I haven’t seen Tilly for a while is because she’s been travelling. I don’t know where she gets the money from. I don’t think she really has a job, but I know that her parents aren’t bankrolling her either.

‘It was amazing! I didn’t realize until I got there, but it was a silent retreat, absolutely no talking allowed.’ The one thing Tilly loves more than yoga is talking. ‘I loved it so much that I ended up staying for a whole month!’ A nod is all the encouragement she needs to keep going. ‘It was so enlightening. When I first emerged into the non-silent world, I felt so rejuvenated. The effect was transformative. It’s such a shame because, as with all these things, I can no longer feel the full effects, but when I feel low, or overwhelmed, I try to remember what I felt like during that month and I immediately start to feel more in control again.’ A mini pause as she gazes up to the ceiling, probably trying to remember what it was like to be silent. ‘I kept a diary. Wanna see it?’