Yogi Spotlight on Bella

About Me

My name is Bella Minichiello. I’m 27 and work as a Senior Support Worker in a children’s home. I first discovered Jordanna’s yoga classes in 2023 after seeing a poster at the Hunter Club. At the time I was trying to move away from the nights-out drinking lifestyle and reconnect with myself by doing something that would genuinely make me feel good.

My Yoga Journey

Yoga actually started for me much earlier. As a child I used to copy my mum doing her yoga practice at home before we started going to classes together. Later, when I went to university, yoga fell away as I got swept up in independence and trying to figure out who I was and how I wanted to spend my time.

After moving back to Suffolk after lockdown, seeing the poster for Jordanna’s class reminded me how much I had loved yoga when I was younger.

Once I started coming to class I realised I had found something I hadn’t even known I was looking for — a crowd of people who quietly understood me. That sense of belonging became a big part of why I kept coming back. I also discovered that yoga was something I actually felt good at. I loved the feeling that you can arrive exactly as you are and simply do what you can.

Practice & Preferences

My favourite yoga pose is Bow Pose. I never expected a pose to bring out such childhood joy, but rocking back and forth in it always makes me smile.

A close second is Lizard Pose, which gives me an incredible stretch while also allowing me to focus on calm breathing.

My least favourite pose is definitely Seated Forward Fold — years of working jobs where I’m constantly on my feet means my hamstrings refuse to cooperate! If I can get past my knees I feel like I’ve achieved something.

Life off the Mat

Outside of yoga I really enjoy creative activities such as painting, drawing, sewing and writing poetry. I’m currently working on an embroidery tablecloth covered in little flowers and vines.

Yoga also finds its way into my work life. I sometimes share simple yoga or breathing practices with the children and colleagues at work to help everyone settle in the evenings. This has led to some unusual yoga locations — including a bunny garden so we could sit with the animals, and once even on top of a tree stump during a summer evening walk.

Mind–Body Connection

Yoga has a huge impact on my mood and mindset. If I miss a week of classes I notice my anxiety creeping back in.

One particularly powerful moment was when I came to class straight after a therapy session. I remember lying in child’s pose and suddenly feeling very emotional. The room was quiet, everyone in their own practice bubble, and I realised my body really needed that space — both to connect with myself and to feel quietly connected to others.

Community and Connection

Being part of Jordanna’s yoga community has had a really positive effect on how I see myself and others. It feels like a space where individuality is respected and understood.

Sometimes coming to class feels like a big meet-up with my aunties — the good things in life are celebrated and the difficult things are supported.

Wellness Wisdom

Alongside yoga I often journal. Sometimes that’s traditional diary writing, other times it’s creative “junk journaling”. I often notice that after yoga my mind feels clearer and it’s easier to check in with how I’m actually feeling.

On busy days I remind myself that practice doesn’t have to be a full session. Even a few stretches or some intentional breathing with my morning coffee can create a small moment of calm.

Growth and Inspiration

When I first started coming to yoga classes I was quite self-conscious and worried everyone was looking at me and judging how I was doing the poses.

Over time I realised that was just my own anxiety being projected outward. Once I recognised that, it became much easier to focus on my own practice and accept that everyone else is simply on their own journey too.

Passing It On

If I could give advice to someone new to yoga it would be this: no one is looking at you.

Not in an unkind or dismissive way, but because everyone is focused on their own practice. Yoga can feel physically and emotionally vulnerable at first, but it quickly becomes a space where you can simply be yourself.

Looking Forward

I would love to do a yoga teacher training course one day. Even if I finished it and decided teaching wasn’t for me, I know the experience itself would help me grow.

If I could invent a yoga pose it would be called Excited Child Pose — because that’s exactly how yoga makes me feel. Like reconnecting with the excited inner child who gets to do something she loves with people she cares about.