Can you really find inner peace in a public place?

Shubnum Khan joins a yoga class in one of Durban's parks to find out

Often while walking along Durban's beach promenade I've spotted a group of yoga enthusiasts on the Snake Park lawns and wondered about the experience of performing such a personal practice in such a public space.

I enjoy yoga, but usually do it in the privacy of my own sitting room with Jillian Michaels shouting at me to drop my heart into my belly. So in the spirit of 2017's resolution to enjoy my city more, I grabbed my yoga mat and headed for the beach at sunset for Lauren Crichton's SurfSup yoga classes.

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Crichton, 29, left the corporate world of retail in 2014 to pursue two of her dreams: teaching yoga and sharing Durban's beauty with others.

Her classes include surfing, SUP (stand-up paddleboard) and yoga, and she holds events and retreats that combine her classes.

She believes that practising outdoors is more beneficial than doing it inside because connecting with nature can heal, soothe and restore the body.

I keep this in mind as I lie on my mat and try not to think about the steadily growing sound of insects buzzing in the background.

At first, I'm uncomfortable - aware of the people on the promenade, of the creepy crawlies, of the grass beneath my mat and of the fact that I seem to be facing the wrong way from everyone else.

But like most new experiences the adjustment is gradual, and soon I'm in sync with Crichton's gentle instructions.

By the time I'm in cobra (a backbend yoga pose) I've forgotten about the insects and the passers-by and I'm suddenly aware of how the city is beginning to light up. The strip of land at Ushaka's bend is glittering, windows brighten up buildings along the coast and I realise I'm watching how a city comes to life as my body does too.

Aptly, as the pace begins to pick up, the darkness intensifies and the roar of the sea becomes louder.

It's a fine balance when you find the place where the rhythm of the outdoors meets the rhythm you're trying to achieve internally.

It's probably why Crichton has such a strong following, with regulars making their way from Westville and Umhlanga for both her sunrise and sunset classes and even to her retreats in places as far as Indonesia.

Michela Casasola, a student who had just joined (and who, unlike me, was always facing the right direction) said it was the perfect setting and she was sure to return. Carla van Rooyen, a regular at Crichton's classes, said the classes have changed her life. The sunrise programme helps prepare her for the day, while the sunset session helps her to unwind.

I certainly did feel that I had unwound. Most of my worries were unfounded: passers-by seemed as uninterested in us as we were in them, the bugs didn't bite and I wasn't half as awkward as I thought I would be.

When I was lying in the restorative pose shavasana, looking up at the sky over the city I love, I thought: "It really doesn't get much better than this."

• SurfSup Yoga sunset classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30pm-6:30pm on the Snake Park lawns.

• This article was originally published in The Times.