Recent Articles in Hatha Yoga

Duration: 22 minutes

Emphasis: Engage the back muscles then stretch them out in these sequences, relieving stiffness and encouraging mobility and ease of movement.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on if required.

Mat direction: Either - you choose.

Duration: 26 minutes

Emphasis: If you're feeling stiff and creaky and want a good stretch this is the class for you. Perfect if you've been cycling or running or when you just want to do a bit of slow and gentle movement, you'll start at the feet and move up the body, breathing deeply and stretching out any tight areas.

Props required: A blanket to kneel on if required.

Mat direction: Long edge of the mat facing the screen.

Duration: 30 minutes

Emphasis: Grab a set of light weights and do this workout to strengthen your arms, core and legs. There are some standing squats and lunges, and some kneeling exercises, with between 3 and repetitions each side.

Props required: A set of light dumbells (or a couple of tins of tomatoes or you can even do it without any weights at all) and a blanket to kneel on if required.

Mat direction: Long edge of the mat facing the screen.

Duration: 19 minutes

Emphasis: Our spines get a little compressed by gravity as we are upright during the course of each day, and at night as we sleep they lengthen back out again.  In this Hatha class you'll be introducing a bit of traction to help relieve pressure on the discs and nerves and realign your spine. You'll do mostly standing poses such as Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana) and Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana) but also a seated variation of Garland Pose (Malasana) plus a couple of Downward Facing Dogs (Adho Mukha Svanasana) too.

Props required: Two blocks.

Mat direction: Long edge of the mat facing the screen.

Duration: 19 minutes

Emphasis: This gentle sequence is designed to stretch out and mobilise your whole body. You'll do twists, backbends and forward bends in various familiar poses.

Props required: You might want a blanket under your knees.

Mat direction: Short edge of the mat facing the screen.

Duration: 23 minutes

Emphasis: Ease out stiff and creaky joints in your neck, shoulders, spine, hips, legs and feet in this gentle seated class.

Props: None needed unless you'd like a blanket to sit on.

Mat direction: Short edge of the mat facing the screen.

Duration: 12 minutes

Emphasis: Enjoy 12 minutes of rest and relaxation in Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani). You'll pause your busy day to reset and rejuvinate yourself, gently stretching your legs, back, shoulders and arms.

Props required: A wall, a yoga belt, a block and a blanket.

Mat direction: Short edge of the mat against the wall.

Duration: 14 minutes

Emphasis: This short Iyengar-style class uses the wall to help you get some really good, deep stretches. You'll use it to keep your back straight in Staff Pose (Dandasana) and Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana), stretch your calf muscles and increase your ankle mobility in Garland Pose (Malasana), strongly turn your spine in Seated Twist (Marichyasana III) and open your shoulders and stretch your arms in a variation of Easy Pose (Sukhasana). You can do this as a stand-alone class or you can add on the Supine Wall Stretches (December 2024) to make a longer practice.

Props required: A wall.

Mat direction: Short edge of the mat against the wall.

Duration: 37 minutes

Emphasis: This is a strong Iyengar-style class where we focus on standing postures, using the wall to help bring attention to the alignment of the body. You'll do Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II), Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana), Revolved Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana), Tree Pose (Vrksasana) and Chair Pose (Utkatasana), holding all the poses for 3 breaths

Props required: Some clear wall space and a brick.

Mat direction: Long edge of the mat facing the screen.

Duration: 29 minutes

Emphasis: Starting with some foot and ankle mobility work, you'll gradually work your way up the body, moving the hip joints, strengthening the core muscles, doing a backbend, a forward bend, a side-bend and a twist, moving the shoulder joints, strengthening the arms and hands and, finally, there's a bit of gentle movement for the neck. Every pose is done seated on a chair.

Props required: A chair and a brick

Mat direction: N/A.

Duration: 18 minutes

Emphasis: In this short class there are 5 different sequences - each one features a core strengthener, a gentle backbend and a forward bend. You'll repeat each sequence twice and then finish with a short Savasana, either lying on your back or possibly lying on your front in Crocodile Pose (Makrasana). It's short but it's a complete practice - you'll have moved your body in all directions.

Props required: A blanket for under your knees if required.

Mat direction: Either - you choose.

Duration: 36 minutes

Emphasis: You can do this class sitting on the floor or, if you prefer, you can do it seated on a chair. There are also a couple of kneeling poses right at the end. The focus is on your hands, arms, upper chest and back and your shoulders - stretching the muscles and other tissues and mobilising the joints.

Props required: A blanket to sit on and for under your knees plus a chair if required.

Mat direction: Either - you choose.