Recent Articles in Duration

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: 30 minutes

Emphasis: In this class you'll be strengthening and stretching your hip flexors. Your primary hip flexors are the Iliacus muscle and the Psoas Major muscle - collectively called the Iliopsoas. These muscles are deep within your body, on either side of the low spine, and they lie over the front of the pelvis and join your upper thigh bone. They are responsible for lifting up your thigh, for example when you are marching, running or walking up stairs. You'll also be strengthening and stretching your front of thigh muscles and also your hip extensor muscles which include your glutes and your hamstrings. This is all quite science-y and anatomical but all you really need to know is that these movements are very helpful for all of us as, in our society, we sit a lot and the hip flexors can become tight and weak. Expect mostly lunge movements (one leg is in flexion and the other in extension) and squats plus some nice, quiet stretches at the end.

Props required: Two blocks plus a blanket for your knees/hips.

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

Duration: 20 minutes

Emphasis: This is a 20 minute flow for you to practise when you don't have much time. Although short, it is a well-rounded class with forward bends, backbends, side bends and twists to give your whole body a little short of movement medicine.

Props required: You might need a blanket for your knees.

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

Duration: 45 minutes

Emphasis: This is a vinyasa flow class with a bit of a difference. As you move through the Sun Salutations and come out of Downward Facing Dog, each of the standing poses will be held for 5 breaths. The long holds are what you would expect to find in an Iyengar practice - they focus the mind, give you time to check the alignment in your body and regulate your breathing. And they make you stronger too!

Props required: None required unless you'd like a blanket over you in Savasana.

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

Duration: 1hr 15 minutes

Emphasis: You'll start with a short and simple meditation and then move onto some kneeling and lunge warm-ups which focus on loosening up your shoulders. This week's Sun Salutation sequences feature practising stepping through from Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) to Lunge (Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana) and then moving the arm in circles in Half Side Arm Balance (Ardha Vasisthasana) and Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana). In the next sequence there is some optional progression to Side Arm Balance (Vasisthasana). Seated poses include Torso Stretch Pose (Bharadvajasana), Archer Pose (Akarna Dhanurasana) and Heron Pose (Krounchasana).

Props required: A blanket, a brick and a belt.

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

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.

Duration: 24 minutes

Emphasis: After warming up with a round of Sun Salutation A, the following sequence includes a kneeling backbend Camel Pose (Ustrasana), some variations of Crescent Moon Pose (Anjaneyasana), an angled lunge with a side-stretch and Standing Splits (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana). The next round moves from kneeling lunges to standing ones - Warrior 1 Pose variations (Virabhadrasana I), the angled lunge again with the back knee lifted, an extra Revolved Lunge Twist (Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana) and Standing Splits (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana). Coming down to the floor you'll do some supine twists (Jathara Parivartanasana) and Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana) before relaxing in Constructive Rest Pose.

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

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

Duration: 35 minutes

Emphasis: This class is a bit of a workout - but it's very do-able! Multiple rounds of Sun Salutations which feature a different exercise with hand weights at the end of each one. 

Props needed: If you don't have hand weights you can use water bottles or tins of tomatoes/beans instead.

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