Recent Articles in 20-40 minutes

Duration: 35 minutes

Emphasis: If you've been running, cycling or playing other sports such as tennis, you've probably been in forward flexion, slightly hunched over with your shoulders up. Your hands will have been gripping handlebars, water bottle or racquet, your hip flexors and leg muscles will have been working hard and a good whole body stretch will help to lengthen and loosen you, aiding recovery and helping you maintain a good range of movement. This class will take you through the body, stretching those areas particularly prone to tightness caused by exercise, with shoulder openers, lunges and gentle spinal extension. You don't need to have done exercise first though - this is a lovely stretch at any time which will enhance your yoga practice and daily life too.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on if needed, a couple of blocks or bricks.

Duration: 24 minutes

Emphasis:  Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani) is known to be one of the most restorative of yoga poses. It has many benefits including reducing swelling and discomfort in the feet and legs by improving the circulation of the blood, and also relaxing the nervous system. In this class you'll enjoy some quiet time using the wall to support you in this pose. You'll also use the wall to help you explore some other poses too, including Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana), Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) and also, if your knees are happy for you to try it, a preparation for Half Lotus Pose (Ardha Padmasana). These poses are hip-openers and in the supine position you might find you can access a deeper stretch. This class is especially useful to do at the end of the day and/or if you are tired.

Props needed: A blanket, a block and a yoga belt.

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

Duration: 24 minutes

Emphasis:  In this straightforward flow class I guide you through Sun Salutation A as a warm up then 3 sequences that include poses such as Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II), Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana), Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Warrior 1 Pose (Virabhadrasana I), Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana), Warrior 3 Pose (Virabhadrasana III) and Childs Pose (Balasana). After some seated stretches the practice finishes with Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) and Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana). I tell you the movements and the poses but, as the title of the class implies, I don't offer instructions or alignment tips. This will give you some quiet headspace and allow you to focus on your breath and how your body feels in each posture.

Props needed: None needed.

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

Duration: 34 minutes

Emphasis:  We start this class with modified Sun Salutations - no stepping back and forward. The sequence progresses with Locust Pose (Salabasana) variations and some shoulder openers then, after setting up the mat and blanket, comes Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana). Once settled into the pose some variations are offered, including Plough Pose (Halasana), and then the counterpose for Shoulderstand, Fish Pose (Matsyasana). Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana), a supine twist and Reclined Bound Angle Pose( Supta Baddha Konasana) follow next before we finish the practice with Savasana. Please note: Although there are many benefits to practising Shoulderstand (calming to the nervous system, stretches upper back and neck, regulates the thyroid gland, helps digestion, restful for the heart as it doesn't have to pump the blood up to the legs, stimulates the lymphatic system and strengthens the whole body), it also has some contraindications (high blood pressure, eye, ear and neck problems, heart problems, pregnancy and menstruation, hiatus hernia) and should be practised with care.

Props needed: A blanket, 2 blocks and 2 bricks plus a yoga belt if you need it to join your hands together behind your back.

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

Duration: 30 minutes

Emphasis:  Help to keep your shoulder joints feeling 'oiled' and free whilst doing a bit of resistance work to strengthen the muscles too. The majority of this class is done standing (there's a Warrior 2 based sequence) and you'll be using a yoga belt, then right at the end there will be a few supine poses including Sphynx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana) and a relaxing supported backbend.

Props needed: A yoga belt, 2 blocks and a blanket.

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

Duration: 24 minutes

Emphasis:  In this Iyengar-style class the poses alternate between extending your arms out to the sides and lifting the arms up above your head. Expect familiar poses such as Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II), Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana), Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana), Tree Pose (Vrksasana), a Locust Pose variation (Salabhasana), Melting Heart Pose (Anahatasana), Revolved Abdomen Pose (Jathara Parivartanasana) and Upward Extended Feet Pose (Urdhva Prasarita Padasana). You'll also be working on your strength and stamina as you'll hold the poses for 3 breaths on each side.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on, and for Savasana.

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

Duration: 38 minutes

Emphasis:  Enjoy some empowering Sun Salutations with the added arm strengtheners of Revolved Lunge Pose (Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana) and Side Plank Pose (Vasisthasana) followed by some arm and wrists stretches and Bound Hands Warrior 1 Pose (Baddha Hasta Virabhadrasana I). There's also some seated and supine stretches too.

Props needed: A yoga belt and a blanket to kneel on if required and for Savasana.

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

Duration: 21 minutes

Emphasis:  This short class offers poses that will strengthen your arms, stretch your arms and help the mobility of your shoulder, elbow, wrist and finger joints. It's a great sequence to practise regularly if you sit at a computer for multiple hours a day and also just for general maintenance of your arms too. You can do the poses sitting on a chair or standing if you prefer.

Props needed: A chair (optional), a brick or block, a yoga belt.

Mat direction: n/a.

Duration: 23 minutes

Emphasis: Often in yoga there is a focus on flexibility and stretching but it is equally important to keep the muscles strong and in good condition to support the joints and keep them stable. The Sun Salutations in this flow include Locust Pose (Salabhasana), an accessible low backbend which strengthens the entire back of the body from your neck all the way down through the back, buttocks, back of thighs, calves and ankles.  Regular practice of this valuable backbend will be really helpful for preventative back care.

Props needed: A block, a blanket and a yoga belt.

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

Duration: 35 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class you'll strengthen your buttock muscles. Also known collectively as 'the glutes', there are 3 of these muscles: gluteus maximus which is the largest and most superficial, gluteus medius which is situated more towards the top and side of the buttocks and gluteus minimus which, as the name suggests, is the smallest and is situated beneath the gluteus medius. In our culture where we spend so much time sitting, the buttock muscles can become weak and, as their role is to stabilise the pelvis and the hips, this can lead to imbalances and injuries. So, in this class we'll be strengthening the buttocks, and giving them a good stretch out too. Expect repeated leg lifts to work the hamstrings and glutes, some squats, Bridge Pose (Setu Bhandasana) and Reverse Table Pose (Ardha Purvottanasana), plus some seated and supine poses to stretch things out too.

Props needed: A blanket, 2 bricks and a yoga belt.

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

Duration: 28 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class we'll alternate between flexion (bringing the knee in towards the chest) and extension (straightening the leg back behind you) to help improve mobility, range of movement, stability, strength and flexibility of the hip joint. After warming-up with some circling movements the first sequence takes us from Tabletop Pose (Bharmanasana) to Garland Pose (Malasana), to Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana), Half-Chair Pose (Ardha Utkatasana) to Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on and two blocks.

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

Duration: 27 minutes

Emphasis:  You'll warm up with a round of Sun Salutation B and then, in following rounds, Eagle Pose (Garudasana) and Revolved Forward Bend with Bent Knee variation (Parivrtta Uttanasana) are added in at the end of the flow. Blocks are offered to help with your balance and to stretch the leg straight in these poses but you'll notice that even your yoga teacher loses her balance sometimes!

Props needed: 2 blocks.

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