Recent Articles in Beginner

Duration: 25 minutes

Emphasis:  Enjoy this relaxing practice that uses props to support you as you gently move and mobilise your spine. From supported backbends to Happy Baby Pose (Salamba Balasana) to a gentle twist, this class will help your back and hips feel free and easeful and your mind to feel rested.

Props needed: A blanket and two yoga blocks.

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

Duration: 9 minutes

Emphasis:  A simple meditation to help you feel a sense of stillness, peace and relaxation.

Props needed: N/A.

Mat direction: N/A.

Duration: 28 minutes

Emphasis:  This class will help you move your spine into backbends in a gentle way. Perfect if you find deeper backbends challenging, these poses will lift the chest and roll the shoulders back, creating space to breathe better. Repeated regularly they will help your posture and increase mobility. Expect a supine restorative pose to start, then move on to Cow and Cat Pose (Bitilasana and Marjaryasana), Sphynx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana), Melting Heart Pose (Anahatasana), Camel Pose (Ustrasana), Locust Pose (Salabhasana), Supported Bridge Pose (Setu Bhandasana), all interspersed with some knees-to-the-chest movements as counter-poses.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on if required.

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

Duration: 29 minutes

Emphasis:  Warm up with some dynamic squats, build some strength with 3 repetitive exercises using handweights then stretch everything out afterwards.

Props needed: Some handweights - if you've not done any strength training before I recommend you start with light weights and then build up slowly - and a yoga belt.  (It can helpful to do weights work in front of a mirror so you can check your posture too).

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

Duration: 38 minutes

Emphasis:  After warming up with some spinal rotation, some hip circles and lunges we take a simple but satisfying sequence which includes legs stretches, twists and hip openers - firstly standing, then sitting and then repeated once again whilst lying in Legs Up The Wall Pose (Viparita Karani).

Props needed: Some wall space, a blanket and you might need some blocks under your hands.

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

Duration: 16 minutes

Emphasis:  This technique can be really helpful when you can't sleep or can't settle into your Savasana after your yoga practice. It's a little journey through the body tensing and relaxing different groups of muscles - you can't do it wrong but follow along with me for the first time then you can use it whenever you need it.

Props needed: A blanket to keep you warm.

Mat direction: N/A.

Duration: 10 minutes

Emphasis:  This short class can be used on its own when you haven't got much time but still want to do a bit of movement, or it can be used as a warm-up before doing another class or even another form of exercise. These simple, repetitive movements will take your shoulders and arms into internal and external rotation and your spine into rotation, flexion and extension. Practising this type of movement regularly will help to keep your shoulders stable and strong.

Props needed: None required.

Mat direction: N/A.

Duration: 1 hr 15 minutes

Emphasis:  After a little bit of yoga philosophy in which I talk about Samskaras (the patterns we repeat in our lives), you'll do Sun Salutation based sequences moving from one side of the mat to the other, practising Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana) and Side Lunge (Skandasana) twice in each flow. Also included is Eagle Pose (Garudasana) and a Warrior 3 variation (Virabhadrasana III) using the bricks for support. Seated and supine sequences follow to stretch the legs and bring flexion to the hips.

Props needed: Blocks, bricks and a blanket.

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

Duration: 37 minutes

Emphasis:  In this standard Sun Salutation flow there is some extra work with weights added in to strengthen the muscles and bones. Helping to keep the density of the bones from deteriorating as we age is very important and weights work is the best way to do that. If you're new to using weights, start with light ones (the ones I'm using here are 1.5kg) and build up to heavier weights with regular repetition.

Props needed: A pair of hand weights - although you could use filled water bottles or even tins of beans.

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

Duration: 28 minutes

Emphasis: Standing balances are really good for you (they strengthen your legs, they strengthen your core, they improve your concentration) but they are HARD! And can be so frustrating! We are often so focussed on the balancing that the alignment of the pose goes a little 'off'. In this class we will gratefully accept the support of the chair to help take care of the balancing bit and then you'll be able to open up more into the pose and really feel its benefits.

Duration: 24 minutes

Emphasis: There's no need to even unroll your mat for this class! Instead all the poses will be done with your mat rolled up. We'll do poses such as Child's Pose (Balasana), Lizard Pose (Uttan Pristhasana), Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) and Garland Pose (Malasana) plus some massage work on the calf muscles too.

Props needed: A rolled yoga mat and a blanket if you'd like some padding under your knees.

Duration: 5 minutes

Emphasis:  Take a few minutes to pause and breathe, stepping away from all the busy-ness that pulls you in so many directions. With your hand over your heart, experience warmth, peace and comfort and, hopefully, a sense of equilibrium to help you face whatever comes next.

Props needed: N/A.

Mat direction: N/A.