Recent Articles in Beginner

Duration: 27 minutes

Emphasis:  After warming up we'll move slowly down through the body with poses to help bring mobility to the neck, shoulders, chest, back, hips, legs and feet.

Props needed: A chair and a belt.

Mat direction: n/a.

Duration: 32 minutes

Emphasis:  A steady flow sequence consisting of 6 rounds of Sun Salutations and 5 variations of Tree Pose (Vrksasana) to challenge your balance.

Props needed: A belt if you need it to keep your foot in place for some of the Tree Pose variations.

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

Duration: 33 minutes

Emphasis:  A straightforward Iyengar-style class which focusses on some basic standing poses interspersed with the four variations of Wide Leg Standing Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Props needed: A brick or blocks to put your hand on in one pose.

Mat direction: n/a.

Duration: 12 minutes

Emphasis:  Enjoy a little time away from your busy day to relax with this breathing practice. You'll be lying down in Savasana and visualising your breath moving from the soles of your feet up to the crown of the head and back down again. After a few rounds the instructions change to include a moment of breath retention (known as kumbhaka in Sanskrit) halfway through the inhalation. A lovely long Savasana follows, giving you time to release your focussed attention and enjoy a peaceful rest.

Props needed: A blanket if needed to keep yourself warm.

Mat direction: n/a.

Duration: 1 hr 16 minutes

Emphasis:  Relax and restore in this class that uses props to support the body so the muscles don't have to do any work. The nervous system and your mind get a chance to calm down, the breathing becomes steadier and, practiced before bedtime, this class will help you have a good night's sleep

Props needed: A bolster (or two pillows and a blanket), another blanket, optional cushion, blocks/bricks. .

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

Duration: 7 minutes

Emphasis:  In this short practice you'll raise and lower the arms - movement in time with the breath, breath in time with the movement. Rhythmic and relaxing, this practice will help to calm the nervous system, focus the mind, stretch the ribcage and promote shoulder mobility.

Props needed: A block/blanket/chair to sit on.

Mat direction: n/a.

Duration: 48 minutes

Emphasis:  If you have a wrist injury or arthritis or something else going on that means leaning weight into your hands is difficult, this class will be just the thing. Leaning your forearms on a chair will enable you to do poses such as Cat Pose (Marjaryasana) and Cow Pose (Bitilasana), Balancing Cat - also known as Balancing Table Pose - (Dandayamana Bharmanasana), Gate Pose (Parighasana) and Camel Pose (Ustrasana). We'll also do a little bit of wrist mobility work to warm-up and finish with a supported Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) and Savasana with legs up on the chair. 

Props needed: Some wall-space, a chair and a blanket.

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

Duration: 38 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class we'll practise Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Side Angle Pose (Parsvakonasana) and Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II) from standing pose in the Iyengar style, then again from Downward Facing Dog in the Vinyasa style and then we'll try them from Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana) too to experience how they all feel slightly different .

Props needed: Blocks and a blanket.

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

Duration: 11 minutes

Emphasis:  Take a break from your busy day to relax with this simple meditation. The mind is often so active, incessantly scrolling through thoughts, past events and future possibilities but this short practice aims to give you some respite from this. Rest your brain as you focus on the sounds and sensations of the world around you. If possible do this meditation outside, but if the weather or technology won't allow that then sitting by an open door, or even a window, works just as well.

Props needed: A cushion/block/folded blanket/chair to sit on, either outside or by an open door or window.

Mat direction: n/a

Duration: 1 hour 1 minute

Emphasis:  After warming up, you'll use a yoga belt to help stretch and mobilise the shoulders in Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana), Wide Leg Standing Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana) and Warrior 1 Pose (Virabhadrasana). You'll then move to the floor for seated poses including Sage Marichi's Pose 1 (Marichyasana I), Sage Marichi's Pose 3 (Marichyasana III), Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana), Revolved Head to Knee Pose (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana) and Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana), then you'll lie down on your back for Half Plough Pose (Ardha Halasana), Reclined Straddle Pose (Supta Upavista Konasana) and Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana).

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

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

Duration: 29 minutes

Emphasis:  If you've been driving or sitting for ages or maybe you've been digging in the garden and your back is a little stiff and achey, these poses will help to release and soothe it. You'll hold these simple, familiar poses for a while so that you can relax into them, letting go of tension. PLEASE NOTE: this class is not suitable if you have any sharp pain or have injured your back - please see a doctor/physio/osteopath to get a diagnosis and check that these poses are ok for you to do.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel and lie on, plus a bolster or 2 blocks and another blanket.

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

Duration: 23 minutes

Emphasis:  This gentle sequence will start with a simple breathing practice, then take you through some warm-ups done seated on the chair before you stand up and use it to assist you in some standing poses. Expect variations of Tree Pose (Vrksasana), Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II), Warrior 1 Pose (Virabhadrasana 1), a Standing Twist and Half Standing Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana). The sequence takes you from one side of the chair around to the other and then it is repeated back again.

Props needed: A chair.

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