Recent Articles in Gentle

Duration: 16 minutes

Emphasis:  Take a few minutes out from your busy day to do Legs-up-the-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani) and rest for a while. This relaxing pose is beneficial for the heart, the veins of your legs, your nervous system and your mind. We'll add in some other gentle poses here such as a variation of Bound Angle Pose(Baddha Konasana), a variation of Wide Leg Seated Forward Fold (Upavista Konasana), a gentle supported backbend and a shoulder stretch.

Props needed: A block or book and a folded blanket.

Mat direction: Long edge of the mat facing the screen so you can turn your head to see, or you might prefer to watch the video once through so you know what to expect and then follow along without needing to look.

Duration: 9 minutes

Emphasis:  Autumn is a time for letting go - just as the trees and plants shed their leaves, so can we let go of the things that no longer serve us. In this mediation you will bring this to mind to help you feel lighter, less crowded and burdened. You will also focus on anything that you would like to have more of in your life, helping you to feel more relaxed, clearer and more purposeful.

Props needed: A blanket or a chair to sit on.

Mat direction: N/A

Duration: 25 minutes

Emphasis:  All the poses in this class are done lying down so if you are feeling a little weary but still want to do some yoga then this class is perfect for you. We'll be doing Eye of the Needle Pose (Sucirandrasana), a Tree Pose (Vrksasana) variation, a twist, Sphynx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana), the Supine Leg Stretch Series known as Supta Padangustasana plus the lying down version of Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana).

Props needed: A strap/belt to help you reach your foot in the Leg Stretch Series and a blanket for Savasana if required.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen so you can turn your head to see while you are lying down.

Duration: 26 minutes

Emphasis:  Stretch your legs and your hips in this steady-paced seated sequence which includes a variation of Eye of the Needle Pose (Sucirandrasana), Marichi's Pose (Marichyasana 3), Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana), Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana), Blossoming Lotus Pose (Vikasita Kamalasana), Double Big Toe Hold Pose (Ubbhaya Padangusthasana) and Star Pose (Tarasana), plus a kneeling variation of Wild Thing (Camatkarasana).

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

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 39 minutes

Emphasis:  Show some love for your hardworking feet in this class which will help them to become more mobile. We'll do lots of different exercises to move the joints (33 in each foot!) and bones (26 in each foot!) and the soft tissues too. Increased awareness of, and mobility in, your feet means better balance and posture, less likelihood of ankle, knee, hip and back problems, and using your feet properly will help improve your stance and alignment in other yoga poses too. Practice this class regularly to help keep your feet feeling comfortable as they take you through every step of your life.

Props needed: A tennis or squash ball for the foot massage and a blanket to kneel on.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 7 minutes

Emphasis:  Come back to yourself with this short meditation. Move your mind away from all the distractions of your busy day and just sit and breathe in this present moment, with your awareness on your inner self.

Props needed:  None required except maybe a cushion or chair to sit on.

Mat direction: n/a

Duration: 20 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class you'll be moving the joints - shoulders, hands, spine, hips, knees, ankles and toes - to help improve your mobility and encourage freedom and general wellbeing. You can also use this class as a warm-up for your yoga practice or another form of exercise.

Props needed: None required except a blanket for Savasana if required.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 24 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class you'll move from lying on your front in Sphynx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana) and a gentle variation of Frog Pose (Mandukasana), to lying on your side for a lovely flowing twist and a variation of Vishnu's Couch Pose (Anantasana), followed by lying on your back for a supine variation of Tree Pose (Vrksasana), Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana) and supine Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana). The pace of the class is slow (we'll hold the poses for a while) and it's nice and gentle.

Props needed: A blanket.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 25 minutes

Emphasis:  A gentle class focused on stretching the legs and mobility for the ankles, knees and hips. All the poses are done lying on your back so this is good to do at the end of the day or when you are feeling low energy but still want to do some yoga.

Props needed: Two blocks (or a books of the same height) plus a blanket.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen so you can turn your head to see while you are lying down.

Duration: 28 minutes

Emphasis:  After warming up with some circular movements, this class will take you through a variety of seated postures that will gently open your hip joints, bringing you more mobility in that area and often a sense of freedom to the lower back. You'll repeat Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) a number of times and you'll be staying in the postures for a while too - a bit like doing a Yin Yoga class. You'll then repeat some of the postures in Legs-Up-The_Wall Pose (Viparita Karani) which is deliciously quietening and relaxing. This is an ideal class for a late evening practice, preparing you for sleep, or when you're generally feeling low on energy but still want to do some yoga.

Props needed: A blanket to sit on, or for your head to rest on, or for Savasana and some clear wall space.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 36 minutes

Emphasis:  After a little warming up we'll take 3 gentle backbends to open the front of your body and help you breathe more fully, then we'll take 3 gentle forward bends to stretch the back of the body and quieten the nervous system and the busy mind.

Props needed: A blanket to roll up to make a little bolster, kneel on if required, and cover yourself with in Savasana.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen might be best for this one but it doesn't really matter.