Recent Articles in Flexibility

Duration: 26 minutes

Emphasis: If you're feeling stiff and creaky and want a good stretch this is the class for you. Perfect if you've been cycling or running or when you just want to do a bit of slow and gentle movement, you'll start at the feet and move up the body, breathing deeply and stretching out any tight areas.

Props required: A blanket to kneel on if required.

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

Duration: 19 minutes

Emphasis: Our spines get a little compressed by gravity as we are upright during the course of each day, and at night as we sleep they lengthen back out again.  In this Hatha class you'll be introducing a bit of traction to help relieve pressure on the discs and nerves and realign your spine. You'll do mostly standing poses such as Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana) and Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana) but also a seated variation of Garland Pose (Malasana) plus a couple of Downward Facing Dogs (Adho Mukha Svanasana) too.

Props required: Two blocks.

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

Duration: 41 minutes

Emphasis: Free up your shoulder blades and help relieve stiffness and tension in your upper back in this Sun Salutation flow class. You'll repeat the same movements with your arms in cactus position in the seated and kneeling warm-ups and then in the flows too. You'll move your shoulder blades up, down, in and out and bring mobility to the upper back too.

Props required: A blanket to kneel on if required.

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

Duration: 19 minutes

Emphasis: This gentle sequence is designed to stretch out and mobilise your whole body. You'll do twists, backbends and forward bends in various familiar poses.

Props required: You might want a blanket under your knees.

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

Duration: 1 hour

Emphasis: This is an intermediate level flow with 5 rounds of Sun Salutations and a number of backbends too. Expect a different variation of Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana I) in each round and Snake Pose (Sarpasana), Half Frog Pose (Ardha Bhekasana), Bow Pose (Dhanurasana), Camel Pose (Ustrasana), Bridge Pose (Setu Bhanda) and some relaxing supported backbends too.

Props required: None needed unless you'd like a blanket to sit on.

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

Duration: 23 minutes

Emphasis: Ease out stiff and creaky joints in your neck, shoulders, spine, hips, legs and feet in this gentle seated class.

Props: None needed unless you'd like a blanket to sit on.

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

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: 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: 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.