Recent Articles in Flexibility

Duration: 40 minutes

Emphasis:  Increase the range of movement in your hips with this sequence of kneeling and seated poses.

Props needed: A blanket for Savasana or to kneel or sit on if needed. 

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 34 minutes

Emphasis:  Give your hardworking feet, ankles and calf muscles a bit of tlc with some stretching and massage.

Props needed: 2 blocks, a belt, a tennis ball and a bath towel.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 38 minutes

Emphasis:  A slow flow with a short meditation to centre yourself, some shoulder-opening work, kneeling balancing, a backbend, stretches for the spine and stretches for the front and the back of the legs.

Props needed: A belt and 2 blocks (or thick books) and a blanket.

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

Duration: 29 minutes

Emphasis:  A slow flow to open tight pectoral muscles at the top of the chest, bring mobility to the spine, and stretch the front of the shoulders, the inner arms, and the abdominal muscles too.

Props needed: A belt and a block to sit on if you need it for the seated postures and to put under your head for the final pose.

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

Duration: 11 minutes

Emphasis:  A quick tutorial on this balancing pose - some tips and warm-up exercises that will help you wrap your arms and legs a little more easily and stay still and focussed like an eagle fixed on it's prey!

Props needed: None required but if balancing is proving too challenging then stand next to a wall to help steady yourself.

Mat direction: n/a

Duration: 30 minutes

Emphasis:  Move in and out of Bridge Pose variations to strengthen the back, core, glutes and hamstrings, while stretching the front of the body and opening the chest. We will then counterpose with gentle forward bends to stretch the back out.

Props needed: 2 blocks, a blanket for Savasana.

Mat direction: Long side of the mat facing the screen - you'll be lying down and will need to turn your head to see the screen.

Duration: 50 minutes

Emphasis:  Yin Yoga is a slow, quiet practice where the poses are held for much longer than in other types of yoga to stretch the connective tissue of the body more fully. If you haven't done any Yin Yoga before please take a look at this blog post to get a little more information about the practice before you start this class.

Props needed: A blanket or block to sit on and possibly a rolled blanket or towel to prop your shins when sitting in cross-legged position.

Mat direction: It doesn't matter - a mat is optional, not necessary.

Duration: 30 minutes

Emphasis:  A standing flow class with minimal weight-bearing on the hands and wrists. Lots of moving the arms and shoulders in all direction to promote ease of movement and some long holds in the poses to strengthen the legs.

Props needed: 2 or more blocks to put under your hands if you need them in Standing Forward Bend.

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

Duration: 30 minutes

Emphasis:  Get a good stretch in this class where all the poses are done lying on the floor.

Props needed: A blanket and a long belt to loop around your feet.

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

Duration: 34 minutes

Emphasis:  This slow flow class will stretch your Psoas muscles deeply. If you want a more gentle psoas stretch go to the Hatha Section and choose the class "Poses to Stretch your Psoas Muscle".

Props needed: A blanket to put under your knee, blocks to rest your forearms on in Lizard Pose, possibly a belt to loop around your foot.

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

Duration: 10 minutes

Emphasis:  Learn how to do this kneeling backbend (Sanskrit name Ustrasana) with good alignment so you don't hurt your back or neck.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on, a bolster (or a pillow rolled in a blanket or towel - I'll show you how to do this).

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

Duration: 23 minutes

Emphasis:  Strengthen and stretch your ankles for increased mobility and better balance.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on if you are practising on a hard floor, possibly a block for under your heels in Malasana and/or under your sitting bones in Bharadvajrasana.

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