Recent Articles in Flexibility

Duration: 38 minutes

Emphasis: Use the wall to open your shoulders and stretch your arms and legs. The first part of the class is done standing and in the second part you'll be lying down with your legs up the wall (Viparita Karani). 

Props needed: A block and a blanket.

Mat direction: Have your mat up against a wall.

Duration: 48 minutes

Emphasis: After warming up with some seated stretches you'll do some Sun Salutations with extra poses that will stretch the arms and shoulders. Coming down to the ground you'll do some poses that stretch the legs and hips and then come up to do the pose that you've done all the preparation for - Gomukhasana (Cow-Face Pose). 

Props needed: A block, a blanket and a yoga belt (or tie from a bathrobe).

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 33 minutes

Emphasis: A short Iyengar-style class that features classic poses such as Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana), Seated Twist (Marichyasana III), Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) and Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha). Expect lots of alignment cues and holding the poses for at least 3 breaths. 

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

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 35 minutes

Emphasis: Practice your backbends with the support of a bolster. After making a small-sized bolster with a blanket and a pillow you'll warm-up the spine with some seated poses and then some kneeling Cat/Cow Pose (Marjaryasana and Bitilasana). You'll then do prone backbends such as Cobra Pose (Bhuganasana) and Locust Pose (Salabhasana) before supine ones such as Supported Fish Pose (Salamba Matsyasana) and Supported Bridge Pose variation (Salamba Setu Bhanda).

Props needed: A blanket, a pillow and 2 blocks - if you want a deeper backbend you can use 2 pillows (or a standard sized yoga bolster if you have one).

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 1hr 15 minutes

Emphasis:  The focus of this class is side stretches - you'll do a kneeling pose flow that includes Gate Pose (Parighasana) and Half Side Arm Balance (Ardha Vasisthasana). The second sequence takes you through Triangle Pose (Trikonasana) to Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana) and the third into Warrior 1 Pose (Virabhadrasana I) and Humble Warrior (Baddha Virabhadrasana). The floor-based poses include Snake Pose (Sarpasana), Side Reclining Leg Lift Pose (Anantasana) and Revolved Head-to-knee Pose (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana).

Props needed: A blanket and a yoga belt.

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

Duration: 41 minutes

Emphasis: A slow, quiet Yin Yoga class for when you're feeling weary but need a good stretch. You'll move from Dragon lunge, to the gentle backbend Melting Heart and then into Child's Pose for your forward bend. Half Frog will open the hips and a Reclined Twist will rotate the spine - meaning you'll have done a rounded practice and, hopefully, feel rested and calm too.

Props needed: Two blocks, a blanket and a yoga belt.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 34 minutes

Emphasis: A standing warm-up takes you into a standing sequence that includes Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), some variations of Wide Leg Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana), Goddess Pose ((Utkata Konasana) and Tree Pose (Vrksasana). The seated sequence includes Wide-Angle Seated Forward Fold (Upavistha Konasana) and Blossoming Lotus Pose (Vikasita Kamalasana).

Props needed: Two blocks and a yoga belt.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 36 minutes

Emphasis: After a slow Sun Salutation A to warm up you'll do a modified Sun Salutation B and then two more with extra poses added in. Expect some spinal rotations, hamstring stretches and strengthening squats. A seated sequence completes the practice.

Props needed: Two bricks and a blanket for under your knees.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 17 minutes

Emphasis: Enjoy this very gentle class that uses circles and spirals to mobilise and free the joints. We work through the body from the shoulders to the feet and I hope you'll feel relaxed and comfortable after this practice

Props needed: A blanket for under your knees.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 1 hr 14 minutes

Emphasis: In this gentle class we warm-up by going top-to-toe through the body, mobilising the joints and stretching the muscles. Then there are two standing pose sequences followed by some seated twists, and forward bends. A lovely long Savasana resting on blocks or cushions completes the practice, leaving you feeling nice and loose, limber and relaxed.

Props needed: A yoga belt, 2 flat blocks or 2 cusions and a blanket.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 21 minutes

Emphasis: There are lots of poses named after birds - some are challenging arm balances but in this class we practise some of the more accessible ones - Sunbird Pose, also known as Balancing Table Pose (Dandayamana Bharmanasana), Flamingo Pose (which is a variation of Natarajasana), Stork Pose (Saaras Pakshi Asana), Eagle Pose (Garudasana), Pigeon Pose (Eka Raja Kapotanasana) and Heron Pose (Krounchasana).

Props Needed: Blocks or bricks to help you balance in Eagle Pose, a yoga belt or tie from a bathrobe and a blanket for under your knees if required.

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

Duration: 43 minutes

Emphasis: I loved recording this chair class - and I hope you do too. We repeat the sequence 3 times so you start to know where we're going and can focus on the sensations in the body rather than working out the instructions in your mind. Expect lots of twisting variations seated on the chair plus some poses kneeling on the floor with the hands on the chair so make sure your chair is sturdy and wont slip.

Props Needed: 2 blocks and a sturdy chair plus a blanket for under your knees if required.

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