Recent Articles in Strength

Duration: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Emphasis:  Stretch the front of your body with this class featuring multiple vinyasas with lunges and leg stretches, Standing Splits and Half Moon Pose, Pigeon and Bow Pose. This is a strong class and might not be suitable for you if you have delicate knees. Please use props to adjust the poses if necessary - blanket under the knee or blocks under the hands - and don't push past your edge into strain or pain.

Props needed: Blocks and a blanket

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 55 minutes

Emphasis:  Strengthen your bones and your muscles with this sequence using hand weights.

Props needed: 2 light handweights (if you haven't got these use bottles of water like I did), 2 blocks and a blanket. Extra blanket for Savasana if required. 

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen until we get to the seated poses then option to turn the mat sideways if you like to have it under your heels for Wide Leg Seated Forward Bend.

Duration: 46 minutes

Emphasis:  Build your strength with this sequence which blends the use of hand weights with familiar yoga poses. It's really important to continue to do strength and resistance work as we get older - it helps to prevent osteoporosis and muscle loss (sarcopenia) - and incorporating it into your regular yoga practice, which already offers a good amount of weight-bearing, is an easy way to make sure you're doing enough.

Props needed: 2 light handweights or 2 small plastic bottles full of water, a belt.

Mat direction: Short edge 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: 27 minutes

Emphasis:  This class will build strength in your arms, core and legs and challenge your balance too.

Props needed: None.

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.

Duration: 45 minutes

Emphasis:  A standing pose sequence with triangle, wide-legged forward bend, reverse triangle, and other poses that will strengthen and stretch your legs, and stretch and twist your spine.

Props needed: Blocks or books to put your hands on in standing forward bend and possibly a belt to hold in your hands behing you when taking forward bend with the arms up behind you.

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

Duration: 15 minutes

Emphasis:  This short sequence will help improve your balance. You'll strengthen your legs and your core and improve your concentration.

Props needed: Blocks to put your hands on if you need it for standing splits.

Mat direction: N/A

Duration: 12 minutes

Emphasis: Dynamic Sun Salutation B to get your energy revved up.

Props needed: None needed.

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

Duration: 46 minutes

Emphasis: Lots of work on the shoulders to encourage a good range of movement.

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

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

Duration: 14 minutes

Emphasis: A short tutorial for Bridge Pose (Setu Bhanda Sarvangasana) to help you practice it with good alignment.

Props needed: A block and a belt, plus a blanket for under your shoulders if your neck would prefer a little padding.

Mat direction: Long edge of the mat facing the screen but please keep the neck still once you are in the pose and avoid turning the head to look at the screen.