Style

Duration:  61 minutes

Emphasis:  This sequence, based around a Sun Salutation, uses a yoga strap/belt to assist shoulder movement, strengthen your arms and help you reach your foot in some seated and supine poses such as Krounchasana (Heron Pose), Supta Upavista Konasana (Supine Wide-Angle Forward Bend), Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose), Salabasana (Locust Pose) variation and Anantasana (Side Reclining Leg-Lift), 

Props needed:  A yoga strap or a tie from a bathrobe plus a blanket for Savasana if required.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 16 minutes

Emphasis:  This sequences uses a brick (or a lunchbox as an alternative) to help improve your shoulder movement in poses such as Vajrasana (Thunderbolt or Kneeling Pose), Virabhadrasana II (Warrior 2 Pose), Parsvakonasana (Side Angle Pose) and two variations of Malasana (Garland Pose). Passing the brick from hand to hand helps you to be more aware of, and accurate with, your alignment in the poses.

Props needed:  A brick or lunchbox, a block or book to put under your heels in Malasana and a blanket for the kneeling poses if required.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 23 minutes

Emphasis:  Grab a brick from your yoga kit or, if you don't have one, a lunchbox from your cupboard, and join me for this fun class. We'll work your shoulders and hips through their range of movement in some repetitive movements in poses such as Child's Pose (Balasana), High Lunge/Crescent Pose (Alanasana) and Candle Pose (Prapidasana), plus a good core strengthening sequence - all holding and moving the brick to challenge the body and the brain in new and different ways.

Props needed:  A folded blanket for your knees and your brick/lunchbox.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 13 minutes

Emphasis:  Some familiar poses - variations of Child's Pose (Balasana), Gate Pose (Parighasana), Crescent Moon Pose (Anjaneyasana) and Forearm Plank (Makara Adho Mukha Svanasana) - done in unfamiliar ways. You'll have some fun sliding around on a blanket as you strengthen your core muscles and stretch your arms and legs.

Props needed:  Your yoga mat folded for padding plus a blanket to slide on if you're practising on a hard floor or, if you're practising on carpet, you'll need two paper plates to enable you to glide.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 33 minutes

Emphasis:  3 rounds of Sun Salutations with progressive variations of Side Angle Pose (Parsvakonasana) - you'll do lunges and twists, a lovely restful Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) before finishing with a relaxing Savasana.

Props needed:  A block or book to put under your hand and a blanket to kneel on if required.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 44 minutes

Emphasis:  In this steady flow we'll be using squats and lunges to strengthen your legs, practise hip flexion and improve your general mobility.

Props needed:  A block or book to put under your heels if you need it for Malasana (Garland Pose) and a blanket to kneel on if required.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 30 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class we'll use a chair for support. Perfect for when you're feeling tired or have an injury to take care of, chair yoga gives you the opportunity to feel familiar poses in a different way. You'll be able to focus on your alignment, not have to worry about your balance so much and you'll definitely get a good stretch.

Props needed:  A stable and sturdy chair, one blanket to go over the back of your chair to protect the wall, another blanket or block to sit on.

Mat direction: One short edge facing the screen and another against a wall.

Duration: 13 minutes

Emphasis:  A quick warm-up followed by 3 rounds of Sun Salutation to move and stretch your body, raise your energy, focus your mind and get you ready for the day ahead.

Props needed:  None required.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 56 minutes

Emphasis:  A flow class with standing sequences containing kneeling poses such as Cat/Cow Pose (Marjariasana/Bitilasana), Side Plank Pose variation (Ardha Vasisthasana), Gate Pose (Parighasana), Thunderbolt or Kneeling Pose (Vajrasana), Seated Yoga Seal Pose (Yoga Mudrasana) and a preparation for Pendant Pose (Lolasana). There's a seated and supine sequence to finish and a lovely long Savasana so you can rest and relax after your hard work. Note: if you have delicate knees please use padding and adjust the poses as necessary or choose a class where there is not as much kneeling involved.

Props needed:  Possibly a blanket to kneel on, a yoga belt or a tie or strap and possibly blocks, bricks or books to put under your hands for Standing Splits.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 30 minutes

Emphasis:  4 seated postures held for about 4 minutes each to deeply stretch the connective tissues of your legs.

Props needed: A blanket, a block or book and a bolster (see previous class entitled "3 Restorative Poses to Relax You Completely" for how to quickly make your own bolster if you don't have one).

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

Duration: 28 minutes

Emphasis:  This sequence of movements of the arms, done with the palms together and in time with the breath, is repeated seated in a crossed-legged position, low lunge, high lunge, standing position and a squat.

Props needed: You might need a blanket to kneel on and a block or book for under your heels in the squat.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 16 minutes

Emphasis:  This short sequence will help to strengthen your wrists and stretch them too. The muscles and tendons of the forearms can get tight, especially if you use a computer for long periods of time every day, so it's helpful to practice these poses regularly to keep the wrists healthy. Start gently and build up to more repetitions of each pose slowly over time.

Props needed:  A blanket to kneel on if required. 2 x blocks/bricks/thick books for under your hands for Tolasana (Scales Pose).

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