Recent Articles in Hatha Yoga

Duration: 16 minutes

Emphasis:  Boost your exercise routine by adding some weights work. You'll be helping to keep your bones and connective tissues strong and healthy, your joints stable and ... and it burns lots of calories too. In this short, whole-body class you'll do squats, lunges, dumbell presses in Warrior 1 Pose, Plank Pose, some Locust Pose leg raises, Bridge Pose and Boat Pose - firstly without weights and then with weights. Start with light weights and build up to heavier ones over time as you practise this class, or the other weights classes on a regular basis.

Props needed: Two handweights (technical name dumbells!).

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

Duration: 1hr 5 minutes

Emphasis:  Enjoy some time out of your busy day to relax your mind and stretch your body in this yin class of mostly supine poses. Starting by massaging the back of the skull, the poses progress down the body to the feet, then back up to the head again to gently open and release tight areas. You'll hold each pose for 2 minutes so expect to experience some sensations but know that these longer holds allow the connective tissues to stretch and use your deep breathing to help the body relax into the poses.

Props needed: A blanket and two blocks.

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

Duration: 1hr 16 minutes

Emphasis:  We start this class with some seated straight leg poses then move to standing poses which include Chair Pose (Utkatasana), Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II) and Triangle Pose (Trikonasana). We then practise Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana) before coming down to the floor for some prone backbends and stretches to the front of the thighs. We come back to the floor for more seated poses including a variation of Revolved Half Bound Forward Fold Pose (Parivrtta Ardha Baddha Paschimottanasana) and then to supine poses such as Upward Extended Feet Pose (Urdhva Prasarita Padasana) and Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana).

Props needed: A blanket, 2 blocks and a belt.

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

Duration: 33 minutes

Emphasis:  This class features the repetitive movements of Cat Pose (Marjaryasana) and Cow Pose (Bitilasana) followed by some variations of Half Side Arm Balance (Ardha Vasisthasana). You'll then move from hands and knees to sitting for Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana) and into another variation of Ardha Vasisthasana known as Stargazer Pose. Easy Twist (Parivrtta Sukhasana), Embryo Pose (Garba Pindasana) and Star Pose (Tarasana), plus of course Savasana, bring the practice to a close.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on if required.

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

Duration: 25 minutes

Emphasis:  Enjoy this relaxing practice that uses props to support you as you gently move and mobilise your spine. From supported backbends to Happy Baby Pose (Salamba Balasana) to a gentle twist, this class will help your back and hips feel free and easeful and your mind to feel rested.

Props needed: A blanket and two yoga blocks.

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

Duration: 28 minutes

Emphasis:  This class will help you move your spine into backbends in a gentle way. Perfect if you find deeper backbends challenging, these poses will lift the chest and roll the shoulders back, creating space to breathe better. Repeated regularly they will help your posture and increase mobility. Expect a supine restorative pose to start, then move on to Cow and Cat Pose (Bitilasana and Marjaryasana), Sphynx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana), Melting Heart Pose (Anahatasana), Camel Pose (Ustrasana), Locust Pose (Salabhasana), Supported Bridge Pose (Setu Bhandasana), all interspersed with some knees-to-the-chest movements as counter-poses.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on if required.

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

Duration: 29 minutes

Emphasis:  Warm up with some dynamic squats, build some strength with 3 repetitive exercises using handweights then stretch everything out afterwards.

Props needed: Some handweights - if you've not done any strength training before I recommend you start with light weights and then build up slowly - and a yoga belt.  (It can helpful to do weights work in front of a mirror so you can check your posture too).

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

Duration: 28 minutes

Emphasis:  Most of the poses in this class are done from Table Top Pose (Bharmanasana) and focus on arm/wrist strength and core strength. We move from hands and knees to an optional Plank Pose (Phalakasana) and then to various 'knee-down' poses such as Parighasana (Gate Pose), Crescent Moon Pose (Anjaneyasana), Half Side Arm Balance (Ardha Vasisthasana) and Lizard Pose (Pristhasana). We finish with some seated poses to stretch out the wrists and then relax in Savasana.

Props needed: A blanket if you need one to pad your knees.

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

Duration: 1hr 9 minutes

Emphasis:  This class features standing poses done in the Iyengar style. You'll do Tree Pose (Vrksasana), Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II), Warrior 1 Pose (Virabhadrasana I), Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana) slowly, breathing well and with attention to alignment. You'll finish the practice with the arm position for Cow Faced Pose (Gomukhasana) and then Child's Pose (Balasana) before lying down for Savasana.

Props needed: A belt.

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

Duration: 1hr 16 minutes

Emphasis:  Relax and restore yourself with this gentle, repetitive flow of supine and seated postures that focuses on hip openers and twists.

Props needed: A blanket.

Mat direction: Long edge of the mat against a wall.

Duration: 23 minutes

Emphasis:  Strengthen your arms, shoulders and abdominals (plus a little bit for your outer thighs and buttocks) in this short but effective weights class.

Props needed: Some hand-weights - not too heavy (I used 1.5kg), a blanket to kneel on .

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

Duration: 38 minutes

Emphasis:  After warming up with some spinal rotation, some hip circles and lunges we take a simple but satisfying sequence which includes legs stretches, twists and hip openers - firstly standing, then sitting and then repeated once again whilst lying in Legs Up The Wall Pose (Viparita Karani).

Props needed: Some wall space, a blanket and you might need some blocks under your hands.

Mat direction: Short edge of the mat against a wall.