Recent Articles in Style

Duration: 30 minutes

Emphasis:  Each Sun Salutation includes a backbend that leads towards Dhanurasana (Bow Pose). It's a strong pose so, if deep backbends don't feel good for your back, then please stop at one of the more gentle options offered in the progression.

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

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 47 minutes

Emphasis:  Each consecutive Sun Salutation will offer a different version of Lizard Pose (Uttan Pristhasana), deepening it each time. Lizard Pose is a lovely hip-opener and stretches the ilio-psoas muscles which are situated close to the spine and within the pelvis, joining the lumbar spine to the top of your legs (click HERE to see a previous post and diagram of them). These core muscles get shortened in our culture of spending so much time sitting down and all the lunges and hip openers that we do in our yoga practice help to stretch and release them, improving posture and helping the lower back to feel more comfortable.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on, a thick book or blocks for under your forearms when we deepen the Lizard Pose and possibly a strap to loop around your foot when we catch hold of it in one variation.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 57 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class you'll strengthen your core (the front, sides and back of your torso and the pelvic floor) with some supine abdominal work including a preparation for Bakasana (Crow Pose), some side-lying hip mobility work which also strengthens the oblique abdominals, some Sun Salutations including Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) plus Malasana (Garland Pose) which will lead on to Bakasana (Crow Pose). You'll finish with some supine stretches to relax and soften the areas that you have been working strongly.

Props needed: Blocks, bricks or books to put under your hands and a blanket for Savasana and to pad under your pelvis for the hip work if required.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 7 minutes

Emphasis:  Come back to yourself with this short meditation. Move your mind away from all the distractions of your busy day and just sit and breathe in this present moment, with your awareness on your inner self.

Props needed:  None required except maybe a cushion or chair to sit on.

Mat direction: n/a

Duration: 28 minutes

Emphasis:  This sequence includes some poses that we rarely practice - Lion Pose (Simhasana), Embryo Pose (Garba Pindasana) and a spinal roll. They all look quite comical - pulling funny faces, tying yourself up in knots and rolling around on the floor - but I hope it will show you a less serious side to yoga than you're used to. The rest of the sequence focuses on circles and twists.

Props needed: Blocks, bricks or books to put under your hands and a blanket to kneel on and for Savasana if required.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 20 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class you'll be moving the joints - shoulders, hands, spine, hips, knees, ankles and toes - to help improve your mobility and encourage freedom and general wellbeing. You can also use this class as a warm-up for your yoga practice or another form of exercise.

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

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 25 minutes

Emphasis:  Are you up for some fun? This class will have you jumping and hopping all over your mat. Expect to practise Candle Pose (Prapidasana), Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II), Goddess Pose (Uktakakonasana), Wild Thing (Camatkarasana), Side Arm Balance (Vasisthasana) and more, plus some hopping forward and back and side to side. I hope it will bring your heart-rate up and put a smile to your face. 

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

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen will work best for this class.

Duration: 24 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class you'll move from lying on your front in Sphynx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana) and a gentle variation of Frog Pose (Mandukasana), to lying on your side for a lovely flowing twist and a variation of Vishnu's Couch Pose (Anantasana), followed by lying on your back for a supine variation of Tree Pose (Vrksasana), Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana) and supine Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana). The pace of the class is slow (we'll hold the poses for a while) and it's nice and gentle.

Props needed: A blanket.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 25 minutes

Emphasis:  A gentle class focused on stretching the legs and mobility for the ankles, knees and hips. All the poses are done lying on your back so this is good to do at the end of the day or when you are feeling low energy but still want to do some yoga.

Props needed: Two blocks (or a books of the same height) plus a blanket.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen so you can turn your head to see while you are lying down.

Duration: 28 minutes

Emphasis:  After warming up with some circular movements, this class will take you through a variety of seated postures that will gently open your hip joints, bringing you more mobility in that area and often a sense of freedom to the lower back. You'll repeat Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) a number of times and you'll be staying in the postures for a while too - a bit like doing a Yin Yoga class. You'll then repeat some of the postures in Legs-Up-The_Wall Pose (Viparita Karani) which is deliciously quietening and relaxing. This is an ideal class for a late evening practice, preparing you for sleep, or when you're generally feeling low on energy but still want to do some yoga.

Props needed: A blanket to sit on, or for your head to rest on, or for Savasana and some clear wall space.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 36 minutes

Emphasis:  After a little warming up we'll take 3 gentle backbends to open the front of your body and help you breathe more fully, then we'll take 3 gentle forward bends to stretch the back of the body and quieten the nervous system and the busy mind.

Props needed: A blanket to roll up to make a little bolster, kneel on if required, and cover yourself with in Savasana.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen might be best for this one but it doesn't really matter.

Duration: 34 minutes.

Emphasis:  Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) A, B, and C plus a couple of extra variations to keep you moving in different ways. 

Props needed:  A blanket for Savasana and to kneel on if required.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.