Recent Articles in 40-60 minutes

Duration: 44 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class you'll use the wall to help your stability in a series of standing balances. Each standing balance is followed by a forward bend, also using the wall to enhance the posture. There's also a short sequence using the wall for abdominal strengthening.

Props needed: Some wall space and a blanket for Savasana if required.

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

Note: Filming this class was beset with disturbances - hedge-cutting neighbour, torrential rain beating against the window and a squeaky floorboard!!  It required a lot of editing which isn't quite seamless - but I hope it doesn't detract from the class :-)

Duration: 53 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class you'll hold these twists for 2 minutes each to deeply stretch the tissues and joints of the body. Expect some fairly strong sensations in these poses and see if you can breathe through them, minimising the almost inevitable fidgeting of body and mind. Of course, if the poses cause you any pain whatsoever, make your way back to a comfortable place - explore your 'edge' but with safety in mind. By the end I hope you'll be feeling very relaxed and enjoying stillness and deep peace.

Props needed: A bolster (or two pillows and a blanket), a blanket for padding knees, head etc, a yoga belt (or tie from a bathrobe) and blocks/bricks to adjust the height of your bolster according to your needs.

Note: I made an error in the second side of the 'Cat Pulling Its Tail' twist - , I tell you to bring your left hand to the floor or to your left thigh - but I should have said right hand .... you'll understand when you get there...

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

Duration: 41 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class you'll use the wall to explore some familiar poses such as Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II), Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) and Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana). Using the wall for stability and support allows you to go a little deeper into the poses and notice subtle differences compared to the usual way of doing the pose.

Props needed: A blanket for under your knees if required, 2 blocks and/or bricks.

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

Duration: 46 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class you'll move around the mat in a circular flow. Starting with 2 rounds of Sun Salutation to warm up, our next sequence will move into standing poses that take us around to face the back of the mat. The exact sequence is repeated again to bring you around once more to the front. The next sequence will also follow this circular flow, before taking you down to the ground for a supine backbend and some hip stretches.

Props needed: None required.

Mat direction: Short edge of the mat facing the screen will give you the best view although there will be times when you'll be facing the other way and won't be able to see the video.

Duration: 42 minutes

Emphasis: Dancer Pose is a challenging one. It requires you to do a strong backbend with open shoulders whilst standing on one leg. I cannot imagine a time when I will be able to do the full pose - arms over the head holding my foot! - but there are ways to practise and progress this pose to make it more comfortable and accessible. If you're curious to try this pose, join me for this tutorial where we'll prepare with Sun Salutations and poses that stretch the shoulders and front of hips and thighs, and progress the backbends before taking some different variations of Dancer's Pose. You can stop off at any variation that suits you best and please note that this is a pose that requires much practice - don't expect to just be able to do it straight away. As you'll see from the final variation I am far from being able to hold my foot but the strap enables me to do my best version that I can at this moment.

Props needed: A strap with a loop in it, a blanket, some wall space.

Mat direction: Short edge of the mat facing the screen will work best I think.

Duration: 58 minutes

Emphasis: Usually in a Restorative Class you relax completely into the support of the bolster, blankets and blocks. In this class however, although you'll be really relaxed, you'll be a little more active. We'll start sitting in Hero Pose (Virasana) and add a twist, then we'll do some lovely relaxing poses with the support of a bolster. We'll then practise a supported Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana) which will engage the leg muscles, before stretching them out and finishing with 8 minutes of Savasana - delicious!

Props needed: A bolster (or I'll show you how to make your own with a blanket and two pillows), two blocks and another blanket to keep you warm in that long Savasana.

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

Duration: 57 minutes

Emphasis: In this gentle class you'll move your joints from head to toe to help you stay comfortable and mobile.  

Props needed: Folded blanket to kneel and sit on plus some optional essential oil or body lotion to massage your feet with at the end. 

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

Duration: 40 minutes

Emphasis:  Iyengar Yoga is a style of yoga founded by BKS Iyengar. It has a strong emphasis on good alignment of the body in the poses and a use of props such as blocks and belts to enable the poses to be adapted according to the person participating. Slow and steady in pace, each pose is done first on the right side and then on the left, before moving on to the next one.

Props needed: 2 blocks, a blanket and a belt or tie from a bathrobe.

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

Duration: 42 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class the focus is on strengthening the upper body and the abdominals. After some warming up for the arms, shoulders and back, the sequence will take you through lunges with bicep curls and shoulder presses, Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana) with a diagonal 'pull' with the weight and a Goddess Pose with the weights too. There will also be some side arm balances and plank poses before stretching the arms out after their hard work.

Props needed: Two hand weights (but if you don't have these you could use filled water bottles) plus you might need a blanket to kneel on.

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

Duration: 41 minutes

Emphasis:  Flow through multiple rounds of Sun Salutations adding in extra poses each time. We'll practise One Leg Downward Facing Dog (Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana), Crescent Lunge (Alanasana), a Warrior 3 variation (Virabhadrasana III), Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II) and Standing Splits which also has the English name of One Foot Expanding Upwards Pose (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana) in the flow sequences, before coming down to the floor for a Pigeon Pose (Ardha Kapotasana) and Savasana.

Props needed: Bricks or blocks for under your hands for the Warrior 3 and Standing Splits and a blanket for Savasana if required.

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

Duration: 53 minutes

Emphasis:  Starting with the most gentle variation of Side Angle Pose (Parsvakonasana) with your forearm resting on your thigh, we'll practice this pose repeatedly adding props as we make the pose a bit more challenging each time. We'll also visit some different variations of Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana) as we change from the right side to the left.

Props needed: Blocks, bricks or a stack of books to put your hand on as we deepen the pose.

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

Duration: 42 minutes

Emphasis:  As we move through Surya Namaskar A (Sun Salutations) we'll take Chair Pose (Utkatasana) and then into a preparation for Eagle Pose (Garudasana) building each time until we reach the full pose. In the final round we'll add in an extra Warrior 3 Pose variation (Virabhadrasana III). We'll take Half Shoelace Pose (Ardha Gomukhasana) and then lie down for a strong Eagle Pose core strengthener and finish with a twist.

Props needed: 2 blocks or a thick book and a blanket might be helpful for the final twist and you might want to put your mat near a wall to help with balance.

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