Recent Articles in 40-60 minutes

Duration: 48 minutes

Emphasis:  After a short breathing practice, a warm-up will take you through shoulders and arms, ribcage and spine, hips and legs. You'll then move through a twice-repeated slow sequence that will take you from Childs Pose (Balasana), Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II), a Side Lunge variation (Skandasana) and Locust Pose variation (Salabhasana). Some seated twists, Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana) and Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) complete the physical practice and then you'll have some time to rest and relax in Savasana.

Props needed: None needed unless you'd like a blanket to kneel on.

Mat direction:  I can't decide which way is best!! I think maybe the long edge but, as I'm mirroring you with the lefts and rights, you'll be facing away from me as you do the second side.  

Duration: 40 minutes

Emphasis:  In this flow class you'll warm up with a couple of rounds of Sun Salutation A, followed by two rounds of a repeating flow in which each pose will either stretch or strengthen your feet. Expect poses such as Balancing Table Pose, also known as Balancing Cat (Dandayamana Bharmanasana), Melting Heart Pose (Anahatasana), Warrior 1 Pose (Virabhadrasana I), High Lunge Pose (Alanasana, also known as Ashta Chandrasana), Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) and to feel that, as you rest in Savasana at the end, you have really helped to mobilise your feet.  At the beginning I say that it's a short flow.... however it evolved into a slightly longer one at 40 minutes! ;-)

Props needed: A blanket for under your knees and for Savasana.

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

Duration: 48 minutes

Emphasis:  If you have a wrist injury or arthritis or something else going on that means leaning weight into your hands is difficult, this class will be just the thing. Leaning your forearms on a chair will enable you to do poses such as Cat Pose (Marjaryasana) and Cow Pose (Bitilasana), Balancing Cat - also known as Balancing Table Pose - (Dandayamana Bharmanasana), Gate Pose (Parighasana) and Camel Pose (Ustrasana). We'll also do a little bit of wrist mobility work to warm-up and finish with a supported Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) and Savasana with legs up on the chair. 

Props needed: Some wall-space, a chair and a blanket.

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

Duration: 41 minutes

Emphasis:  The whole of this class is done sitting on a chair. After a gentle warm-up you'll do 5 rounds of seated Sun Salutations followed by repetitive sequences that include side bends, twists and different variations of Chair Pose.

Props needed: Blocks and a chair.

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

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.