Recent Articles in 40-60 minutes

Duration: 48 minutes

Emphasis:  This class focusses on working your arms and shoulders in slow and steady Sun Salutations. In each round there is an added Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana 2) pose with a different arm variation.

Props needed: Blocks or a thick book to put under your hand in Half-Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana), blanket for Savasana. 

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 47 minutes

Emphasis:  A slow and steady flow that works the whole body - with standing, seated and kneeling poses, twists and leg stretches plus Candle Pose (Prapidasana) for balance.

Props needed: A blanket and a belt.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 41 minutes

Emphasis:  A slow and steady flow of standing poses with one seated and one supine twist to finish.

Props needed: 2 blocks or books.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 40 minutes

Emphasis:  Increase the range of movement in your hips with this sequence of kneeling and seated poses.

Props needed: A blanket for Savasana or to kneel or sit on if needed. 

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 55 minutes

Emphasis:  Strengthen your bones and your muscles with this sequence using hand weights.

Props needed: 2 light handweights (if you haven't got these use bottles of water like I did), 2 blocks and a blanket. Extra blanket for Savasana if required. 

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen until we get to the seated poses then option to turn the mat sideways if you like to have it under your heels for Wide Leg Seated Forward Bend.

Duration: 46 minutes

Emphasis:  Build your strength with this sequence which blends the use of hand weights with familiar yoga poses. It's really important to continue to do strength and resistance work as we get older - it helps to prevent osteoporosis and muscle loss (sarcopenia) - and incorporating it into your regular yoga practice, which already offers a good amount of weight-bearing, is an easy way to make sure you're doing enough.

Props needed: 2 light handweights or 2 small plastic bottles full of water, a belt.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 50 minutes

Emphasis:  Yin Yoga is a slow, quiet practice where the poses are held for much longer than in other types of yoga to stretch the connective tissue of the body more fully. If you haven't done any Yin Yoga before please take a look at this blog post to get a little more information about the practice before you start this class.

Props needed: A blanket or block to sit on and possibly a rolled blanket or towel to prop your shins when sitting in cross-legged position.

Mat direction: It doesn't matter - a mat is optional, not necessary.

Duration: 45 minutes

Emphasis:  Plenty of Sun Salutations with Bow Pose variations.

Props needed: You might need a belt to loop round your foot in Kneeling Bow Pose if you can't quite catch with your hand. A blanket to kneel on.

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

Duration: 45 minutes

Emphasis:  A standing pose sequence with triangle, wide-legged forward bend, reverse triangle, and other poses that will strengthen and stretch your legs, and stretch and twist your spine.

Props needed: Blocks or books to put your hands on in standing forward bend and possibly a belt to hold in your hands behing you when taking forward bend with the arms up behind you.

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

Duration: 46 minutes

Emphasis: Lots of work on the shoulders to encourage a good range of movement.

Props needed: A blanket, a belt and a block.

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

Duration: 45 minutes

Emphasis: A sequence of standing and seated poses to increase focus, strength and stability.

Props needed: 2 blocks or bricks, or books for under the hands if your hamstrings are tight, a belt and a blanket.

Mat direction: Short edge of mat facing screen. You might want to place your mat near a wall or table to help steady you if you find balancing a challenge.

Duration: 40 minutes

Emphasis: A slow sequence of seated poses to stretch the legs, open the hips and stretch the sides of the body.

Props needed: 2 flat blocks, plus extra blocks or cushion if Virasana is difficult for your knees, a belt and a blanket.

Mat direction: Long edge of mat facing screen