Recent Articles in Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Duration: 30 minutes

Emphasis: In this class you'll be strengthening and stretching your hip flexors. Your primary hip flexors are the Iliacus muscle and the Psoas Major muscle - collectively called the Iliopsoas. These muscles are deep within your body, on either side of the low spine, and they lie over the front of the pelvis and join your upper thigh bone. They are responsible for lifting up your thigh, for example when you are marching, running or walking up stairs. You'll also be strengthening and stretching your front of thigh muscles and also your hip extensor muscles which include your glutes and your hamstrings. This is all quite science-y and anatomical but all you really need to know is that these movements are very helpful for all of us as, in our society, we sit a lot and the hip flexors can become tight and weak. Expect mostly lunge movements (one leg is in flexion and the other in extension) and squats plus some nice, quiet stretches at the end.

Props required: Two blocks plus a blanket for your knees/hips.

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

Duration: 20 minutes

Emphasis: This is a 20 minute flow for you to practise when you don't have much time. Although short, it is a well-rounded class with forward bends, backbends, side bends and twists to give your whole body a little short of movement medicine.

Props required: You might need a blanket for your knees.

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

Duration: 45 minutes

Emphasis: This is a vinyasa flow class with a bit of a difference. As you move through the Sun Salutations and come out of Downward Facing Dog, each of the standing poses will be held for 5 breaths. The long holds are what you would expect to find in an Iyengar practice - they focus the mind, give you time to check the alignment in your body and regulate your breathing. And they make you stronger too!

Props required: None required unless you'd like a blanket over you in Savasana.

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

Duration: 1hr 15 minutes

Emphasis: You'll start with a short and simple meditation and then move onto some kneeling and lunge warm-ups which focus on loosening up your shoulders. This week's Sun Salutation sequences feature practising stepping through from Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) to Lunge (Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana) and then moving the arm in circles in Half Side Arm Balance (Ardha Vasisthasana) and Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana). In the next sequence there is some optional progression to Side Arm Balance (Vasisthasana). Seated poses include Torso Stretch Pose (Bharadvajasana), Archer Pose (Akarna Dhanurasana) and Heron Pose (Krounchasana).

Props required: A blanket, a brick and a belt.

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

Duration: 24 minutes

Emphasis: After warming up with a round of Sun Salutation A, the following sequence includes a kneeling backbend Camel Pose (Ustrasana), some variations of Crescent Moon Pose (Anjaneyasana), an angled lunge with a side-stretch and Standing Splits (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana). The next round moves from kneeling lunges to standing ones - Warrior 1 Pose variations (Virabhadrasana I), the angled lunge again with the back knee lifted, an extra Revolved Lunge Twist (Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana) and Standing Splits (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana). Coming down to the floor you'll do some supine twists (Jathara Parivartanasana) and Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana) before relaxing in Constructive Rest Pose.

Props required: A blanket for under your knees if required.

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

Duration: 35 minutes

Emphasis: This class is a bit of a workout - but it's very do-able! Multiple rounds of Sun Salutations which feature a different exercise with hand weights at the end of each one. 

Props needed: If you don't have hand weights you can use water bottles or tins of tomatoes/beans instead.

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

Duration: 1 hr 10 minutes

Emphasis: In this recording of a Slow Flow Zoom class, there is a focus on two mudras (hand positions) - Kali Mudra and Anjali Mudra. Seated and keeling warm-ups with repetitive movements followed by Sun Salutation A prepare you for the standing sequence which includes Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana), Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II) and High Lunge (Alanasana). A floor sequence includes Crescent Moon Pose (Anjaneyasana), Balancing Table Pose (Dandayamana Bharmanasana) and a Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) variation and then you'll move into a seated sequence with Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana), Head To Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana) and Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

Props needed: A blanket for under your knees if required.

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

Duration: 42 minutes

Emphasis: After a warm-up round of Sun Salutation A you'll do three more rounds that include a standing balance - Warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana III) variation, Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana) and Revolved Half Moon Pose (Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana). A supine sequence featuring leg stretches followed by Savasana will complete your practice..

Props needed: Two bricks and a yoga belt.

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

Duration: 42 minutes

Emphasis: In this class you'll warm up and build up to full Sun Salutations, then in subsequent rounds there will be a squat variation - Chair Pose (Utkatasana), Half Chair Pose (Ardha Utkatasana), Candle Pose (Prapidasana) and Garland Pose (Malasana) - at the end of each round. Then it's down to the floor for some Bridge Pose variations (Setu Bandhasana), Happy Baby Pose (Supta Balasana), Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) plus a twist, a seated hip opener plus twist and finally Blossoming Lotus Pose (Vikasita Kamalasana). and Revolved Abdomen Twist Pose (Jathara Parivartanasana) and then a well-deserved Savasana.

Props needed: A blanket and a block.

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

Duration: 9 minutes

Emphasis: If you want a quick warm-up before you go out to do your other exercise or you just want to get the heart rate up a little and move the joints, then this short class will be just what you need. Progressing from Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) through to Lunge Pose (Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana), to Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) to a full Sun Salutation, plus an extra round with a little variation - the pace is steady but you don't stay in any pose for very long.

Props needed: None required.

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

Duration: 40 minutes

Emphasis: This flow will take you through a variety of twists - firstly, kneeling in the warm-up, then through two Sun Salutation sequences and then finally some seated poses too.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on, blocks and/or bricks for under your hands and to sit on and you might want a belt for the final pose.

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

Duration: 45 minutes

Emphasis: This flow sequence will take you through Sun Salutation A and then from standing up to sitting down via Candle Pose (Prapidasana), Garland Pose (Malasana), Boat Pose (Navasana), Easy Pose Forward Bend (Adho Mukha Sukhasana) and Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana). In the next round a couple of extra poses are added in - a seated spinal roll back (which I explain at the beginning of the class) and Upward Plank Pose (Purvottanasana). Coming down to the floor for a seated sequence you'll do Revolved Thunderbolt Pose aka Kneeling Pose (Upward Plank Pose), Camel Pose (Ustrasana), Sage Bharadvaja's Twist (Bharadvajasana) and Reclined Easy Pose (Supta Sukhasana).

Props needed: You might need blocks and a blanket.

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