Recent Articles in Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Duration: 18 minutes

Emphasis:  An all-round flow with lots of standing postures which will strengthen and stretch your legs and move your shoulders through their range of movement. There are some forward bends, gentle backbends and side stretches, all done in quick succession to give you a complete full-body class in under 20 minutes.

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

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

Duration: 45 minutes

Emphasis:  A strong flow class with 6 rounds of Sun Salutations with a quad stretch and a backbend in each one.

Props needed: A blanket to put under your knee, possibly a block for under your hand and a strap to loop around your foot if you can't reach it.

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

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: 26 minutes

Emphasis:  There's no weight-bearing on the hands and wrists in this class - no downward dogs, planks, lowering to the floor or cobra - just standing poses linked together followed by some seated postures. Expect a couple of balancing poses and some deep twists.

Props needed: Possibly a blanket or block to sit on and a strap to help you reach your foot if your hamstrings are tight.

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: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Emphasis:  Stretch the front of your body with this class featuring multiple vinyasas with lunges and leg stretches, Standing Splits and Half Moon Pose, Pigeon and Bow Pose. This is a strong class and might not be suitable for you if you have delicate knees. Please use props to adjust the poses if necessary - blanket under the knee or blocks under the hands - and don't push past your edge into strain or pain.

Props needed: Blocks and a blanket

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

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: 29 minutes

Emphasis:  A slow flow to open tight pectoral muscles at the top of the chest, bring mobility to the spine, and stretch the front of the shoulders, the inner arms, and the abdominal muscles too.

Props needed: A belt and a block to sit on if you need it for the seated postures and to put under your head for the final pose.

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

Duration: 30 minutes

Emphasis:  A standing flow class with minimal weight-bearing on the hands and wrists. Lots of moving the arms and shoulders in all direction to promote ease of movement and some long holds in the poses to strengthen the legs.

Props needed: 2 or more blocks to put under your hands if you need them in Standing Forward Bend.

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

Duration: 27 minutes

Emphasis:  This class will build strength in your arms, core and legs and challenge your balance too.

Props needed: None.

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

Duration: 34 minutes

Emphasis:  This slow flow class will stretch your Psoas muscles deeply. If you want a more gentle psoas stretch go to the Hatha Section and choose the class "Poses to Stretch your Psoas Muscle".

Props needed: A blanket to put under your knee, blocks to rest your forearms on in Lizard Pose, possibly a belt to loop around your foot.

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

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.