Recent Articles in Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Duration: 18 minutes

Emphasis:  This short class is ideal to practise first thing in the morning. After warming up the body after its night's sleep we'll do some Sun Salutations to get your blood flowing and your heart rate up, which will include the standing poses Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II), Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana) and Low Lunge Twist Pose (Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana). We'll then come to the floor for a short sequence that includes Boat Pose (Navasana), Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana), a seated twist and a side bend, before a brief Savasana or Constructive Rest Pose to revitalise you, ready to face the day ahead.

Props needed: None required.

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

Duration: 21 minutes

Emphasis:  This short class is ideal to practise first thing in the morning. We'll gently move the joints and stretch the muscles to warm-up then pick up the pace for a round of Sun Salutations that include Reverse Warrior Pose (Viparita Virabhadrasana), Triangle Pose (Uttitha Trikonasana) and Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II). We finish with some Seated Torso Circling (also known as Sufi Grinds) and a warming ritual to raise your Prana (your life-force energy) and send you off into the day ahead.

Props needed: None required.

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

Duration: 1 hr 17 minutes

Emphasis:  This steady-paced flow class will challenge your balance with twists in kneeling and standing lunges and with seated poses such as Boat Pose (Navasana), Blossoming Lotus Pose (Vikasitakamalasana) and Embryo Pose (Garbha Pindasana).

Props needed: 2 blocks or books, a yoga belt or tie from a bathrobe or similar and a blanket to kneel on and to cover yourself in Savasana if required.

Mat direction: Short 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: 1 hour 21 minutes

Emphasis:  Multiple Sun Salutations take you through variations of Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II), Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana) and Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana), Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana 1), Tree Pose (Vrksasana) and Eagle Pose (Garudasana) before coming down to the floor for some seated poses, including a double-belt variation of Side Seated Wide Angle Pose (Parsva Upavista Konasana). We finish with an optional brief Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana) at the wall before a well-deserved Savasana.

Props needed: A blanket, plus an extra one if you'll be doing Shoulderstand, 2 yoga belts or ties from bathrobes or similar, plus optional 2 flat blocks or books to help with balance in Eagle Pose.

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

Duration: 1 hour 21 minutes

Emphasis:  Energise, stretch, strengthen and focus with multiple creative sequences based around Sun Salutations. Postures you'll practice include Triangle Pose (Trikonasana) and Revolved Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana), Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana), Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana) and Revolved Half Moon Pose (Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana). You'll also do some seated and supine poses to strengthen your core muscles and, at the beginning of the class, there's a calming and centering breathing practice called Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Sodhana) to enjoy too.

Props needed: A strap or tie from a bathrobe, a blanket, and 2 blocks or books to put under your hands.

Mat direction: Short edge facing the screen.

Duration: 7 minutes

Emphasis:  This is the final variation of Sun Salutation where I take you through Four Limbed Staff Pose, usually known as Chaturanga Dandasana and into Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana). This is a strong variation where you will be supporting your bodyweight on your hands and toes as you lower down from Plank Pose and also in the deep backbend.

Props needed: None.

Mat direction: Short edge of the mat facing the screen

Duration: 8 minutes

Emphasis:  This is the standard form of Sun Salutation that I offer in the majority of my classes. We're progressing to Plank Pose (Phalakasana) to Eight Limbed Pose (Ashtanga Namaskara) and in to Cobra Pose (Bhugangasana) to strengthen the body and create both physical and mental stamina.

Props needed: None.

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

Duration: 10 minutes

Emphasis:  In this next in the series of tutorials on modifying Sun Salutation to suit your needs, we swap the traditional lowering down to the ground via Knees Chest Chin Pose, aka Eight Limbed Pose, (Ashtanga Namaskara) followed by Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) or 4 Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana) followed by  Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) for a version that takes the weight off your wrists and onto your forearms, making it more accessible for those who have wrist and shoulder problems or just find the actions of lowering down too challenging. We then take Sphynx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana) which is a gentler backbend than Cobra.

Props needed: Maybe a blanket to kneel on.

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

Duration: 8 minutes

Emphasis:  In this variation of Surya Namaskar (the Sanskrit name for Sun Salutations), I show how you can progress to the next stage without having to lower down to the ground to take a backbend, or compromise your wrists and/or shoulders in Downward Facing Dog. Instead, we'll do Cat and Cow Pose and half variation of Downward Facing Dog that will help you keep the pressure off those tricky areas.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on.

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

Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes

Emphasis:  Expect multiple Sun Salutations with a wide variety of other poses added in too, then we'll move to using a chair to help us go deeper into Garland Pose (Malasana), Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana), a seated backbend, a shoulder stretch, Camel Pose (Ustrasana) and Firelog Pose (Agni Stambasana).

Props needed: A chair, a blanket, books to put under your heels in Malasana, and possibly a strap or tie to catch your foot in Kneeling Half Bow Pose (Ardha Dhanurasana).

Mat direction: Long edge of the mat facing the screen will probably give you the best view.

Duration: 1 hour 19 minutes

Emphasis:  Recording of a live Zoom Dynamic Flow class, although the pace is steady and measured. It includes repetitions Camel Pose (Ustrasana) and Gate Pose (Parighasana).

Props needed: 2 blocks or books, a strap (or the tie from a bathrobe or something similar), and a blanket.

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