Recent Articles in Hatha Yoga

Recording of Gentle Stretch Class Live on Zoom 4/5/2020

Duration: 1 hour 18 minutes

Emphasis: Recording of a live Zoom class which includes backbends (Sphynx, Cobra and Seal Pose), forward bends (Childs and Star Pose), lunges (Lizard Pose), twists (Thread The Needle Pose) plus some variations of Pigeon Pose and a calf muscle massage too.

Props needed: Blocks or bricks to put under your forearms in Lizard Pose if needed and two blankets.

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

Supine Sequence for Your Hips

Duration: 26 minutes

Emphasis: This sequence is all done lying down. We'll focus on your hip mobility, strengthening the surrounding muscles, stretching the legs and we'll finish with a gentle supported backbend.

Props needed: A blanket and a strap to reach your foot if needed.

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

Simple Standing Balancing Sequence

Duration: 15 minutes

Emphasis: A short sequence of standing balances suitable for beginners to strengthen legs, ankles and core, and improve focus and concentration.

Props needed: A yoga block or brick (or a box or tupperware of approximately the same length) and maybe a chair or wall to put your hand on if you feel wobbly.

Mat direction: n/a.

Recording of Gentle Stretch Class Live on Zoom 27/4/2020

Duration: 1 hour 17 minutes

Emphasis: A recording of a live 'Zoom' class with seated and supine poses and Restorative poses to relax and stretch the entire body.

Props needed: A yoga bolster if you have one, or if you don't you can use 1 or 2 pillows (depending on how deep you want to go into the poses), 2 blocks or thick books, 2 blankets and a strap.

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

Recording of Gentle Stretch Class Live on Zoom 20/4/2020

Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes

Emphasis: A recording of a live 'Zoom' class that will gently stretch the whole body and relax the nervous system.

Props needed: 2 blocks or thick books, 2 blankets and a strap.

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

Pyramid Pose Sequence

Duration: 29 minutes

Emphasis: After warming up the wrists we move through Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana) with some different arm variations, and then to Wide Leg Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana). We finish in Malasana (Garland Pose) and stretch the wrists again in a counterpose.

Props needed: 2 blocks or a thick book, a blanket and you might need a strap or belt.

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

A Sequence On The Stairs

Duration: 17 minutes

Emphasis: If your house is busy and there's no space to roll out your mat try doing some poses on the stairs. Yes really! You can use them as props to help you get a little deeper into the postures and it's useful to have walls and a bannister to help you balance. We get a bit creative with lunges and twists, forward bends, Lizard pose (Uttan Pristhasana), a variation of Ardha Purvottanasana (Reverse Tabletop Pose), Dancer's Pose (Natarajasana) and some variations of Malasana (Garland Pose).

Props needed: None required - not using a mat is, I think, better as it avoids the risk of it slipping.

Mat direction: N/A.

Recording of Gentle Stretch Class Live on Zoom 13/4/2020

Duration: 1 hour 19 minutes

Emphasis: This is a recording of a 'live' gentle stretch and relax class which includes poses in seated, kneeling and supine positions, with an Alternate Nostril breathing practice (Nadi Sodhana) at the end.

Props needed:A strap or tie from a bathrobe, a blanket, and 2 blocks or books approx 30x20x4cms.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Recording of Gentle Stretch Class Live on Zoom 6/4/2020

Duration: 1 hour 18 minutes

Emphasis: This is a recording of a 'live' class I did via Zoom. Expect hip openers, stretches to lengthen the sides of the body and twists mobilize the thoraccic spine. All poses, except for some kneeling lunges, are done sitting or lying down .

Props needed:A yoga bolster - or if you don't have one I show you how to make one from a blanket and one or, if you prefer a bigger bolster, two pillows, a strap or tie from a bathrobe, a block or thick book and an extra blanket to cover yourself with in Savasana.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Yoga At The Wall

Duration: 43 minutes

Emphasis: In this class you'll practise poses such as Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II), Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana), Crescent/High Lunge Pose (Ashta Chandrasana aka Alanasana), Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Child's Pose (Balasana), Revolved Wide-Legged Forward Bend Pose (Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana), Rock-the-Baby Pose (Hindolasana) and Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana) using the wall to provide stability and enable you to go a little deeper into each pose.

Props needed: Some clear wall space, 2 blocks or a thick book and a blanket.

Mat direction: One short edge facing the screen and the other against the wall.

Yoga In Your Kitchen

Duration: 20 minutes

Emphasis: This is one of the first classes I ever recorded - it's 7 years old now! I thought it might be helpful to share it here while we're all at home with a little less space than usual. The sequence includes variations of standing poses such as Tree Pose (Vrksasana), Eagle Pose (Garudasana), Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana) and Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana), plus a variation of Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) and Lizard Pose (Uttan Pristhasana).

Props needed: Your kitchen worktop or, if you find the poses too intense you can use your dining room table which will be a few centimetres lower and therefore make the poses a little easier.

Mat direction: n/a.

Recording of Gentle Stretch Class Live on Zoom 30/3/2020

Duration: 1 hour 17 minutes

Emphasis: This is a recording of a live class I did via 'Zoom' on 30th March 2020. It is a gentle stretch and relax class with all the poses either being done seated or lying down.

Props needed: A blanket, a strap and a bolster (or I show you how to make on from another blanket or bathtowel and a pillow).

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