Recent Articles in Gentle

Duration: 7 minutes

Emphasis:  This is a lovely relaxing technique to calm and centre you when you're feeling stressed or anxious. Simple and easy to do anywhere (except, of course, if you're driving) the exercise traces the outline of your fingers in time with the rhythm of your breath - try it and see how you feel afterwards.

Props needed: None needed.

Mat direction: N/A

Duration: 14 minutes

Emphasis:  Sometimes you need a little gentle movement to oil the joints and stretch the muscles. This seated class will release tension and tightness and is perfect for days when you're busy working or not feeling 100%.

Props needed: A chair and possibly a blanket to sit on.

Mat direction: N/A

Duration: 1 hr 13 minutes

Emphasis:  This class is a little different to our usual yoga - you'll use a chair to practice some unusual, repetitive exercises that will help to increase your strength, flexibility and mobility plus they will also help to improve your yoga poses too.

Props needed: A chair and a blanket.

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

Duration: 23 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class we practice some variations of Mountain Pose (Tadasana). Often overlooked as a beginning/end of sequence pose, Tadasana is one of the foundational poses of yoga. The alignment that we learn in Mountain Pose sets us up for the rest of our standing poses - we are strong, steady and focussed. We'll practice Mountain Pose standing up and lying down to feel the difference, and we'll do some Downward Facing Dogs (Adho Mukha Swanasana) too, and use the wall to feel subtle differences.    

Props needed: Some wall space.

Mat direction: Whatever works best for your mat positioned with one short edge against the wall.

Duration: 23 minutes

Emphasis:  With most of the poses in this class being done lying down, and only a couple of gentle seated poses, this class is perfect for those days where you're feeling weary and under the weather but still want to do a little yoga. Expect gentle stretches for legs, hips, low back especially, plus a lovely long Savasana too.

Props needed: Two blocks and a rolled blanket (plus you might want another blanket under your pelvis as you'll be lying down for a while).

Note: I made an error in the supine twist - at 10 minutes 20 seconds, I tell you to bring your left hand to your left thigh - but I should have said right thigh .... you'll understand when you get there...

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

Duration: 6 minutes

Emphasis:  If you find that your mind often skips off to think about other things during your Pranayama practice, try this simple breathing technique to help you stay focussed. You'll imagine a square box in front of you and trace the outline of it in time with your breath.

Props needed: None.

Mat direction: n/a.

Duration: 20 minutes

Emphasis:  Move your body in these gentle and repetitive movements to help increase both the range of movement and the ease of movement in your joints.

Props needed: A chair.

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

Duration: 15 minutes

Emphasis:  In this short practice there's a focus on Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) to help keep the hip joints mobile and stretch the inner thighs. You'll start with the supine version of the pose (Supta Baddha Konasana), then move through some variations of the seated pose and Star Pose (Tarasana) too.

Props needed: 2 rolled blankets and a brick (or two blocks or a thick book).

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

Duration: 29 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class we'll repeat the same stretches kneeling in Thunderbolt Pose (Vajrasana) and Hero Pose (Virasana), sitting cross-legged in Easy Pose (Sukhasana) and with legs extended in Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend. We'll then take some poses for strength and mobility of the hips before lying down to rest in Savasana.

Props needed: 2 blocks and a blanket

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

Duration: 18 minutes

Emphasis: 5 repetitive sequences taking you through adapted Cat/Cow Pose (Marjaryasana/Bitilasana), Sphynx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana), variations of Locust Pose (Shalabasana), variations of Camel Pose (Ustrasana) and into Child's Pose (Balasana). This class will bring mobility to your spine as we strengthen and stretch it in gentle forward bends, backbends and twists.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on if required and you might need blocks for your hands in one of the Camel Pose variations.

Mat direction: You choose - whatever works best for you.

Duration: 18 minutes

Emphasis: If you've been keeping up with your daily exercise you'll need to stretch out the muscles that have been working hard. This class is ideal after a long walk, run or cycle or if you're just feeling a little stiff and want a good stretch. The main focus will be on the legs but we'll also do some poses for the shoulders, arms and the front of the body.

Props needed: A blanket, two blocks and a yoga belt or tie from a bathrobe.

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

Duration: 58 minutes

Emphasis: Usually in a Restorative Class you relax completely into the support of the bolster, blankets and blocks. In this class however, although you'll be really relaxed, you'll be a little more active. We'll start sitting in Hero Pose (Virasana) and add a twist, then we'll do some lovely relaxing poses with the support of a bolster. We'll then practise a supported Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana) which will engage the leg muscles, before stretching them out and finishing with 8 minutes of Savasana - delicious!

Props needed: A bolster (or I'll show you how to make your own with a blanket and two pillows), two blocks and another blanket to keep you warm in that long Savasana.

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