Recent Articles in Flexibility

Duration: 30 minutes

Emphasis:  Help to keep your shoulder joints feeling 'oiled' and free whilst doing a bit of resistance work to strengthen the muscles too. The majority of this class is done standing (there's a Warrior 2 based sequence) and you'll be using a yoga belt, then right at the end there will be a few supine poses including Sphynx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana) and a relaxing supported backbend.

Props needed: A yoga belt, 2 blocks and a blanket.

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

Duration: 14 minutes

Emphasis:  This short class will help you free up your shoulders, neck and upper back. All the movements, which include shoulder rolls and shoulder 'flossing', are done seated on a chair but you could do them standing up too. Great for a warm-up or as a stand-alone class, repeat regularly to keep you shoulders mobile.

Props needed: An optional chair and a yoga belt.

Mat direction: N/A.

Duration: 40 minutes

Emphasis:  You won't use your hands or arms at all in any of the poses in these sequences. It's a useful class if you have an injury or just want to rest your arms, and it's also interesting to see how the poses feel when done in this slightly unfamiliar way. Expect two sequences of standing poses and one sequence of seated and supine poses.

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

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

Duration: 24 minutes

Emphasis:  In this Iyengar-style class the poses alternate between extending your arms out to the sides and lifting the arms up above your head. Expect familiar poses such as Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II), Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana), Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana), Tree Pose (Vrksasana), a Locust Pose variation (Salabhasana), Melting Heart Pose (Anahatasana), Revolved Abdomen Pose (Jathara Parivartanasana) and Upward Extended Feet Pose (Urdhva Prasarita Padasana). You'll also be working on your strength and stamina as you'll hold the poses for 3 breaths on each side.

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on, and for Savasana.

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

Duration: 21 minutes

Emphasis:  This short class offers poses that will strengthen your arms, stretch your arms and help the mobility of your shoulder, elbow, wrist and finger joints. It's a great sequence to practise regularly if you sit at a computer for multiple hours a day and also just for general maintenance of your arms too. You can do the poses sitting on a chair or standing if you prefer.

Props needed: A chair (optional), a brick or block, a yoga belt.

Mat direction: n/a.

Duration: 16 minutes

Emphasis:  This short practice will help you to mobilise your back with some gentle seated side bends, twists, forward bends and backbends. There is also a standing stretch and a twist, both using the chair for support.

Props needed: A chair.

Mat direction: n/a

Duration: 1 hr 17 minutes

Emphasis:  In this relaxing Yin/Restorative class you'll move through forward bends, backbends, sidebends and twists, gently releasing stress and tension in the body and mind.

Props needed: A bolster (or two pillows rolled in a blanket), two blocks and a blanket..

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

Duration: 41 minutes

Emphasis:  Move your spine in all directions in this Sun Salutation based challenging flow. After warming up with two rounds of straight Sun Salutation A, which moves the spine repetitively from flexion to extension, the next three rounds include a variety of standing twists to rotate the spine. Moving down to the floor, you'll enjoy a couple of seated twists including Gate Pose 2 (Parighasana II), the supine Stomach Twist (Jathara Parivartanasana) and then a lovely long Savasana to help you relax after your hard work.

Props needed: Two bricks.

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

Duration: 18 minutes

Emphasis:  This short class starts in Child's Pose (Balasana) and then moves on to Cow Pose (Bitilasana), Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Garland Pose (Malasana) and some dynamic lunges. Once you're warmed-up there will be some variations of Lizard Pose (Pristhasana) and Pigeon Pose (Kapotasana), giving you a really good stretch your hips and buttocks. I offer sitting in Half Lotus Pose at the end (Ardha Padmasana) but please be mindful - this pose doesn't suit everyone's hips and/or knees.

Props needed: A blanket and 2 blocks.

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

Duration: 1 hr 14 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class we start with some supine warming-up with a focus on the abdominal muscles and the hip joints. We then move on to Sun Salutation A and then some rounds of Sun Salutation B, adding more core and hip work into the sequence. Some seated poses and a lovely relaxation complete the class.

Props needed: A blanket, 2 blocks and a yoga belt.

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

Duration: 13 minutes

Emphasis:  You'll begin sitting on the chair for a gentle, repetetive warm-up for shoulders, arms, spine and hips and then come to standing for some variations of classic poses such as Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana I), Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II), Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana) and Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana) that use the chair to work the hips in a slightly different way to usual. The class finishes with a few poses seated back on the chair again and a brief breathing practice.

Props needed: A chair.

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

Duration: 28 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class we'll alternate between flexion (bringing the knee in towards the chest) and extension (straightening the leg back behind you) to help improve mobility, range of movement, stability, strength and flexibility of the hip joint. After warming-up with some circling movements the first sequence takes us from Tabletop Pose (Bharmanasana) to Garland Pose (Malasana), to Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana), Half-Chair Pose (Ardha Utkatasana) to Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Props needed: A blanket to kneel on and two blocks.

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