Recent Articles in Flexibility

Duration: 20 minutes

Emphasis:  This class consists of short seated sequences that start and finish in Staff Pose (Dandasana)and most of them are done with straight legs. There's a cameo role for Flo in this class too ;-)

Props needed: None required.

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

Duration: 27 minutes

Emphasis:  After warming up we'll move slowly down through the body with poses to help bring mobility to the neck, shoulders, chest, back, hips, legs and feet.

Props needed: A chair and a belt.

Mat direction: n/a.

Duration: 32 minutes

Emphasis:  A steady flow sequence consisting of 6 rounds of Sun Salutations and 5 variations of Tree Pose (Vrksasana) to challenge your balance.

Props needed: A belt if you need it to keep your foot in place for some of the Tree Pose variations.

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

Duration: 33 minutes

Emphasis:  A straightforward Iyengar-style class which focusses on some basic standing poses interspersed with the four variations of Wide Leg Standing Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Props needed: A brick or blocks to put your hand on in one pose.

Mat direction: n/a.

Duration: 1 hr 16 minutes

Emphasis:  Relax and restore in this class that uses props to support the body so the muscles don't have to do any work. The nervous system and your mind get a chance to calm down, the breathing becomes steadier and, practiced before bedtime, this class will help you have a good night's sleep

Props needed: A bolster (or two pillows and a blanket), another blanket, optional cushion, blocks/bricks. .

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

Duration: 7 minutes

Emphasis:  In this short practice you'll raise and lower the arms - movement in time with the breath, breath in time with the movement. Rhythmic and relaxing, this practice will help to calm the nervous system, focus the mind, stretch the ribcage and promote shoulder mobility.

Props needed: A block/blanket/chair to sit on.

Mat direction: n/a.

Duration: 48 minutes

Emphasis:  If you have a wrist injury or arthritis or something else going on that means leaning weight into your hands is difficult, this class will be just the thing. Leaning your forearms on a chair will enable you to do poses such as Cat Pose (Marjaryasana) and Cow Pose (Bitilasana), Balancing Cat - also known as Balancing Table Pose - (Dandayamana Bharmanasana), Gate Pose (Parighasana) and Camel Pose (Ustrasana). We'll also do a little bit of wrist mobility work to warm-up and finish with a supported Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) and Savasana with legs up on the chair. 

Props needed: Some wall-space, a chair and a blanket.

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

Duration: 38 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class we'll practise Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Side Angle Pose (Parsvakonasana) and Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II) from standing pose in the Iyengar style, then again from Downward Facing Dog in the Vinyasa style and then we'll try them from Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana) too to experience how they all feel slightly different .

Props needed: Blocks and a blanket.

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

Duration: 36 minutes

Emphasis:  I couldn't decide whether this flow sequence should be classified as a Hatha Yoga class or a Vinyasa Flow - so I've put it in both categories! There's no Plank/Downward Facing Dog/Cobra vinyasa but this class does have a flow-y feel.  After a circulation-boosting warm-up the sequence contains Chair Pose (Utkatasana), Candle Pose (Prapidasana), variations of Cat Pose (Marjaryasana) and Cow Pose (Bitilasana) on the forearms and Forearm Plank (Phalakasana II).

Props needed: None.

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

Duration: 36 minutes

Emphasis:  I couldn't decide whether this flow sequence should be classified as a Hatha Yoga class or a Vinyasa Flow - so I've put it in both categories! Although strictly speaking it doesn't contain the usual vinyasa (literal translation is 'to place in a special way') of Plank/Downward Facing Dog/Cobra, it has that 'feel'. Give it a go and you can decide :-) After a circulation-boosting warm-up the sequence contains Chair Pose (Utkatasana), Candle Pose (Prapidasana), variations of Cat Pose (Marjaryasana) and Cow Pose (Bitilasana) on the forearms and Forearm Plank (Phalakasana II).

Props needed: None.

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

Duration: 33 minutes

Emphasis:  After some gentle warm-ups for the wrists and Sun Salutations for the rest of the body, we add in poses that will alternately strengthen and stretch the wrists, moving from weight-bearing to counterposing that. Poses include Crescent Moon Pose (Anjaneyasana), Warrior 1 Pose (Virabhadrasana I), High Lunge (Alanasana) and Humble Warrior (Baddha Virabhadrasana). We then come down to the floor for a seated sequence which also moves between wrist strengthening and stretching in Upward Plank Pose (Purvottanasana) and Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana).

Props needed: A blanket or block to sit on in the seated poses. Possibly a belt if you find it helpful to join your hands together behind your back.

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

Duration: 1 hour 16 minutes

Emphasis:  After a Diaphragmatic Breathing practice, we warm up with some supine poses that work the hips and core muscles. We progress to slow Sun Salutations and add in Half Chair Pose (Ardha Utkatasana) with sweeping arm movements and a modified Tree Pose (Vrksasana). Each time we repeat the sequence we add in another pose - Warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana III) and Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana) to challenge the balance. We finish the class with some slow seated and supine stretches before resting in Savasana..

Mat direction: It doesn't really matter - so you choose :-)