Recent Articles in Flexibility

Duration: 25 minutes

Emphasis:  Sometimes you need a bit of quiet to help you focus - a straightforward practice with minimal talking from me! So that's what you'll get in this class - after warming up with Sun Salutation A we move to a few rounds of Sun Salutation B, before repeating and adding in some extra twists at the end of each round. Expect a brisk pace and to work hard, challenge your balance too all with the briefest instructions. 

Props needed: None needed.

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

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: 13 minutes

Emphasis:  Sometimes chair yoga is gentle and sometimes it's more of a challenge. This class falls into the latter category and you'll work your core muscles as you bicycle the legs whilst seated. It's a little bit different and I hope you enjoy it ;-)

Props needed: A chair.

Mat direction: N/A

Duration: 30 minutes

Emphasis: In these repetitive sequences our Sun Salutations start and finish at the back of the mat and include Cat and Cow Pose (Marjariasana and Bitilasana), Garland Pose (Malasana), Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) and various standing poses.

Props needed: A flat block or book and a blanket for your knees if required.

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

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: 53 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class you'll hold these twists for 2 minutes each to deeply stretch the tissues and joints of the body. Expect some fairly strong sensations in these poses and see if you can breathe through them, minimising the almost inevitable fidgeting of body and mind. Of course, if the poses cause you any pain whatsoever, make your way back to a comfortable place - explore your 'edge' but with safety in mind. By the end I hope you'll be feeling very relaxed and enjoying stillness and deep peace.

Props needed: A bolster (or two pillows and a blanket), a blanket for padding knees, head etc, a yoga belt (or tie from a bathrobe) and blocks/bricks to adjust the height of your bolster according to your needs.

Note: I made an error in the second side of the 'Cat Pulling Its Tail' twist - , I tell you to bring your left hand to the floor or to your left thigh - but I should have said right hand .... you'll understand when you get there...

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: 26 minutes

Emphasis:  After two rounds of Sun Salutation A you'll move into practising 7 different variations of Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana). This pose, sometimes known as Intense Side Stretch, strengthens the legs and stretches the hamstrings, calf muscles and the back. In some of the variations it stretches the front of the shoulders and the inner forearms and wrists too. You'll explore the variations progressively, stopping where you need to along the way so you don't overstretch or cause injury. 

Props needed: Blocks or bricks to put under your hands.

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

Duration: 1 hr 16 minutes

Emphasis: A flow class without the usual Sun Salutations, these sequences take you through Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottonasana), Side Lunge (Skandasana), Crescent Moon Pose (Anjaneyasana), Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II), Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana), Trikonasana (Trikonasana), back into Standing Forward Bend, into a variation of Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana) and the we round it off with a Tree Pose (Vrksasana) before doing the same again to the left side. The sequence is repeated again, swapping in a few different poses before we come down to the floor for some seated poses which include forward bends and twists such as Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana), two twists (Marichyasana 1 and 3) and a little bit of work on Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana). We finish with some Leg Lowering and a Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana).

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

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

Duration: 28 minutes

Emphasis:  A fun sequence that takes you from some hands and knees poses into Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svansana) and Garland Pose (Malasana) then down into Staff Pose (Dandasana) for some twists and a seated 'walk' up and down the length of your mat. The sequence is then reversed to bring you back to the beginning and then repeated.

Props needed: A blanket for under your knees if required and a block for under your heels if needed in Garland Pose (Malasana).

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

Duration: 41 minutes

Emphasis:  In this class you'll use the wall to explore some familiar poses such as Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II), Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) and Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana). Using the wall for stability and support allows you to go a little deeper into the poses and notice subtle differences compared to the usual way of doing the pose.

Props needed: A blanket for under your knees if required, 2 blocks and/or bricks.

Mat direction: Short edge of the mat against the wall.