Recent Articles in Hatha Yoga

Duration: 14 minutes

Emphasis: You don't always need to find a big chunk of time to do your yoga practice, or find your mat or put your leggings on. Sometimes it's enough to slide off the sofa onto the floor and do a few simple stretches to loosen you up. Expect some familiar poses done with the support of your sofa. 

Props needed: A sofa!

Mat direction: N/A.

Duration: 18 minutes

Emphasis: In this class all the poses use two blocks - expect seated variations of Candle Pose (Prapidasana) and Garland Pose (Malasana), some Standing Forward Bends (Prasarita Padottanasana), Side Lunge (Skandasana), Child's Pose (Balasana), Supported Bridge Pose (Setu Bhanda) and Stomach Twist (Jathara Parivartanasana).

Props needed: Two blocks (or thick books).

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

Duration: 38 minutes

Emphasis: Use the wall to open your shoulders and stretch your arms and legs. The first part of the class is done standing and in the second part you'll be lying down with your legs up the wall (Viparita Karani). 

Props needed: A block and a blanket.

Mat direction: Have your mat up against a wall.

Duration: 33 minutes

Emphasis: A short Iyengar-style class that features classic poses such as Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana), Seated Twist (Marichyasana III), Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) and Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha). Expect lots of alignment cues and holding the poses for at least 3 breaths. 

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

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 35 minutes

Emphasis: Practice your backbends with the support of a bolster. After making a small-sized bolster with a blanket and a pillow you'll warm-up the spine with some seated poses and then some kneeling Cat/Cow Pose (Marjaryasana and Bitilasana). You'll then do prone backbends such as Cobra Pose (Bhuganasana) and Locust Pose (Salabhasana) before supine ones such as Supported Fish Pose (Salamba Matsyasana) and Supported Bridge Pose variation (Salamba Setu Bhanda).

Props needed: A blanket, a pillow and 2 blocks - if you want a deeper backbend you can use 2 pillows (or a standard sized yoga bolster if you have one).

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 1hr 15 minutes

Emphasis:  The focus of this class is side stretches - you'll do a kneeling pose flow that includes Gate Pose (Parighasana) and Half Side Arm Balance (Ardha Vasisthasana). The second sequence takes you through Triangle Pose (Trikonasana) to Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana) and the third into Warrior 1 Pose (Virabhadrasana I) and Humble Warrior (Baddha Virabhadrasana). The floor-based poses include Snake Pose (Sarpasana), Side Reclining Leg Lift Pose (Anantasana) and Revolved Head-to-knee Pose (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana).

Props needed: A blanket and a yoga belt.

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

Duration: 34 minutes

Emphasis: A standing warm-up takes you into a standing sequence that includes Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), some variations of Wide Leg Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana), Goddess Pose ((Utkata Konasana) and Tree Pose (Vrksasana). The seated sequence includes Wide-Angle Seated Forward Fold (Upavistha Konasana) and Blossoming Lotus Pose (Vikasita Kamalasana).

Props needed: Two blocks and a yoga belt.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 17 minutes

Emphasis: Enjoy this very gentle class that uses circles and spirals to mobilise and free the joints. We work through the body from the shoulders to the feet and I hope you'll feel relaxed and comfortable after this practice

Props needed: A blanket for under your knees.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 1 hr 14 minutes

Emphasis: In this gentle class we warm-up by going top-to-toe through the body, mobilising the joints and stretching the muscles. Then there are two standing pose sequences followed by some seated twists, and forward bends. A lovely long Savasana resting on blocks or cushions completes the practice, leaving you feeling nice and loose, limber and relaxed.

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

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 21 minutes

Emphasis: There are lots of poses named after birds - some are challenging arm balances but in this class we practise some of the more accessible ones - Sunbird Pose, also known as Balancing Table Pose (Dandayamana Bharmanasana), Flamingo Pose (which is a variation of Natarajasana), Stork Pose (Saaras Pakshi Asana), Eagle Pose (Garudasana), Pigeon Pose (Eka Raja Kapotanasana) and Heron Pose (Krounchasana).

Props Needed: Blocks or bricks to help you balance in Eagle Pose, a yoga belt or tie from a bathrobe and a blanket for under your knees if required.

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

Duration: 1hr 16 minutes

Emphasis:  This class features poses that will help release your back as we gently move from flexion to extension, do some spinal rotation and some side bends in the seated warm-up, and in the kneeling and standing poses flows. In the final part of the class we move to Legs Up The Wall Pose (Viparita Karani) and do some variations to open the hips and give the back and the back of the legs a lovely passive stretch.

Props needed: Some wall space, a blanket and a block.

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

Duration: 50 minutes

Emphasis: In this Iyengar-style class you'll hold each pose for a little longer than in a Vinyasa Flow practice. You'll do each pose separately, on the right side, then on the left, rather than joining poses together to make a flow.  It's strong, focussed work - feeling your way into each pose, noticing the nuances, being aware of your breathing - and then you let it go and move on to the next pose. After warming up you'll practise some different variations of the Warrior group of poses and the seated poses include Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana), Three Parts Forward Bend Pose (Triang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana 1 and II) and Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana). 

Props Needed: A blanket, a block (or maybe two if needed) and a yoga belt.

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