Recent Articles in Relaxation

Duration: 26 minutes

Emphasis:  This sequence focuses on Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana). Forward bends are known to help quieten the mind and the nervous system and will give you a good stretch to your back and the back of the legs.

Props needed: 2 blocks, a blanket and a belt or tie from a bathrobe.

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

Duration: 1 hour 7 minutes

Emphasis:  A lovely long and relaxing class that takes you from twist to side bend to forward bend to backbend with a little segment of exercises for sacral stability too.

Props needed: 2 blankets (you may like to have a folded blanket to pad your mat to make it comfy) and 2 blocks or a bolster for some of the poses.

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

Duration: 21 minutes

Emphasis:  Move your whole body from top to toe whilst seated on a chair. This class is perfect if you're low on energy, feeling under the weather or nursing an injury and will help you to breathe better and release tension too.

Props needed: A chair (obviously! ;-) ) plus a block or book to put your feet on so, if your feet don't fully touch the ground, they can be flat on the floor and your knees can be level with your hips, plus you might like a blanket to sit on if your chair has a hard edge.

Mat direction: N/A.

Duration: 6 minutes

Emphasis:  Take a few minutes to sit... be still... breathe well... and relax.  Alternate Nostril Breathing calms the mind and helps make it easier to concentrate. It relaxes the nervous system and helps reduce high cortisol levels. It encourages deep, even, smooth breathing which increases the supply of oxygen to the body and the brain and utilises all the breathing apparatus (nasopharynx, trachea, bronchioles and lungs) and helps keep the diaphragm (the major muscle of respiration) healthy and flexible. For best results practise Nadi Shodhana or other gentle forms of Pranayama on a regular daily basis.

Props needed: None required.

Mat direction: N/A

Duration: 1 hr 19 minutes.

Emphasis:  Enjoy some slow and gentle sequences of kneeling, seated and supine stretches including Crescent Moon Pose (Anjaneyasana), Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana), Sage Twist Pose (Marichyasana III), Half Frog Pose (Ardha Mandukasana) and Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend (Upavista Konasana).

Props needed: 2 blocks or books, a yoga belt or tie from a bathrobe or similar and a blanket to kneel on and/or cover yourself in Savasana if required.

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

Duration: 27 minutes

Emphasis:  In this supine and seated class we'll move the hips through their range of movement with poses such as Supine Tree Pose (Supta Vrksasana), Side Reclining Leg Lift Pose, also known as Vishnu's Couch Pose (Anantasana), Sphynx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana), Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend (Upavista Konasana) and both the seated and supine variations of Bound Angle Pose, also known as Cobblers Pose, (Baddha Konasana).

Props needed: A belt, strap or tie from a bathrobe plus a blanket for under your hips and for Savasana if required.

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

Duration: 1 hour 17 minutes

Emphasis:  We'll be doing some warm-up stretches seated on a chair, then we'll take some slow Sun Salutations before using the chair again to help with balance in Tree Pose (Vrksasana) and the Standing Leg Stretch Series (Utthita Hasta Padhangusthasana series). We'll also practise Camel Pose (Ustrasana) and Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana) using the chair.

Props needed: A chair, a blanket and some books to put your foot on to make the chair higher if you want to stretch the back of your legs a bit more deeply.

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

Duration: 12 minutes

Emphasis:  Sometimes you just don't feel like doing any yoga but you do want to rest. In this class you'll be lying down for 12 minutes as I guide you through a meditative Savasana and into rest and stillness.

Props needed: A bolster or a rolled up pillow for under your knees (use a bathrobe tie to keep it in shape) and a blanket to keep you warm.

Mat direction: N/A.

Duration: 9 minutes

Emphasis:  We live in a culture that celebrates perfection and the correction of 'faults' so we have been conditioned to think of our physical differences from each other as problems. How often do you hear someone say 'I hate my feet/legs/hair/nose'?. This meditation invites us to see our bodies in a different way - to remind us that all the myriad parts of ourself working together is a miracle. Let's retrain ourselves to think about our bodies in this more positive way. Just so you know, the words of the meditation are not mine but I can't remember where they came from so I don't know who to credit.

Props needed: A cushion, blanket or chair to make yourself comfortable in an upright seated position.

Mat direction: n/a

Duration: 1 hour 18 minutes

Emphasis:  Recording of a live Zoom class which includes backbends (Sphynx, Cobra and Seal Pose), forward bends (Childs and Star Pose), lunges (Lizard Pose), twists (Thread The Needle Pose) plus some variations of Pigeon Pose and a calf muscle massage too.

Props needed: Blocks or bricks to put under your forearms in Lizard Pose if needed and two blankets.

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

Duration: 8 minutes

Emphasis:  Enjoy deep relaxation in this supine meditation in the style of Yoga Nidra. As you lie on your blanket roll you'll take a journey around your body, softening and releasing the right side and then the left side. It will leave you feeling rested and centred.

Props needed: A blanket.

Mat direction: Long edge facing the screen.

Duration: 1 hour 17 minutes

Emphasis:  A recording of a live 'Zoom' class with seated and supine poses and Restorative poses to relax and stretch the entire body.

Props needed: A yoga bolster if you have one, or if you don't you can use 1 or 2 pillows (depending on how deep you want to go into the poses), 2 blocks or thick books, 2 blankets and a strap.

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