Plank pose: Kumbhakasana Planks are great for core stability and any of us (especially those with with bad backs) should be working towards 30 to 60 second holds on both front and side planks. Alignment is very important so do try and be aware of that – perhaps practice in front of a mirror if […]
Introducing the yoga wheel I have an ever increasing collection of weird and wonderful yoga props. The yoga wheel is one of my favourites as it enables you to really open the muscles of the chest – great when you’ve spent far too long sitting at a desk and quite tricky to do without help. […]
Ardha Surya Namaskar My half sun salutation is always popular in classes. Because it omits the runners lunge and plank it isn’t as aerobically or physically challenging so makes for both a gentle warm-up as well as a therapeutic sequence where we can really concentrate on the in and out breaths. Here it is. Stand […]
We start this series with what is arguably the best known yoga pose – the downward facing dog. It is a mild inversion (where your head is below your heart) and is an essential component of the sun salutation sequence. It is used as a transitioning pose, a resting pose and also a strength builder. […]
As part of my yoga teacher training I wrote a number of essays on aspects of yoga practice. This essay is to do with the physical aspects of the Bandhas. I use the concept of the bandhas all the time in my classes but will not often refer to them by their Sanskrit names preferring […]
The Pranayama Square (Sama Vritti) In Sanskrit sama means equal and vritti means rotation or flow. Sama Vritti Pranayama is therefore Four Parts Even Breathing or the “Pranayama Square”. It is an important exercise as it teaches awareness and control of each of the four stages of the breathing cycle: Puraka (Inhalation) Antar Kumbhaka (Retention […]
As part of my teacher training I had to write a number of academic essays about yoga which I have shared here in the blog. This essay was written to explore the eight limbs of yoga which are referenced in the classic Yoga Sutras. In classes we typically only explore one limb – that of […]
This article is an academic paper I wrote as part of my yoga teacher training. It explores the concept of prana and pranayama practice. Reading this you might think that it is all rather confusing (all those academic references!) but in my classes breath control is gently introduced and students often reflect on how calming […]