For Teachers › Back and Shoulders
“You are only as old as your spine”
Goes the saying. It’s really important for you to keep your spine moving so that it stays strong, healthy and flexible. But you knew that already. These videos are great if you have a desk job and don’t move as much as you could, or if you already have stiff spine, shoulders or hips. Just remember to do the practices in these videos. Every day. We have got videos of different lengths here so you don’t need to put your back out trying to fit it in your schedule.
We don’t guarantee that you’ll be ready to join the Chinese circus, but we think that your back will appreciate the extra loving you give it and will reward you with less pain. You’ll start feeling that your life has some backbone, quite literally. This will lead to you making better decisions, possibly leading a life from a position of courage. You may start to feel your back is longer, you may start to sit up taller, you may start to notice when you slump or st... Show more
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01:03:33Full Body Tone
An open level movement class to tone the full body, circulate the breath and energy body while connecting you to a meditative awareness. This class is playful and energetic offering poses such as crow and wheel, with variations for all abilities. You may need a block.
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20:53Yoga For Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine which can present in spectrum of different grades. For some, a scoliosis can be very mild, hardly noticeable and certainly not an issue for everyday movement and living. For others it can be very inhibiting, restricting movement, causing pain and discomfort, perhaps even leading to corrective surgery. In this video, Lucy & Ben explain what scoliosis is and explore how you can help yourself, or loved ones, with this condition. Explore the role of good breathing and gentle movement to stretch out and gain ease and comfort. Please note that all advice and recommendations in this film are given generally and do not constitute any form of an individual diagnosis or treatment plan. A consultation with a medical practitioner or registered physical therapist is recommended.
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11:25Learn Crow Pose
A workshop-style tutorial class in which Adam will help you develop your bakasana (crow or crane pose) practice with three different training variations. We will explore this shape in varying orientations to help you develop the requisite skills to execute it well. If this pose is difficult for you, you will find a path forward or learn some options on what to do instead. You will need a block.
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09:07Flying Splits Tutorial
A tutorial of Eka Pada Koundinyasana - a yoga arm balance called the flying splits. This class shows you different ways to approach this advanced level arm balance. For practitioners who are working on conditioning, creating strength, flexibility and space for the pose.You’ll need to be warmed up before this class, ideally having practiced a well rounded hip-focused class.
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05:57Tune In Tune Up: The Crown Centre
This yoga class is all about connection with the divine! The crown chakra is where our ego dissolves and we connect with the source. Headstand is the posture for this class. If you don't have a regular headstand practice, then just place your head on the ground in your child's pose and you'll feel the same benefits.
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34:30Yoga For Happiness (2): Gratitude
Adopting an attitude of gratitude is a game-changer for journeying into joy. Gratitude for your breath and your body; gratitude for your relationships and experiences; gratitude for who you are and what you bring to the world; gratitude for the opportunity to see yourself clearly and non judgementally. This beautifully paced and sequenced vinyasa flow yoga class has shoulder and upper back opening focus, great to release tight shoulders and stiffness in the upper back and perfect to open the heart to gratitude. This class is about shifting from our habitual responses. You will need two bricks.
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04:43Tutorial on Chaturanga
There's no 'right' or 'wrong' in any yoga pose, so long as movements are made slowly and in a controlled way, mindfully and with the breath, and of course so long as there is no pain or pre-existing injury! With that in mind, Chaturanga or low plank, is one of the hardest yoga poses to master. This short tutorial on the yoga pose Chaturanga shows the action needed for the pose. Do take heed, the pose needs a LOT of strength in the shoulders and abdomen, which you'll need to build separately and whilst you build that strength, or if the pose is not suitable for your body, do please practice with your knees to the ground, or simply do a high push up, rather than the low push of Chaturanga. Enjoy!
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14:01Everybody Flows: Refine The Shapes
As a follow-up to ‘Make the Shapes,’ this short practice will help you refine your understanding of down dog and standing poses with a few alignment cues to help your poses feel more sustainable and interesting. Although there’s a lot to learn, this practice focuses on feet, hands, and shoulders. You will need a tennis ball and a brick or something like it.
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26:07Release Your Neck; Reduce Fatigue
This class is a workshop-style yoga class to target areas that hold tension in the neck, causing fatigue. The class focuses on head and neck alignment, jaw release and strength and shoulder mobility. With exercises to gain awareness of where we might be unnecessarily straining our neck and holding tension, we explore head aligment and then use neck and shoulder stretches and strengthening exercises to help release tension. You will need a blanket, foam block, cushion and a strap.
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48:34Spacious and Fluid Spine
This class is a somatics-based which focuses on how yoga feels from the inside rather than how the poses look from the outside. This practice is not a traditional posture-led yoga class but focuses on freedom of movement, giving spaciousness between the joints and especially the spine. With a focus on spaciousness between the joints and especially the spine, you might find that a stiff or sore back feels freer and you feel increased mobility in your spine and a stronger core.
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48:44Scaravelli Workshop: Shoulders and Upper Back
We all love a good shoulder massage. Join this workshop-style Scaravelli class to focus on creating more awareness in your upper back and shoulder area. Learn to relax the arms, let go of the shoulders, and find some more space and ease in your upper spine. You will need a bolster, two blocks and a strap.
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53:54The Psoas: A Workshop
The psoas muscles are among the deepest muscles in our bodies. They are involved in almost every movement - from walking and running to sitting, and throughout our yoga practice. However, we often find it difficult to consciously feel them, or even know where they are within us. Join this class to learn where they are and some simple approaches to help with accessing this key area, and give it time and space to release. Working the Psoas be helpful for those with lower back pain, or who are feeling tired and lacking in energy. You will need a bolster and a belt.
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25:02Shoulder Stabilisation Workshop
Dr Yogi gives us an essential series of movements for anyone with troubled shoulders. Shoulder stabilisation and strengthening is essential for all vinyasa flow yoga practices and for those of us who suffer from painful shoulders from poor posture, arthritis, instability or injury. This yoga class can improve your shoulder strength and stability when you practice this sequence regularly. You will need a strap, a block and a bolster.
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27:15Lower Back Workshop
In this workshop-style tutorial, Dr Yogi discusses why the lower back is so often prone to injury and offers general advice for supporting your lower back during your yoga practice. Following this, a short sequence focusing on the lower back and strengthening the core has been carefully designed to simultaneously strengthen and release tension your spine. This is perfect for anyone with lower back aches and pains. Try to do this video at least three times a week to really feel the benefits and as with any sensitive area of the body, seek medical advice where appropriate.
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22:33Upward Dog Upgrade
Open up all along your spine and learn the correct sensations in your abdomen and shoulders for the perfect upward dog. Ashtanga yogis will be in upward dog up to 60 times a day, so it's worth mastering this posture. You will need up to 3 yoga blocks and an extra, rolled up mat.
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03:12Shoulder Blades and Shoulder Girdle
A short tutorial class by Andrew, Dr Yogi, in which he shows us the importance of keeping strength in the shoulder girdle. This is a key piece of anatomy for all of us, and can be viewed as an anatomical explanation to Kristi Johnson's 'wrapping the shoulders' video, for the Forrest Yoga technique to keeping the shoulders stable.
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03:24All about the Shoulder Joint
A short tutorial class by Andrew, Dr Yogi, in which he shows us points of possible instability in the shoulder joint and how to protect our shoulders with external rotation in key yoga poses of downward dog and dancers pose.
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