Gentle Yoga › 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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  • Ease into your Morning: Side Bends and Breathwork26:15
    Ease into your Morning: Side Bends and Breathwork

    Margi Young

    A luscious, evenly-paced slow flow vinyasa flow which is the perfect way to start the day. Full body stretches focusing on side bends and breathwork. A great class for after driving, travelling, or just to awaken and enliven the whole body. BKS Iyengar said, “if you open your armpits you won’t get depressed” and I believe it! In this sidebending class we open the armpits and stretch the whole side body. Including side bends lying down, seated and standing, your side body and lungs will be ready for some gentle breathwork. This is a soothing, feel good practice- one Margi's personal favourites! You may need a strap, block and blanket.



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  • Strengthen the Knees and Back22:41
    Strengthen the Knees and Back

    Norman Blair

    This thereapeutic gentle yoga class helps to strengthen the back and knees to help prevent injury. Starting in constructive rest, then butterfly, the rest of the class is somatics to gently strengthen. But all done subtly and gently. After the lying down practice, at the beginning, there are standing exercises to strengthen the backs and knees. This class really is highly recommended for those with knee issues, to gently stretch the hips and tighten the knees. You may need blocks and a brick.



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  • Prenatal Pilates - Arms and Back focus (for all levels and trimesters)27:58
    Prenatal Pilates - Arms and Back focus (for all levels and trimesters)

    Vanessa Michielon

    Strengthen the upper body, arms and back. Using an elastic band, or a long strap, or tins of beans work just fine too, this class targets your arms and back muscles. You will begin with standing arm exercises, such as biceps curls and triceps work, and explore further upper body focused patterns, including safe modified press-ups on your knees and triceps dips, with variations to suit your energy levels. The practice will help you improve your posture and strengthen your back, so that you can better accommodate the changes your body is going through, and reduce back discomfort and weakness. Suggested prop: long elastic band or tins of beans! If practicing pregnant please contact your healthcare provider to check the suitability of this class.



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  • Neck and Shoulders22:55
    Neck and Shoulders

    Clive Fogelman

    Most of us experience pain in our neck and shoulders. Perhaps it from from sitting for long periods, using mobile phones and laptops or sometimes pain in the neck and shoulders can be from stresses from dealing with the challenges that we expereince in our lives. This classes targets the neck and shoulder with a combination of 10 stretches and movements for releasing tension, creating mobility and openess. A great daily practise or something you can integrate a few times a week in addition to your other practices. Can be done from sitting or standing and practised anywhere!



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  • Your Calming Yoga Practice35:41
    Your Calming Yoga Practice

    Adam Hocke

    This yoga class helps to ground and calm an anxious body or mind and bring us back to the present moment. Start with some grounding self-massage, then move gently with simple, repetitive, and breath-led movements to stabilise the nervous system. Additionally, we will pay particular attention to releasing tension in the head, neck, and shoulders to bring about a profound sense of relaxation and ease. This class is perfect after a long day or when we're overwhelmed. You will need a narrow block or a folded blanket and a brick.



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  • Joint Mobilisation Warm Up13:17
    Joint Mobilisation Warm Up

    Carlene Bogues

    A perfect, short yoga class to take anytime, anywhere - no mat needed, perfect for when you only have limited space. This class will help to loosen the joints and release some tension as a warm up before your regular class or work out, or as a standalone class for a break from work. This practice is a mobility flow that focuses on circular movements and some qigong warm ups to create more space and ease in the body.



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  • Menopause Yoga: Befriending Your Body50:03
    Menopause Yoga: Befriending Your Body

    Petra Coveney

    A soothing and calming yoga class to cool hot flushes and help you surrender to the natural process of change associated with the perimenopause and menopause. Expect hip opening stretches and simple somatic movements through the spine which lead to a restorative yoga practice, followed by a deep relaxation, a guided meditation and a mantra. This class is taught wholly on the floor and is very gentle and grounding. It is designed to help you befriend your body with kindness and self-compassion at a time when your body is transforming and can feel out of your control. You will need a yoga mat, a strap or belt, 1 bolster and 2 cushions (or household equivalents), and 2 blocks (or thick books). NB - Modifications: take extra care with hip and knee injuries. Osteoporosis: avoid flexion rounding your back in forward folds; keep your spine straight. Trauma: please note that hip opening poses and stretches across the chest can release tension but may also trigger trauma. Follow your own breathing pace, pause the practice when needed and find a comfortable resting pose.



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  • Your Daily Shoulder, Neck & Head Practice17:51
    Your Daily Shoulder, Neck & Head Practice

    Adam Hocke

    This short yoga class mobilises, strengthens, and relaxes the shoulders and neck through their full range of motion. This is so important for our sedentary lives, and is a vital class for when you've ben busy at work, when you're feeling overwhelmed or when you're travelling. Additionally, you will give yourself a face, head, and jaw massage to help you release tension and find calm. Practise this class regularly as a preparation for your time on your mat or simply to feel good in your body. You will need a yoga brick or block.



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  • Love Your Back: Gentle Yoga39:28
    Love Your Back: Gentle Yoga

    Carlene Bogues

    A gently paced yoga class to put some love back into your back. This class starts supine with gentle somatic and yoga movements, unwinding the tension lying down and then incorporates standing poses to help with the release of tension throughout the day. This is the perfect class if you have a hard day and feel the tension in your lower back, it's a great antidote to having been sedentary at work or travelling.



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  • Learn Safe Alignment14:12
    Learn Safe Alignment

    Lizzie Reumont

    This is a crucial, in-depth yoga class for all of us to learn how to practice safely. It is especially good for those coming back into their yoga practice after injury of the ribs, shoulders, arms and hands. Learn how to practice in an integrated way, how to be balanced, and the correct orientation of the head and neck to the arms and torso. A really great yoga tutorial as well for all of us to learn correct arm, shoulder movements in poses like Eagle Pose.



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  • Gentle Yoga to Unwind29:04
    Gentle Yoga to Unwind

    Sally Parkes

    A gentle yoga class of floor based movements for when we're low on energy and needing a gentle boost. Keeping low to the ground, and with few poses which use wrists, this yoga class uses gravity to unwind the spine, open the chest and shoulder area, helping our heart centred energy to flow more freely. A perfect class if you're suffering from PMT or you're on your period. Many of our day to day movement patterns can create a rigidness to the spine and rib cage that negatively affects our respiration and levels of tension throughout the chest, shoulder and neck area. But by moving in a flowing and ‘softer’ way, working with gravity as opposed to against it, we can begin to release these areas of tightness to become more free in our body. This sequence of predominantly floor based Hatha Yoga asana will work to unravel the upper body, especially the chest area, to create increased synchronicity between the upper skeletal system, breath and ultimately the heart space. You may need a block and bolster.



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  • Protect & Recover 3: Healthy Spine32:38
    Protect & Recover 3: Healthy Spine

    Lizzie Reumont

    Perfect for recovering from illness or injury, or for those seeking more gentle variations to the usual yoga class. This yoga class can be done either standing or in a chair. This class helps to very gently mobilise and create a sense of awareness and balance through the back - the vertebra, ribcage, shoulders and arms and hands as they relate down into the hips, and up through the neck. The slow pace gently brings the spine into flexion, extension, side bending and twisting either in sitting position or through standing. You will need a chair.



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  • Move Gently to Reconnect with your Body24:39
    Move Gently to Reconnect with your Body

    Barbara Gallani

    This session allows you to connect with your body and to explore gently and mindfully your range of movement following illness. When our bodies are fatigued, movement can feel demanding. This sequence focuses on stabilising the shoulders and finding space in the front and back of the body while feeling grounded and supported. Although we recommend you take very gentle movements when you’re not feeling great, please seek your doctor’s advice if you are in any doubt.



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  • Quick Fix Hatha12:23
    Quick Fix Hatha

    Andrea Kwiatkowski

    This hatha yoga class is a simple series of five yoga poses. If you have time for nothing else, this is the perfect class. All poses are lying down or seated and you'll need a timer. Take your time to get into each pose, pause the video and take long, smooth breaths. Enjoy the spaciousness in your spine and peace with nothing to look at and no instruction, just you in a guided self-practice. A great class if you if you have limited space and time for practicing yoga.



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  • Yoga for the Workplace: Release Stress09:37
    Yoga for the Workplace: Release Stress

    Andrea Kwiatkowski

    A short yoga class using the wall, perfect if you're at the office, in a hotel room or short on space and you need to quickly release stress. With neck and shoulder stretches and hamstring releasing you'll find that just a few minutes is all it takes to transform body and mind and give yourself just the refreshing pause in the day you need. You'll just need a wall.



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  • Yoga for the Workplace: Ease Tension08:54
    Yoga for the Workplace: Ease Tension

    Andrea Kwiatkowski

    Gently ease tension in your body whilst you're at work or when you're seated. This gentle chair yoga class focuses on stretches to ease the body and mind during stressful times at work. It is also an ideal class if your mobility is limited, if floor or standing poses aren't possible for you right now or if you have limited space and you need to ease tension and stretch out.



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  • Functional Back Care: Slinky Spine21:24
    Functional Back Care: Slinky Spine

    Mollie McClelland Morris

    A class to move and articulate the spine in unusual ways. This class will bring awareness to different spinal movements, and help you loosen up, and feel better in your spine. This standing up class can be used as a warm up for other practices, a tune up for your spine, or an energetic way to start your day. Mollie explains the anatomy of the spine, where you will find most movement in the spine and then explore your mobility, range of movement of the spine from standing. No mat or props needed - take these movements out to the park and integrate them into your daily movement practice to keep healthy, pain-free back and shoulders.



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  • Mobile & Happy Spine39:32
    Mobile & Happy Spine

    Andrew McGonigle

    A well rounded class which focuses on keeping a mobile, happy and healthy spine with simple, easy movements for all levels. Twist, strengthen and lengthen, side bend and gently strengthen your core with this beginners and all-levels spinal health somatics yoga class. Focus on the neck, lower back, upper back and spinal mobility. You will need a bolster and a towel or blanket.



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