Yoga & breathing
Start from what you feel, not from a pose name. Pick a concern and you get a ready-made sequence you can follow start to finish, plus every individual practice that helps.
Clear the head
A short practice for a tight, heavy head at the end of a screen-filled day, working the neck and shoulders and then giving the eyes a proper rest. Tension headaches often build from the shoulders up, so most of the time here goes into the upper back. Keep everything slow, and stop if any movement sharpens the pain.
Desk-day reset
A short break for a body that has been sitting and typing, working through the neck, shoulders, upper back and side ribs. You can do most of it beside your desk, and it is short enough to repeat once or twice across a long day. Regular small breaks tend to help more than one long stretch at the end.
Cool the heat
A midday practice for those stretches when everything feels hot, sharp and burning, whether that is heat in the chest after eating or the flushes and short fuse of the perimenopausal years. The shapes are open and unhurried, and the breathing is the cooling kind that Ayurveda traditionally turns to for excess pitta. Leave a good gap after meals so nothing presses on a full stomach.
Morning wake-up
A brisk start for mornings that feel heavy and foggy, using a short burst of energising breath and then standing poses to get the blood moving. It finishes with a few quiet minutes so you arrive at the day alert rather than rattled. Best done before breakfast, on an empty stomach.
Rebuilding after illness
A small, careful practice for the weeks after an illness, when energy comes back unevenly and doing too much on a good day costs you the next one. Almost all of it is done lying or kneeling, and the aim is to finish feeling better than you started, not tired out. Do less than you think you can and build up slowly over weeks.
Settle an anxious mind
A grounding practice for the days when thinking runs fast and the body feels wired. It starts with the breath low in the belly, moves through a little standing work to discharge restlessness, then folds inwards and slows right down. Nothing here is forceful, and you can stop at any point and simply stay with the breathing.
Calm for raised blood pressure
A deliberately quiet practice for people managing raised blood pressure, with no inversions, no forceful breathing and no breath holding anywhere. It leans on slow movement and long, smooth exhales, which many people find helps them feel less wound up. It sits alongside medical care and monitoring rather than replacing either.
Gentle practice in pregnancy
A soft, side-and-seat based routine chosen to be comfortable through pregnancy, with attention to the low back and hips that tend to complain as the weight shifts. There are no closed twists, no lying on the front and no strong abdominal work. Check with your midwife or doctor before starting, and let every shape be one you could hold while talking easily.
Move sluggish digestion
A morning practice for a digestion that feels slow and heavy, combining abdominal breathwork with twists, squats and gentle compression of the belly. Traditionally this kind of sequence is done on an empty stomach, before food, and many people find it works best when it becomes a daily habit rather than an occasional rescue. Drink a glass of warm water beforehand if that suits you.
Ease a sore low back
A gentle floor-based routine for a low back that feels stiff, tired or achy, built around small repeated movements rather than deep stretching. It works the hips and the whole back of the body, since low back discomfort is rarely just about the back itself. Move well within a comfortable range and let anything sharp be a signal to stop.
Open tight hips
A patient practice for hips that have shortened from sitting, working through the front, back and outside of the joint in turn. Holds are longer here, so give yourself permission to prop generously and let each shape come to you. If you have nerve pain down the leg, keep everything small and back off the moment symptoms travel.
Unwind for sleep
A slow wind-down for the last half hour of the day, moving from gentle spinal movement into supported floor shapes and long, quiet exhales. Nothing here asks much of you, and that is the point: the aim is to let the nervous system change gear rather than to stretch or strengthen. Many people find a settled, repeatable routine at the same hour helps sleep arrive more easily.
Educational yoga and pranayama guidance, not medical advice. Learn new practices — especially breath retention, inversions and forceful breathing — with a qualified teacher, and stop if anything hurts.