Routine cues

Body Scan

Encourage your class to relax and focus on their breath and balance the body.

• Shoulders away from the ears
• Observe the breath and gradually increase it
• Become aware of core strength

Shoulder and Spine Mobiliser

Place the hands on shoulders elbows to ceiling with the feet flat on the floor

• Open elbows out to the sides, lifting the ribs off the
  mat as you inhale
• Closing elbows on the out breath, encourage the
  lower back towards the floor

• • Begin to circle elbows in one direction and then the
    other

• • Can the elbows touch the floor?

Progressive Shoulder Mobiliser

To progress this, continue with the circles but with long arms

Back and neck mobiliser

Place the feet flat on the floor and take the knees from side to side

• Open the arms up to stabilise the shoulders
• Look in the opposite direction to the knees
• Be aware of your core strength

Progressive Back mobiliser

Pick the feet up off the floor and take knees in close to
the chest

• Take the knees from armpit to arm pit.

Core Awareness

Centre the knees with the feet off the floor

• Gentle encourage the knees slightly away from the
  body – but not too far!
• Keep the ribs down and don’t let the ribs flare
• Make sure the shoulder are relaxed

Back Stretch/Big hug Tuck

Tuck the knees into the chest and melt the lower back into the mat.

• Knees or take knees wider to deepen the stretch

Hamstring Lengthening/ CanCan*

Lengthen the leg towards the ceiling and create space behind the knee.

• Relax the shoulders
• Be aware of your core strength
• Option to have other leg bent
• To progress- toes to the nose

Spinal Twist/Adductor Lengthener*

Take the knee across the body looking in the opposite
direction

• Look towards the ceiling
• Encourage the shoulder to ground into the floor
• Allow the hips to roll with the twist
• Stabilise the hips with the adductor lengthener

Melting Moment*

The picture says it all

• Ground the shoulder

Spinal Roll

Tuck the knees in and chin to the chest and begin to roll gently on the spine

• Do not do this if you have back issues

Pixie Roll

Progress the spinal roll into a pixie roll

• Alternate the crossing of the legs
• Al low your body to become heavy

Side Opener/The Swoop*

Swoop the arm in front, feeling a lovely stretch through the sides shoulders and back.

• Imagine you’re drawing a semi-circle across the body and over the head
• Let the head go heavy
• Enjoy and let go with this
• Swap the legs over and repeat on the other side

Hip Opener/Windscreen wipers

Set position is the knees and feet quite wide and take them from side to side.

• Encourage knees to the floor
• Option to settle into this to increase the stretch

Ta Da and Tickety Tock*

Set the classes up, don’t hit the floor until everyone is with you. When ready, lower body to the mat and start the clock

• Start with small circles and gradually increase
• Make sure they don’t miss any digits of the clock
• Ensure enough length on the strap
• Gentle hamstring lengthener

Gentle Hip Opener*

With the use of the band you can sit tall to create great form and gently encourage a loosening into the hips.

• Lengthening through the spine

Hamstring Stretch/ Lift and Lean*

Scorpion/Spider/Daddy Long Legs

Back Stretch/ Beetle

The back will tire sitting in an upright position. This is a great stretch to relieve tension

• Feet and knees wide, grab feet and gentle pull the forehead towards the floor
• Be patient and breathe

Hip Opener/Frogs Legs

Holding on behind the knees, circle the legs around in one direction and then the other

• Slow and controlled movement working with the breath

Hip Opener/The Star

With feet flat on the floor, and close to the bottom, place the soles of the feet together and the knees gently fall to floor

• Place the hands on the thighs to encourage a deeper stretch
• Let the weight of the knees happen
• Pull belly to spine to protect the back
• Flare and flatten to increase

Adductor Stretch/Half Star*

Grab your band and encourage the long leg away from the body.

• Keep the half star exactly where it is by keeping the hips level
• Keep shoulders grounded
• Option to use the elbow of the arm holding the strap to help stabilise
• At the end of stretch the muscle is weak so use the strap to pull the leg back to centre

Back/Glute Stretch*

Swap the hands over and encourage the leg across the body

• Grounding the shoulders to the floor
• Look in the opposite direction
• Allow your body to let go in this stretch

Core Killer*

Spinal Roll

Tuck the knees in and chin to the chest and begin to roll gently on the spine

• Do not do this if you have back issues

Comb, Push and Hover

Sit with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, mobilising the shoulders in preparation for stretch. Progress this movement to a challenging core strengthener.

Shoulder and Chest Opener/ Bend ‘n Bust Up

A great posture to open those rounded shoulders

• Fingers pointing in towards the body
• MUST bend the elbows
• On the inhalation bring elbows closer together, lifting the chest towards the ceiling
• Exhale and release
• Dipped headlights, full beams ahead!

Shoulder Stretch/ Push the Pedal*

Bend the knees and grab the outside of the foot with the opposite hand. Pull at the foot whilst the foot pushes into the pull.

• Tuck chin in to get maximum stretch
• Let the head go heavy
• Breathe into the upper back

Core Strength/ Bar Man

Sit with feet on the floor, pulling belly in towards the spine, arms in front with shoulders relaxed.

• Inhale as you come forward with both arms in
  front, exhale and you gently lean back with one arm
  extended forward and the other reaching behind
  grabbing your pint
• Let the head follow the movement
• Don’t go too far and curl the spine
• If too intense use a ball to support the lower back

Quad Stretch*

Although you try and switch the legs off during the core strengthener they will need stretching.

• Drop the knees to one side and bring the heel into the bottom
• Push the hip forward
• Lift up tall through the chest and spine

Glute Stretch*

Progress this into a glute stretch but moving the front
forward to create a 90 degree angle and the knee.

• Push off long length of the arm and tip forward
• Square the shoulders to the floor
• Option to release foot and rest hand to the floor

Cow Stretch

On all fours make sure that the weight is even into the hands and knees

• List the chest to the ceiling, eyes to the end of the mat
• Do not collapse into the shoulders
• Spread all fingers into the mat
• Push the pelvis away
• Inhale into the stretch

Cat Stretch

Tuck the pelvis in and tuck the chin in, feeling the back
and shoulders stretching.

• Breathe out as you stretch the body
• Tuck the toes under

Wagging Tail

Still on all fours, twist hips to the right looking over the
right shoulder and repeat on the left

• Keep knees steady
• Progress to ‘Hula Hoop’ – rolling the hips

Back and Leg Stretch/ Narrow Down Dog

From all fours, push your sit bones to the ceiling, creating a narrow downdog.

• Pedal through the feet
• Encourage your heels to the floor
• Head heavy

Tippy Toes Stretch

From narrow down dog, come up to tippy toes and
ground heels to the floor

Lower Back and Leg Stretch/ Rag Doll

Just let the body hang like a rag doll. Take the weight slightly forward

• Knees can be bent
• Encourage head and shoulders close to the legs
• Take the weight off the heels of the feet

Swaying Tree

Walk hands up the legs to tall standing, stretching the
arms towards the ceiling keeping the shoulders down.

• Ground both feet evenly into the floor as you take the arms side to side
• Option to add core work by dropping lower arm heavy to the legs
• Lengthen the arm, turn the palm and lift heavy arm until you imagine you are holding a football, then centre the body and repeat on the other side
• Keep the chest and shoulders open

Monkey Swing

Best way to finnish, let it all go!

• Bad Back? No, no, no!