Unstiffen: Beginner Yoga & Mobility for Everyday Life

What's inside

1. Level 1: Welcome to Yoga: What It Is and What WorksFree
   You'll find out what yoga actually is, get a quick tour of the main styles, and see what the research really says it can and can't do for a stiff, desk-bound body.
2. Level 2: Safety First: Pain vs Stretch, and Your PropsFree
   We'll learn how to tell a healthy stretch from warning-sign pain, when to check with a GP or physiotherapist first, and how cushions, a belt and a wall make every pose safer and easier.
3. Level 3: Breathing Basics: Your Built-In Reset Button
   You'll practise relaxed belly breathing and slow, steady breathing patterns, then learn to link your breath to simple movements so you've got a calm rhythm for every pose that follows.
4. Level 4: Mountain Pose: Learning to Stand Well
   We'll build mountain pose from the feet up, so you can find balanced, upright posture and the basic alignment cues that every other standing pose depends on.
5. Level 5: Warriors and Triangle: Strong, Stable Legs
   You'll build on mountain pose to learn Warrior I, Warrior II and triangle, with shorter or longer stances and a chair or wall for support, so your legs get stronger and your hips open up.
6. Level 6: Forward Folds and Happier Hamstrings
   We'll explore standing, seated and supported forward folds that gently lengthen tight hamstrings, folding from the hips with bent knees so we protect the lower back.
7. Level 7: Opening Tight Hips Safely
   You'll learn gentle hip openers, including a low lunge, a reclined figure-four and a supported butterfly, to ease the stiffness that builds up from long hours of sitting.
8. Level 8: Spine Care: Cat-Cow, Twists and Gentle Backbends
   We'll mobilise your spine in every direction with cat-cow, seated and lying twists, and gentle backbends like sphinx and bridge, all paced with the breathing from Level 3.
9. Level 9: Shoulders and Neck for Desk Workers
   You'll learn simple stretches and drills, including shoulder rolls, thread-the-needle, wall angels and gentle neck releases, to undo the hunch that comes from hours at a screen.
10. Level 10: Finding Your Balance
    We'll train your balance with tree pose, a standing knee lift and warrior variations, using a wall or chair to start with and then gradually taking the support away.
11. Level 11: Core in Outline: Steady From the Centre
    You'll get a beginner-friendly outline of core work using dead bug, a supported plank and bird-dog, so you learn to steady your trunk without straining your back or holding your breath.
12. Level 12: Mobility Drills vs Stretching
    We'll compare active mobility drills, like joint circles and controlled swings, with longer held stretches, so you know which to use for warming up and which for cooling down.
13. Level 13: Chair, Floor and Coming Back: Adapt Any Pose
    You'll learn how to turn any pose from this course into a chair or floor version, with extra guidance for older adults and anyone getting back into it after a break or an injury.
14. Level 14: Morning Wake-Up and Desk-Break Routines
    We'll put together a 10 to 15-minute morning routine and a set of quick desk breaks you can do in your work clothes, drawing on the poses and drills you've learned so far.
15. Level 15: Evening Wind-Down, Relaxation and Body Scan
    You'll build a calming evening routine with gentle floor poses, slower breathing and a guided body scan in a relaxation pose like savasana, to help you unwind before bed.
16. Level 16: Building a Habit and Finding a Class
    We'll turn your routines into a realistic weekly plan that sticks, and look at how to find and judge a beginner-friendly class or teacher, in person or online.
17. Level 17: Final Challenge: Your Unstiffen Practice Exam
    You'll bring the whole course together by designing and running your own safe, balanced 20-minute practice that covers breathing, standing poses, hips, spine, shoulders, balance, core and relaxation.

Access

The first 2 levels are free with a free account. Every level, the podcast edition and the AI tutor come with All Access at £4.99/month or any Creator plan — see pricing.

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