Linnea Ahlgren

Whether to practise at all on the first days of your period is a debated question, and the experience of these days differs from woman to woman, and even from month to month.

On request, I share what makes me feel good, or at least a little better, on days when PMS, and perhaps feeling a little more vulnerable, keep me from a more dynamic practice. It is slow and soft, but no less valuable. Have a bolster nearby.

Find your bind in this class with less talk and more movement. Move through a progressive sequence of twists, opening the shoulders, the hamstrings and the outer hips along the way, towards Bound Revolved Triangle.

Use the mobility you have built in the spine for a short backbend sequence, and finish with a cool-down lying on your back. Level 2-3, no props needed.

When I first began practising yoga, the backs of my legs were so tight that, forget about touching my toes, I could hardly reach my knees. Over the years, with a lot of time, dedication and even more patience, these are the postures that opened my hamstrings and turned forward folds from dreaded to enjoyable.

Please stay at about 70% of your maximum, so that you leave 30% room to grow. Change often comes when we soften, not when we push. Level 1-2, no props needed.

The Magic Ten is a series of 10 simple asanas, put together by Sharon Gannon, that you can do in about 10 minutes.

Use it as a practice on its own when you are short on time, as a warm-up for a longer asana practice, or to prepare for seated meditation. Have a block and a wall nearby. Level 2.

A short sequence dedicated to the element of earth. With so much information floating around, we can begin to feel scattered and unbalanced, and find it hard to focus. Connecting to the earth element helps us regain stability and a sense of center.

Balance work, with a stretch for the hamstrings and the side body. Level 2, with two blocks.

Our feet and lower legs carry and support us all day. Let's return the favour and spend some time strengthening, lengthening and caring for them.

Fifteen minutes for the feet, the ankles and the legs. Level 1-2, no props needed.

Whenever I sit at the computer for a long time, be that answering e-mails, planning classes or writing essays for my studies, I begin to feel tight across my shoulders and upper back.

Here I share my favourite poses to counter desk time, for any moment of the day when you need a bit more space. Level 1-2, no props needed.

If your work involves typing at a keyboard, it is worth taking care of your wrists, even if you never practise arm balances or handstands. Tight wrists and forearms often go together with a tight neck.

An efficient warm-up moves us into gentle stretches for the wrists and the neck, with some bonus work for the feet. Level 1-2, no props needed.

Side bends create space around the diaphragm, that beautiful dome-shaped muscle that moves like a jellyfish underwater when you breathe, and let the sternum lift. Both support a feeling of freedom in the breath. Plus, they feel good.

This class builds towards Parighasana (Gate Pose), opening the side body and the hips. Level 2-3, no props needed.

Mind running around like a hamster in a wheel, on repeat but with no real outcome? Or perhaps it has been a long day and you need to hug a bolster and chill? Whatever the reason, welcome to your asana bedtime story.

Four poses for the back, the upper back and the hamstrings, with a bolster, a block and a blanket. Level 1-2.

Does what it says. A sequence for when you don't feel like a vigorous class that creates tons of heat, but you still want to unravel the tension that has built up around the hips during the day.

A good class for the evening. Level 1-2, no props needed.

We tend to think of the upper back and neck as the places where we hold tension. The calves are easy to overlook, and they can get tight too.

A little goes a long way, so take a few minutes to give that area some care. The class also stretches the hamstrings. Level 1-2, with a belt and a block or a rolled up mat.