Chair yoga really is for everyone. Whether you have limited mobility, knee issues, are a beginner yogi, work in an office… what have you. A quick chair yoga stretch is great.
Make sure that you have a sturdy and stable chair. It can have arms or not.
- Shoulder Stretch – Sitting forward on the chair, with the feet flat on the floor, reach the crown up to the sky. Shrug the shoulders down and away from the ears. Bring the hands to the top of the shoulders. Make big circles with the elbows, bringing them forward, side and down. Resist the urge to shrug the shoulders up.
2. Seated Cat/Cow – Bring the hands to the tops of the knees. Inhale, lifting the chest, squeezing the shoulder blades back, arching the back and looking up. Exhale to round and contract. Use the hands on the knees to get deep sensation in spine. Do 5 or so rounds.
3. Spinal Twist – Lift up tall, extend the arms in front of you and press the palms together. Inhale to lengthen. Maintain that length as you twist. Opening right arm out to the side, twisting open to the right. Keep both hips shining forward. Only rotating the torso. Exhale to center. Alternate side to side with the breath for a few rounds.
4. Hamstring Stretch – Bring the hands onto the hips, arm rests or sides of the chairs. Make sure you’re at the front of the chair. Straighten the right leg and flex the foot. Lift the chest up and tilt forward until you feel a hamstring stretch. Think of maintaining a flat back, and focus on curling the right toes back.
5. Hip Flexor and Core Strength – Lift back up. Point through the right toes. Try to lift the right leg up, thighs parallel. Then tap the toes down. Try not to round and contract through the spine. Repeat about 5 times.
Switch sides and repeat 4 and 5.
6. Goddess – Open the legs wide. Align the knees over the second and third toe. Bring the hands on top of the thighs. Stay here or add a twist. Dropping right shoulder down. Using the right hand to push the right thigh open a bit more. Come through center. Then drop left shoulder down.
7. Low Lunge – Open the right knee to the side. Drop the left knee down, tucking the left toes. Turn to face the right side. Keep the shoulders over the hips. Hold the back of the chair or arm rest. Tailbone reaching down. Maybe reaching the left hand up.
These 7 poses come from a 15 minute chair yoga practice I shared across my channel and app.
Kassandra
