Chair Yoga Exercises

Yoga is a practice whose benefits can be felt by everyone, regardless of their physical strength and flexibility. Whether sitting in a wheel chair or an office chair, yoga can help to stretch out the spine, releasing tension in the lower back, calves and hamstrings, soothe aching shoulders and even release toxins in the body. 

Here are a few simple chair yoga exercises for you to try, bringing you a sense of calm in the midst of a busy day at work or enabling some movement and relaxation whilst traveling on a train, bus, watching TV, or if you have limited movement. 


Our Favourite Chair Yoga Excercises

  

Mountain Pose 

Sit with your feet directly underneath your knees, and your knees in line with your hips. take three deep breaths through your nose, exhaling fully through the nose. With each inhalation sit taller in your seat lifting up from the crown of the head, and with each exhalation allow your shoulders to soften. After three breaths inhale, lifting the arms up over the head, spreading your fingers and reaching towards the ceiling. As you exhale keep the arms raised, but let your shoulders soften away from your ears. Hold for 5 breaths before exhaling the arms back down. Repeat two more times. 

Side Stretch 

Bring your feet slightly apart, and as you breath in raise your arms out to shoulder level. breathing out bend to the left, raising your right hand towards the ceiling. As you breathe in come back up to the center, and repeat on the other side. This pose helps to increase flexibility in the spine and reduce the waistline. 

Forward Bend 

Again, ensure you are sitting correctly with your feet inline with your knees and your hips. As you inhale lift your arms up towards the ceiling, folding over your legs as your exhale. Relax your body into the pose as you exhale, letting your arms and head release. Breathing in, come back up to sitting slowly, being cautious of feeling light headed. Be sure not to hurt your lower back as you bend. 

Twist
Place your Place your right hand on your left knee and your left hand behind you. Breathing in, sit tall in your chair and as you breath out turn through your abdomen and chest to the left, moving your left shoulder towards back and your right shoulder forwards. Hold for 3 breaths, moving back the the center as you exhale. Twists encourage the body to detox, increases circulation and help stretch the spine, abdominals and obliques. Repeat on the other side.

Hip Stretch

Sit in your chair again with your feet underneath your knees and knees in line with hips. Cross your left leg over your right, so that your left ankle rests on your right thigh. Keeping your feet flexed push your left foot in to your right hand and lean forward as you exhale. Breath into the stretch for three breathes, coming back up to a sitting position as you exhale. Repeat on the other side.  This posture stretches hip rotators, outer thighs, and relieves tension in the lower back.  

 Breathing exercises are also extremely useful to help relieve tensions that can be at the heart of physical discomfort, so at all times remember to breathe.

For information on more of our chair yoga classes which run locally in Cornwall please contact me, or visit the website www.liveloveyoga.co.uk I hope you find these exercises useful! Nathalie