Yes, you can get a workout without acerbating your pain. Chair yoga allows you to enjoy a modified version of the yoga positions that many know and love. The stretches involved in yoga allow you to enjoy numerous health benefits, whether you’re standing or sitting. You will improve your muscle tone, develop better breathing habits, and reduce your anxiety and stress levels.
The beautiful thing about chair yoga is that you can adapt it to your needs. The best part about seated yoga is that you can do it just about anytime and anyplace. The chair you use is of little importance, so there’s no need to buy a specialized seat to do your workout. One word of caution is that you don’t want to use a seat on rollers, like your office chair.
1. CHAIR RAISED HANDS POSE
Sit firmly in the chair and keep your body posture good. Relax your shoulders, and make sure the rib cage is naturally sitting over your hips. Anchor your bones firmly in your chair seat and reach up from there.
When you inhale, you should raise your arms toward the ceiling while maintaining good posture. Relax your shoulders so that your rib cage is naturally aligned over the hips. You must anchor your bones in the chair and then reach and breathe.
2. CHAIR EAGLE POSE
The eagle pose is a simple maneuver where you cross the right thigh over the left one. Depending on your mobility, you should try to wrap the right foot around the backside of the left calf. If your foot is not that flexible, then do the best you can.
Cross your arms and place your left hand on the right elbow. Now, slowly bend the elbows allowing your palms to make a connection. Drop your shoulders away from your ears and lift your elbows slightly.
It would help if you tried to hold this position while breathing in and out for five breaths. Then, switch and do the other side to the count of five.
3. CHAIR CAT-COW STRETCH
Sit firmly in the chair using your best posture and plant both feet firmly on the floor. Now, place your hands on your knees. If you’ve just had knee surgery, you can put your hands on your thighs.
Inhale and arch your back while rolling your shoulders back and forth. Your shoulder blades should come into your back, almost touching each other, which is why it’s called the cow position.
When you exhale, bring your spine back to a normal position and drop your chin to the chest area. The shoulder and head should also come forward while doing this as this is the cat position. Rotate between the cow and cat position to the count of five.
4. CHAIR FORWARD BEND
Bend forward and let your hands rest on the floor. Your head should hang heavy as you loosen the muscle tension holding it. Exhale, and raise your arms into the air and over your head.
Go back and forth with your hands between the floor and ceiling while using deep breathing exercises to do the forward bend.
5. CHAIR EXTENDED SIDE ANGLE
Bend forward and stay folded. Now, place your fingertips on the floor to the left side by your foot. Inhale deeply by opening your chest as you twist to the right. Then, bring your right arm up as you look directly into the ceiling.
Hold this movement for several breaths. If you find that you cannot bring your hand to the floor with ease, raise your foot level by putting some blocks under you. It will make it easier to twist to a higher plane.
Rotate between right and left arm doing the same position and breathing.
6. CHAIR SPINAL TWIST
Come to sit sideways on the chair, facing to the left. Twist your torso toward the left, holding onto the back of the chair, for a spinal twist.
Lengthen your spine on each inhale and twist on each exhale for five breaths.
Move your legs around to the right side of the chair and repeat the twist to the right side.
7. CHAIR WARRIOR I
Now keep the right leg in position over the side of the chair while you swing the left leg behind you.
Plant the sole of the left foot on the floor roughly parallel to the seat of the chair and straighten the left leg.
Keep your torso facing over the right leg as you raise your arms up to the ceiling on a inhale coming to warrior I. Hold for five breaths.
Move your legs around and repeat the pose to the other side.
8. CHAIR WARRIOR II
On an exhale, open up the arms with the left arm coming forward and the right arm going back.
Draw the right hip back and turn the torso to the right, so that it is aligned with the front of the chair.
Gaze out over the left fingertips and hold warrior II for five breaths.
Repeat on the other side.
9. CHAIR SAVASANA
After you have completed your chair workout, sit there with your eyes closed and your hands in your lap. Rest in the deep relaxation that you feel surrounding you. Allow your body to absorb the positive effects you think at this moment.