7 Easy Chair Yoga Poses

easy chair yoga exercises

Chair Yoga Exercising Safely Improves Your Health

Whether you have an injury or you are a senior, doing chair yoga poses has wonderful health benefits. Staying seated while exercising is great if you have problems getting up off the floor or can’t hold your balance.

Yoga is a great way to stretch your muscles, improve circulation and reduce stress.

Practicing yoga has also been found to lower blood pressure, build strength and balance, protect your joints and reduce anxiety.

Related: Yoga Exercises For Anxiety Relief

Seated yoga tends to be much gentler than some other types of poses such as standing and balancing.  This post covers the basic seated yoga poses that are commonly practice

Chair Yoga Poses

1. Chair Cat-Cow Stretch

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Sit on a sturdy chair with both feet on the floor while you sit slightly forward and place your hands on your knees.

Inhale, arch your spine and roll your shoulders down bringing your shoulder blades back. This is called cow position.

Now exhale, round your spine while dropping your chin to your chest, letting your shoulder and head come forward. This is cat position.

Inhale and exhale and move between cow and cat position for a count of five breaths.

2. Chair Pigeon – Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

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While sitting on your chair, bring your right ankle and place it on your left knee. Do your best to keep your right ankle and knee in line with each other.

Hold this chair yoga pose for three to five breaths.

If you’re comfortable, you may bend slightly forard to intensify your stretch.

No repeat with your left leg.

3. Chair Forward Bend – Uttanasana

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Start by exhaling and leaning forward over your legs. Let your hand rest on the floor and your head hanging down.

Now inhale coming back to a normal seated postion and raise your hands over your head.

Repeat and continue the positions several times. Be sure to move with your breath.

Alternatively, you can place your hands on your knees while arching forward if you are unable to bend and reach the floor.

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Related: Meditation For Anxiety Relief

4. Raised Hands Pose In Chair – Urdhva Hastasana

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Take a deep breath in and raise your arms and hands towards the ceiling.

While your arms are in the air, allow your shoulder blades to slide down your back as you’re reaching up with your fingers.

Now exhale and bring your arms down to your sides allowing them to comfortably hang.

Continue for several breaths.

5. Chair Spinal Twist

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Sit in your chair sideways with the back of the chair to your right side.

Now exhale and twist your torso towards the right, holding onto the back of the chair.

Come back to a sitting position and inhale. Continue this for five breaths.

Once you’ve completed this pose, move your legs to the other side of the chair and repeat the twist to your left side.

Alternatively, you may sit facing forward in your chair and slightly twist to one side.

6. Chair Eagle Pose – Garudasana

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Start by crossing your left thigh over your right thigh. Depending on you flexibility, wrap you left foot all the way around the right calf.

Now bring your left arm over the right one at your elbow. Bend the elbows and bring your palms to touch.

Lift your elbows while dropping your shoulders down. Hold for three to five breaths.

Once finished, repeat the same pose on the other side.

7. Relaxation – Savasana

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Once you’ve completed your chair yoga poses, sit straight in your chair with your eyes closed and hands in your lap.

This seated pose will help you relax and feel rejuvenated. Sit for a few minutes and take in all the goodness you’ve just done for yourself. Once you’ve relaxed, you can move on with your day.

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