Chair Yoga – What Is It?

Chair Yoga is a class of traditional yoga poses adapted so they can be done while sitting in a chair. It is ideal for people who have trouble standing for long periods, those who have balance issues, or those who find it hard to get up and down off the ground. However, Chair yoga is beneficial for any student, from beginners to those working at the more advanced levels. Our Chair yoga class is dynamic and challenging, developing greater strength, flexibility and balance for students at all levels. Chair yoga is wonderfully adaptable; our teacher gives several ways of doing each pose so that the class is as challenging or as gentle as each student wants it to be.

The class is one hour long and starts with guided relaxation in the chair. Then we sit forward in the chair and warm up the neck, shoulders, arms, and hands. We work with small weights to strengthen arms and shoulders and get the blood pumping. Then we stretch out backs and legs, do a few twists, and stand up. We move on to standing poses and balances with hands on the chair or touching the wall and finally return to the chair for a few minutes of yogic breathing and rest.

By doing the poses with the support of a chair or the wall, twists and gentle backbends feel lighter, and standing poses feel steadier and more enjoyable for all students. We can take a little more time working on the poses. Students learn how to adapt the yoga poses they already know so they can be done at work, sitting at a desk or travelling on airplanes.

Students of Chair Yoga notice the benefits of their yoga practice – feeling stronger, breathing easier, sitting and standing more comfortably, sleeping better, and having an overall sense of well-being.