Chair Yoga For Healthy Back

In this grounding chair yoga class, you will move the spine in six directions to create health and balance in the entire back. Regular, gentle movement of the spine, hips, and neck keep these areas healthy. This practice is brief enough to make part of your daily routine, and gentle enough to meet you where you are. Grab a chair, take a deep breath, and let's practice.

Transcript

Welcome to Chair Yoga. Thank you so much for being here. I'm Ash. She, Her, Hers, Happy to be with you today. Find yourself in a chair of your choice. One without wheels and without arms is preferred. If you don't have a lot of options, Just lock the wheels if you have them so you can stay safe. Let's begin at the edge of the seat with the ankles under the knees, Feet pressing into the floor, Shoulders over the hips. Eyes could close or gaze could soften. As you settle in to take a few breaths here. Beginning by simply noticing how the breath is arising for you in this moment. And then as you're ready, Beginning to transition the breath. Breathing now in and out of the nose, If that's comfortable for you today. Knowing as always You can take the breath in a different style. Just as you can take the poses in different ways. Listening first to your own body. To make choices. With the next inhale lengthen through the spine feel yourself sit a little bit taller Exhale, Relax the shoulders down the back. You might take that whole thing again. Inhale through the nose, Sitting up tall. Exhale through the nose, Roll the shoulders down and back. Take a few slow, Steady breaths. From this place. Feel how the breath flows. When we align the spine. Next breath or two or as you're ready, Eyes could gently open. Let's begin with some gentle movement together, Leaning forward, Back and around, Coming into some hip circles here. You might close the eyes again if that's comfortable. You might be moving really slowly. You might be moving a little more quickly. Again, Just listening to yourself and seeing what feels good. In this moment. We're looking for variations in sensation as we move. Noticing what's showing up for the hips and low back today. As you're ready, Take your circle the other direction. Slow, Steady breath as you move. A few more right here. Coming back towards center, Take your time. Lovely work. From here, Inhale, Arms overhead, Maybe say hello to your plant. Exhale, Heart center. We'll take a few more just like that. Coming up with your inhale, Option to look up, Exhale, Hands to heart center. So every time we come up, We want the whole movement to match the length of the inhale. The whole movement to heart center to match the exhale. That might mean you find yourself on a different pattern than me. That's just fine. Stay with your breath. For a few more rounds here. Nice job last one we'll inhale up exhale drop the chin if you had it lifted we're going to stay here for breath so in next inhale big reach up make yourself really tall exhale side bend to the right it doesn't matter how far you go we just want a little bit of this side bend action breathing into the side body here if arms overhead isn't feeling great today just bring the hands down Doesn't matter. One more breath here. Exhale we'll come back through center if the arms are up big reach up inhale Exhale, Second side. A few breaths in this side bend here, Pressing both feet towards the floor still. Good work. Inhale big reach up Exhale, We're going to cactus the arms, Spread the fingers wide. Inhale, Press into the feet, Tall spine. Exhale, Send the elbows back in space. Squeeze the shoulder blades together as much as you can. Heart moves forward, One breath. Exhale let it go great job maybe shake out swing out roll through the shoulders do what feels good for a breath or two nice job As you're ready, Inhale, Arms overhead. Exhale. Twisting this time to the right. Right hand comes to the back of your chair, Your seat of your chair, Or whatever you can reach. Left hand to somewhere on the leg, Perhaps. As you take a few breaths in your twist, Continue to inhale to lengthen the spine. Exhale, Release. Next breath. With the exhale, We'll come back through center. Good work. Inhale, Arms overhead. Exhale, Twisting second side. Breathing here. Can you continue to find length in the spine? Even as you twist. Next exhale coming back through center good work from here with the hands on the lap let's take a few rounds of seated cat cow Inhale, Look forward. Shoulder blades squeeze together. Heart moves forward. Exhale round through the spine, Chin towards the chest. Inhale looking up you might be moving the hands along the legs hands come closer to the hips elbows back shoulder blades squeeze Exhale, Round through the spine, Chin towards the chest, Hands can move down towards the knees. Take a few more rounds with your own breath here. Good job, Last one. Coming back through center, Take a pause. Inhale, Press into the feet, Lengthen through the spine. Exhale, Release the shoulders down and back. Eyes could close or gaze could soften. Take a few breaths here. Notice your own experience. We have moved the spine. Many different directions. Just notice how that's landing for the body. The mind, Energy, Clean. Great job. As you're ready, Inhale, Open the eyes. Exhale, Release the shoulders. Inhale, Arms overhead, Option to look up. Exhale, Heart center. Two more with your own breath like that. This time with the exhale, We're gonna cactus the arms again. Fingers spread, Elbows come back in space, Shoulder blades squeeze together. Press into the floor as much as you can as you really squeeze the shoulders. Stay right here or option to look up if it feels okay on the head and neck today. Keep squeezing the shoulder blades, Heart moving forward. One more breath. Exhale, Chin comes down. Inhale, Arms come up this time. Exhale, Hands come out to a big circle. Way to go. Shake out, Swing out, Do what feels good. Let's come back into our hip circles, Just a couple of rounds each direction. Very good, Second direction for your circle. Continuing with that slow, Steady breath. Back towards neutral. Inhale here, Press into the feet. Exhale, We're gonna take a little hinge forward. So it's a small forward fold. You could stay right here with the hands grasping. You could shift down to the forearms. Head can stay lifted or head can come down a little bit. Wherever you are in your forward fold, We wanna really feel the breath expanding the back body with each inhale. Releasing with each exhale. Next breath or two, Press into the hands, Come all the way up. Take your time. Inhale lengthen through the spine exhale release the shoulder Eyes could close or gaze could soften. As you come to seated shavasana. Drifting back up to the surface as you're ready. Perhaps the eyes gently open. Hands can come to heart center for Anjali Mudra if you choose. Taking a few breaths here. Let's send gratitude to the people and cultures who created and sustained the practices of yoga. Send gratitude to yourself. We're taking a few minutes for breath grounding. Connection. My gratitude to you. Thank you so much for practicing.

Reviews

A good few moments to pause and stretch before start work so thank you Ash! 🙏✨

A wonderful short version of the weekly chair yoga session that Ash offers here on Insight Timer every Wednesday. Long enough to loosen up your back, yet short enough to fit quickly into your daily routine.