10-Minute Chair Yoga | Push-Pull Practice

In this video, Jess guides a whole-body strength and mobility sequence focused on dynamic push-pull movements. Areas of strength focus on arms, shoulders, chest, back, hips, thighs, and glutes. This sequence can be practiced on its own or as a strength-resistance warm-up to a longer Vinyasa flow or alignment-focused asana yoga practice.

Transcript

Namaste, And welcome to this Care Yoga Push-Pull Sequence, Focusing on pushing and pulling movements to strengthen the chest, Back, And also hips and glutes. So here. Starting seated in our chair. We're gonna lift the right foot up off the ground. On your exhale, Press your heel forward. Bend your knee, Breath in. Press your heel forward, Breath out. Bend your knee, Inhale. Once more, Press. And then from here, We're gonna stay for a breath in. On your exhale, Bend your knee and lift your knee up towards your chest as much as you can. Press your heel forward, Inhale. Bend your knee, Lifting your knee up, Axial. Press your heel forward. Inhale. And once more, Pull, Lifting that knee up toward the chest. Stay for a breath in. And return your foot to the ground. Here, We'll move that to the other side. Lifting your left foot, Breath in. On your exhale, Press your heel forward. We're engaging the quad. Long journey. Inhale. Exhale. Bend your knee, Breath in. Once more, Press. Keep the leg extended for an inhale. On your exhale, Bend your knee, Lifting your knee toward your chest as much as you can. Rest your heel forward. Inhale. Bend your knee and lift. Let's go. Press, Inhale. And pull it back, Bring that knee in. Stay for a breath in. And return your foot to the ground. Here we're going to hold on to the sides of the chair, Those arms along the sides of your chair or sides of the seat of your chair, Whatever you can reach for here. Extend your legs long, Flexing your toes. So toes are flexed, Legs extended, Heels on the ground, Or you can place blocks beneath your heels to bring the floor a little bit closer, A little bit higher. Breath in. On your exhale, Pull your knees in. Breath out. Extend your legs, Lower your heels. Breath in. Pull your knees in, Breath out, Engaging your abs and hip flexors. Extend your legs, Lower your heels. Once more, Pull your knees in and here we'll stay for a breath in, Keeping your heels above the ground as your body allows, Breath. Or heels forward, Still holding on to the sides of the chair. Bring your knees in, Breath in. Push, Pressing your heels forward, Breath in. Bend your knees, Lift, Inhale. Breath. Exhale. Dave her breath in. Lower your heels. And then bending your knees, Plant your feet on the ground. Bring the elbows close to the sides of your body, Palms facing forward. Breath in. On your exhale. Push your palms forward, Breath out. Bring your elbows in. Exhale. Grasp your palms forward. Breath out. Bring your elbows in, Breath in. Once more, Press. And then here, Flip your palms up, Inhale. On your exhale, Curl your fingers into your palms, Pull your elbows back, Strong through your back. Reach forward, Releasing your fingers, Breath in. Fingers curl into the palms, Pull your elbows back, Breath out, Reach, Inhale. Once more, Pull. And then here, We're gonna keep the elbows alongside the body, Palms facing forward. On your exhale, Reach your arms up toward the sky, Squeezing through the tops of your shoulders. Bring your elbows down and in. Inhale. Press your fingers up. Exhale. Elbows. Down and in, Breath in. And once more, Reach your arms up. Flip your palms toward you. Back of your hands facing away, Breath in. On your exhale, Curl your fingers into your palms and pull your elbows down. Reach up releasing your fingers, Breath in. Roll your fingers into your palms, Pull your elbows down, Breath out. Reach up, Breath in. And once more, Pull. And then here we'll relax the arms. Bring a block between your palms, Elbows close to the sides of your body. Here, We're gonna face the fingers forward, Thumbs up. Breath in. On your exhale, Rest that block away from your chest. Wheezing through your chest. Bring your block in, Inhale. Rest that block away. Exhale. Bringing your block in, Breath in. And once more, Press. Here, Stay for an inhale. On your exhale, Pull that block in towards your chest. Reach forward, Breath in. Pull right out. Reach. Inhale. On SmartPoll. And then from here, We're gonna flip the fingers up, Thumbs face you, Still keeping that block between your hands. Breath in, On your exhale, Press your block up toward the ceiling, Toward the sky. Bring that block back down. Inhale. Brush it up. Exhale. Center breath in. Once more, Push that block up toward the sky. Stay for a breath in. On your exhale, Pull that block down, Breath out. Reach up, Inhale. Call it down. Exhale. Reach, Breath in. And once more, Pull it down, Stay for a breath in. And then releasing that block. The ground or set it aside. Here rise to standing. Facing yourself toward the seat of your chair. Bring your hands to the seat of your chair. And start to walk your feet back to a downward facing dog, Arms long. Draw your hips back, Drop your ears between your arms. Breath in. On your exhale, Lift your heels, Engaging your calves. Shift forward, Shoulders above wrists. Press straight down to your hands. Breath in. Downward facing dog. Draw your hips back, Lower your heels toward the ground. Lift your heels, Inhale. Bye-bye. Thanks for watching. Resting down to your hands, Breath in. Downward facing dog. Breath out, Once more through. Lift your heels, Breath in. I play. Breath out. Day, Pressing down your hands, Breath in. Downward facing dog. Breath out. And then here, We're gonna look forward, Lift your right leg back and up, Lifting your heel, Hip height, Breath in. On your exhale, Pull your knee in toward your chest. Breath. Extend your leg long, Inhale. Pull your knee in. Relax, Inhale. Extend your leg long, Breath in. Once more, Pull your knee in, Stay for a breath in. On your exhale, Rest your heel back, Engaging your glutes. Bring your knee in. Inhale. Press your heel back, Extending your leg long. Exhale. Bring your knee in, Breath in. Once more, Press your heel back. Stay for a breath in. And return your foot to the ground. Breath out. Pick your left leg back and up. Inhale. Roll your knee in. Exhale. Extend your leg, Long breath in. Pull your knee in, Breath out. Stand your leg long. And once more, Pull your knee in. Staying for a breath in. On your exhale, Press your heel back, Engaging your glutes. Bring your knee in, Inhale. Rest your heel back, Extending long to your leg. Bring your knee and breath in. And once more, Press your heel back. Stay for a breath in. Lower your foot. Walk your feet back, Forward rather. Toward the seat of your chair. Lift through your chest, Rising to stand. Lift your shoulders up. Roll your shoulders back. And down. Here, Make your way again to the seat of your chair. Reach your arms out and up. Inhale. Right arm down, Left up and over to your right. Both hands high, Breath in. Left arm down, Right up and over to your left. Both hands high, Inhale. Fold, Releasing your fingertips toward the ground, Belly to your thighs. Hang in there for a few breaths. And then pressing strong through your feet, Slowly roll back up to a tall seat. Lift your shoulders up. Roll your shoulders back. And down. Bring your palms together, Thumbs to the center of your forehead. Wisdom. Rarity. Peace and love guide you through the rest of your day. And throughout your week. Breath in. Open mouth exhale, Bowing forward. Namaste is an expression meaning the divine in me. Honors the divine in you. Namaste.