Gentle Chair Yoga

This class takes place completely sitting, with no pressure on the joints and no forward folding. I will first guide you to find a comfortable position and connect with your breath before leading you through a few seated stretches, connecting breath and movement. We will end with a seated meditation using a mudra (hand seal) to focus our attention.

Transcript

Hi,

And welcome back.

In today's practice,

We're going to do a gentle chair yoga sequence with no standing,

No pressure on the knees,

Wrists,

Feet,

And also no inversions.

The best kind of chair to use for this practice will be a chair that you can feel comfortable in.

You can sit on your couch,

The edge of your bed,

Or any kind of chair that you feel okay in.

So whenever you're ready,

Find your comfortable seat.

Press your feet down into the floor,

Bringing your heels underneath your knees.

Spread your toes as wide as you can,

And try to press each toe down,

Either into your shoes or into the floor.

Bring your shoulders back over your hips,

Creating a long spine,

Allowing the crown of your head to reach up toward the ceiling,

And let your hands relax down in your lap or wherever they feel good.

Soften through all the muscles of your face,

Relaxing your expression.

Relaxing your seat down into your chair,

Relaxing your hands and your feet.

If you feel comfortable doing so,

Allow your eyes to close.

Start to notice your breath breathing in and out through your nose,

Maybe first noticing the soft,

Gentle sound of air entering and exiting through your nostrils.

Perhaps noticing the air that enters is cool and fresh,

And the air that exits is warmer.

Notice the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe in and out.

Maybe notice what else happens in your body as you inhale and exhale,

Checking in in any areas that may feel tense or areas that could relax with your breath out.

Take a couple more full deep breaths.

Feel free to keep your eyes closed during this practice if that feels good to you,

Or allow them to softly open,

Gently gazing forward off the tip of your nose,

Focusing on nothing in particular.

Begin to reach your arms out to the sides,

And on an inhale,

Extend through your fingertips,

Sweeping them overhead.

Bring your palms together,

And then exhale,

Pull your thumbs down toward the center of your chest.

We'll take that two more times.

Inhale to reach your arms out,

Spread your fingers wide,

Stretching through your hands as well.

Circle them up overhead,

Touch your palms,

And then as you exhale,

Slowly lower your thumbs down to your chest.

And one last time,

A full deep breath in,

Arms reach out overhead,

Palms come to touch,

And then exhale your thumbs down to your chest.

On your next inhale,

Reach your arms out wide once more,

All the way up overhead.

This time,

Bring your right hand to grab your left wrist,

And then as you exhale,

Gently lean over to the right side,

Stretching all along the left side of your body.

Breathe naturally in and out through your nose,

Using your exhales to lean just a little bit farther.

And on your next inhale,

Come back up through center,

Release that left wrist,

Use your left fingers to grab your right wrist,

And as you exhale,

Lean over to the left side,

Feeling a stretch along the right side of your body.

Continue to breathe softly in and out.

And on your next inhale,

Come back up through center,

Extend your fingers wide,

Reach up for the ceiling,

And then exhale,

Palms together,

Pull them down to your chest,

And let them relax into your lap.

Bring your hands down to your thighs or toward your knees.

And we'll take a gentle cat and cow stretch.

On an inhale,

Scoop your chest forward and up,

Maybe tilt your chin up and look toward the ceiling.

Relax your shoulders down your back.

And then on your exhale,

Press your hands into your knees,

Round your spine back,

Hollow out your belly,

Look down toward your thighs.

And move with your breath in this way.

Inhale,

Scoop your chest forward and up,

Arch your back,

Look up toward the ceiling,

Relax your shoulders.

And then exhale,

Press back round through your spine,

Hollow out your belly,

Look down.

Continue moving with your inhales and exhales a few more times,

Using your hands on your legs to either pull your chest forward and up with your inhales or depress your back against the back of your chair with your exhales.

Take one more round,

Breathe in and breathe out.

And when you're finished,

Bring your spine back to a gentle neutral position and relax your hands.

Take a goddess pose.

Come forward to the edge of your chair,

Step your feet out wide,

Toes pointing in the direction that your knees are traveling.

Try to keep your heels underneath your knees and step your feet as wide as feels comfortable.

Bring your hands down once again to your thighs or to your knees.

And we'll start with a gentle twist here.

Take a breath in.

And then on your exhale,

Drop your left shoulder in towards the center.

Turn and look up past your right shoulder.

And then exhale,

Come back to center.

Take a breath in and then exhale,

Drop your right shoulder in through center.

Turn and look up over your left shoulder.

Inhale to return to center and move with your own breath.

Exhaling,

Dropping a shoulder in through center,

Turning and looking up past your opposite shoulder.

And then inhaling,

Returning to center.

Take each side a few more times,

Gently using your hands on your legs as a soft lever to pull you forward,

Engaging in your twist.

And after you feel you've even the sides out,

Go ahead and gently relax,

Bringing your shoulders back up to neutral.

Next,

We'll take a side bend.

So bring your left elbow down to that left thigh.

Inhale and sweep your right arm up overhead,

Reaching up and over to the left as far as feels comfortable.

Engaging in a full deep stretch from the right hip all the way up to the right fingertips.

Stay here for a couple breaths and breathe in and out through your nose.

Take one more breath in.

And on your exhale,

Gently come back up,

Drop your right hand down,

Bend your right elbow and bring your right elbow down toward your right thigh.

Inhale and reach your left arm up overhead.

And as you exhale,

Reach your left fingertips up and over to the right side,

Finding a full deep stretch along the entire left side of your body.

Breathe gently in and out through your nose.

Take another deep breath in.

And on your exhale,

Return back to your neutral position.

Step your feet back together,

Coming to a neutral seated position.

And we'll set up for one final pose,

A seated pigeon pose.

Keep your left foot planted down on the ground in front of you.

Pick up your right foot,

Keeping your knee bent and bring your right ankle onto your left knee,

Crossing your legs.

Bring your right hand to your right knee,

Your left hand to that right foot.

Breathe gently in and out here,

Maybe gently pressing that right knee forward and down,

Engaging in a stretch in the right hip.

You can stay lifted here or lean forward gently,

Maybe to about 45 degrees,

Keeping your chest lifted,

Your spine long.

Keep grounding that left foot down into the floor,

Putting gentle pressure on that right knee,

Breathing in and out through your nose.

Take a last breath in through your nose and then out through your mouth.

If you lean forward,

Gently inhale,

Come back to your neutral spine and let your right foot come back down to the floor.

Press your right toes into the ground.

Lift up that left foot and cross your left ankle over your right knee,

Bringing your left hand to your left knee,

Your right hand to your left foot as you sit cross-legged in your chair.

Use that left hand to gently press your left knee forward and down,

Finding a stretch that feels good for you in that left hip.

Continue breathing in and out through your nose,

Noticing all the features of your breath.

Maybe gently hinging forward,

Keeping a lifted chest.

Don't come much farther than 45 degrees or whatever feels good for you.

Continue gently pressing that left knee forward and down,

Finding your stretch.

And then take a last deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Bring your spine back up to an upright neutral position.

Uncross your legs,

Bringing both feet down onto the ground once more.

Spread your toes wide,

Press each one down into the floor.

Bring your shoulders over your hips,

Reach the crown of your head up to the ceiling and relax your shoulders.

Relax your hands comfortably into your lap,

Palms facing up.

Soften your expression,

Closing your eyes once more if that's okay for you today.

Noticing once again your breath.

Your palms facing up and your hands relaxing in your lap.

Bring the tip of your thumbs to touch the tips of your index fingers,

Allowing your final three fingers to remain extended.

Taking Janana Mudra.

This mudra helps to facilitate focus,

Clarity,

And calming thoughts,

Making it a nice mudra to end our gentle chair practice.

Bring your focus to your hands.

Maybe scanning each finger.

Feeling the backs of your hands touching your legs.

Feeling the temperature of the air in the room or wherever you're at.

Noticing that point of contact between the tip of your thumb and the tip of your index finger.

Noticing the points of contact,

The other three extended fingers.

Gently keep your focus here or on your breath.

Louder.

Gently deepen your breath in and out through your nose.

Bringing attention back to the sound of your breath,

The lift and fall of your chest.

When you feel ready,

Relax your hands,

Maybe bringing palms back down,

Face down on your legs.

Take a deep breath in through your nose,

Fill up through your lungs,

Let your chest expand,

And then open your mouth to exhale,

Sighing it out.

And sit here as long as you like,

Just taking another few moments to settle in after your practice.

Whenever you feel ready,

Gently blink your eyes open and have a great rest of your day.

Thank you for practicing with me today.

I'll see you next time.

Reviews

Just what I needed this morning.
Thanks

Hello beautiful 🌸🎀🌸🎀🌸Thank you so much for the wonderfully chair yoga 🎀I’m feeling like chocolate melting in the sun 🎀so relaxing 🗺️have a blessed day 🕉️Namaste