16,99 €
Mehr erfahren.
- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Ratgeber
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022
If you can sit in a chair, you can enjoy the benefits of yoga! Chair Yoga For Dummies is a guide to developing a yoga practice that you can do while seated in a chair. Traditional yoga poses can be replicated as sitting yoga poses and stretches, enjoyable and accessible for people at all levels of experience and mobility. There's a reason yoga has been around for thousands of years. Practicing chair yoga regularly can decrease your blood pressure, anxiety, inflammation, and chronic pain. It also increases flexibility, balance, and strength. And it helps you sleep better, too. All you need to get started is yourself, a chair, and this book--couldn't be simpler. With this book on your desk, you can infuse a little namaste into your office routine or build a personalized home practice that fits your lifestyle and abilities. You'll learn specific poses to target problem areas, and guidance on creating your own chair yoga workout plan. Practitioners can achieve meditation, flexibility goals, and more. * Get guidance on creating your own custom chair yoga workout plan * Reduce stress, get stronger, and feel healthier--without leaving your seat * Enjoy the benefits of yoga adapted to office workers and those with decreased mobility * Learn proper technique and alignment from clear illustrations and descriptions Stay active while seated!
Sie lesen das E-Book in den Legimi-Apps auf:
Seitenzahl: 251
Ähnliche
Chair Yoga For Dummies®
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2022 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: WHILE THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHORS HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS WORK, THEY MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES, WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS OR PROMOTIONAL STATEMENTS FOR THIS WORK. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION, WEBSITE, OR PRODUCT IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHORS ENDORSE THE INFORMATION OR SERVICES THE ORGANIZATION, WEBSITE, OR PRODUCT MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR SITUATION. YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH A SPECIALIST WHERE APPROPRIATE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR AUTHORS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER DAMAGES.
For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit https://hub.wiley.com/community/support/dummies.
Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022941595
ISBN 978-1-119-88953-3 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-88955-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-88954-0 (ebk)
Chair Yoga For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Chair Yoga For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Foreword
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Yoga for Life
Chapter 1: Checking Out Chair Yoga
Harnessing the Power of Simple Movements
When a Yoga Mat Just Doesn’t Work
Enjoying the Benefits of Yoga
Giving Chair Yoga a Try
Chapter 2: Getting Ready for Chair Yoga
Deciding on the Guidance That Works for You
Making Preparations
Finding a Chair for Your Derriere
Setting Aside Time to Sit and Get Fit
Taking a Test Run in Your Chair
Chapter 3: Inhale, Exhale: Controlling Your Breath
Understanding Why Breathing Is Important in Yoga
Focusing on the Body Parts Used in Breathing
Dealing with Breathing Problems
Turning to Your Breathing to Manage Stress and Pain
Chapter 4: Adding Meditation to Chair Yoga
Eyeing Meditation as a Core Component in Yoga
Seeking Enlightenment Right from Your Chair
Seeing How Meditation Slows Dementia
Decreasing Stress and Increasing Your Sense of Well-Being with Meditation
Spending a Few Moments Meditating
Part 2: Chair Yoga for the Body
Chapter 5: Relieving That Pain in Your Neck
Banishing the Stress That Builds Up in Your Neck
Doing Chair Yoga for the Neck
Chapter 6: Stretching and Straightening the Shoulders
Looking at Where Tension Likes to Live
Resisting the Tendency to Round
Surveying Chair Yoga for Your Shoulders
Chapter 7: Bringing Your Back to the Forefront
Supporting Your Spine with Yoga
Breaking Down Chair Yoga for the Back
Chapter 8: Paying Attention to Your Abdominals
Supporting Your Back from the Front: Creating a Strong Core
Adding Chair Yoga for the Abdominals and Core
Chapter 9: The Hips Don’t Lie
Taking Care of Your Hips
Getting a Handle on Chair Yoga for Hips
Chapter 10: Getting a Leg Up
Checking out Your Legs
Knowing Knees Need TLC, Too
Chair Yoga for Legs and Knees
Chapter 11: Arming Yourself
Keeping Your Arms in Shape for Lifting, Reaching, and Hugging
Examining Chair Yoga for Arms and Elbows
Chapter 12: Ankles and Feet: Bearing All the Weight
Understanding Why Foot and Ankle Health Are So Important
Moving in the Right Direction with Chair Yoga for Ankles and Feet
Chapter 13: Don’t Forget the Fingers, Hands, and Wrists
Preventing or Relieving Stiff Fingers and Hands and Painful Wrists
Choosing Chair Yoga for Fingers, Hands, and Wrists
Chapter 14: Adding a Chair to Popular Standing and Inversion Poses
Working on Balance with a Chair by Your Side
Flipping Your Perspective: Inversion Poses
Surveying Standing and Inversion Poses Using a Chair for Support
Part 3: Creating Home Routines
Chapter 15: Moving Ahead with Chair Yoga
Perusing Principles of Practice
Keeping It Real: Starting Chair Yoga with the Right Mindset
Chapter 16: Fifteen-Minute Routines for Home
Beginner Routine
Advanced Routine
Chapter 17: Focusing on a 30-Minute Routine
Beginner Routine
Advanced Routine
Chapter 18: Working in Yoga at Your Desk
Sneaking in Chair Yoga for a Physical and Mental Break
Clocking in for Chair Yoga at Your Desk
Chapter 19: Chair Yoga in Transit
Benefitting from Yoga Near or Far, on a Plane or in a Car
Taking on Chair Yoga in Tight Places
Chapter 20: Sit Up and Weight: Adding Weights to Your Chair Yoga
Weighing the Fundamentals of Adding Weights to Your Chair Yoga
Using Weights in Chair Yoga
Part 4: The Part of Tens
Chapter 21: Ten Things to Remember about Chair Yoga
It’s Not That Easy
Simple Movement Is Powerful
Don’t Dangle
Know When to Say When
Comfort Is Always in Fashion
You Don’t Need a Lot of Space
Keep Breathing
Make the Time
Don’t Let It Hurt
You Don’t Have to Use the Chair Forever (But You Can)
Chapter 22: Ten Things to Do When Creating a Home Chair Yoga Practice
Talk to Your Doctor
Check Out Some Books and Videos
Find the Right Expert
Create a Dedicated Space
Build Practice Time into Your Schedule
Set Expectations
Invite a Friend
Be Still and Breathe
Meditate in Your Chair
Keep It Fun
Index
About the Authors
Advertisement Page
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1
FIGURE 1-1: Sitting with good posture.
FIGURE 1-2: Lifting your arm and leg.
FIGURE 1-3: Doing the other side.
FIGURE 1-4: Reaching up.
FIGURE 1-5: Folding forward.
FIGURE 1-6: Halfway up.
FIGURE 1-7: Seated or in a squat.
Chapter 2
FIGURE 2-1: Chair against the wall.
FIGURE 2-2: Dangling feet.
FIGURE 2-3: Feet on a block.
FIGURE 2-4: An upright posture in the chair.
Chapter 3
FIGURE 3-1: Focus breathing hand positions.
FIGURE 3-2: Belly breathing hand positions.
FIGURE 3-3: Hand position.
FIGURE 3-4: Closing your right nostril.
FIGURE 3-5: Closing your left nostril.
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4-1: Seven chakras.
Chapter 5
FIGURE 5-1: Holding your head forward can lead to “text neck.”
FIGURE 5-2: Sitting with an upright posture.
FIGURE 5-3: Chin to chest.
FIGURE 5-4: Swinging your chin toward your right shoulder.
FIGURE 5-5: Swinging your chin toward your left shoulder.
FIGURE 5-6: Chin to chest stretches the back of the neck.
FIGURE 5-7: Rotating your head.
FIGURE 5-8: Tilting your head to the side.
FIGURE 5-9: Gazing at the imaginary mirror on the back of your hand.
FIGURE 5-10: Watching your hand move to your shoulder.
FIGURE 5-11: Reaching out, with your eyes on the mirror.
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6-1: Shoulders fall backward.
FIGURE 6-2: Shoulders fall forward.
FIGURE 6-3: Single shoulder shrug.
FIGURE 6-4: Starting position.
FIGURE 6-5: Spreading your wings.
FIGURE 6-6: Raising your hands.
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7-1: Raising your right arm.
FIGURE 7-2: Raising your left arm.
FIGURE 7-3: Cow pose in a chair.
FIGURE 7-4: Cat pose in a chair.
FIGURE 7-5: Getting ready to bend.
FIGURE 7-6: Bending to the left.
FIGURE 7-7: Seated camel pose.
Chapter 8
FIGURE 8-1: Bad posture.
FIGURE 8-2: Sitting with good posture.
FIGURE 8-3: Lift your knee.
FIGURE 8-4: Straighten your raised leg(s).
FIGURE 8-5: Bringing your right hand to your left knee.
FIGURE 8-6: Twisting your torso.
FIGURE 8-7: Preparing for extended side angle pose.
FIGURE 8-8: Extended side angle pose in a chair.
Chapter 9
FIGURE 9-1: Opening your hips.
FIGURE 9-2: Sitting tall with your feet on the ground.
FIGURE 9-3: Hip circles.
FIGURE 9-4: Seated pigeon.
FIGURE 9-5: Seated pigeon with a forward lean.
FIGURE 9-6: Marching in your chair.
Chapter 10
FIGURE 10-1: Proper knee alignment.
FIGURE 10-2: Preparing for seated warrior.
FIGURE 10-3: Raising your hands in seated warrior one pose.
FIGURE 10-4: Raising your hands in seated warrior two pose.
FIGURE 10-5: Bending toward your foot.
Chapter 11
FIGURE 11-1: Sitting with palms toward the ceiling.
FIGURE 11-2: Bending your elbows.
FIGURE 11-3: Sitting with arms straight out.
FIGURE 11-4: Rotating straight arms.
FIGURE 11-5: Looking at the newspaper.
FIGURE 11-6: Raising the newspaper.
FIGURE 11-7: Bringing just your chin down.
FIGURE 11-8: Spreading your wings.
FIGURE 11-9: Rounding.
FIGURE 11-10: Raising your head again.
Chapter 12
FIGURE 12-1: Leg extended with a neutral foot.
FIGURE 12-2: Foot flexed.
FIGURE 12-3: Foot pointed.
FIGURE 12-4: Ankle circle.
FIGURE 12-5: Sitting with an extended leg.
FIGURE 12-6: Spread toes.
FIGURE 12-7: Scrunched toes.
FIGURE 12-8: Diagram of pressure points on the foot.
Chapter 13
FIGURE 13-1: The median nerve.
FIGURE 13-2: Arms extended with neutral hands.
FIGURE 13-3: Fingers spread.
FIGURE 13-4: Fingers closed into fists.
FIGURE 13-5: Arms out and palms up.
FIGURE 13-6: Hands in starting position.
FIGURE 13-7: Flick position.
FIGURE 13-8: Extended arms with wrists neutral.
FIGURE 13-9: Wrists in extension.
FIGURE 13-10: Wrists in flexion.
FIGURE 13-11 Extended arms with palms down.
FIGURE 13-12: Extended arms with fists.
FIGURE 13-13: Preparing for a wrist stretch.
FIGURE 13-14: Pulling fingers backward to stretch the wrist.
Chapter 14
FIGURE 14-1: Folding forward with a chair.
FIGURE 14-2: Downward facing dog with a chair.
FIGURE 14-3: Warrior one with a chair.
FIGURE 14-4: Warrior two with a chair.
FIGURE 14-5: Standing side kicks with a chair.
FIGURE 14-6: Standing extended side angle with a chair.
FIGURE 14-7: Half-moon with a chair.
FIGURE 14-8: Standing warrior three with a chair.
FIGURE 14-9: Standing tree pose with a chair.
FIGURE 14-10: Legs on a chair inversion.
Chapter 15
FIGURE 15-1: Contrasting traditional form (a) with forgiving limbs (b).
Chapter 18
FIGURE 18-1: Searching for hot spots.
FIGURE 18-2: Hand on shoulder.
FIGURE 18-3: Hand reaches out.
FIGURE 18-4: Sitting sideways.
FIGURE 18-5: Holding the back of the chair.
FIGURE 18-6: Twisting in the chair.
FIGURE 18-7: Clasping your hands.
FIGURE 18-8: Joining your hands with a towel.
FIGURE 18-9: Folding forward.
FIGURE 18-10: Sitting with straight arms.
FIGURE 18-11: Leaning forward with straight arms behind you.
FIGURE 18-12: Arms swing upward.
FIGURE 18-13: Sitting with your knees open.
FIGURE 18-14: Folding forward.
Chapter 19
FIGURE 19-1: Picking an imaginary apple.
FIGURE 19-2: Preparing to row.
FIGURE 19-3: Pulling the imaginary oar.
FIGURE 19-4: Sitting with hands behind neck.
FIGURE 19-5: Knee to elbow.
FIGURE 19-6: Bend forward while raising heels.
Chapter 20
FIGURE 20-1: Dumbbell options.
FIGURE 20-2: Starting position.
FIGURE 20-3: Shrugging with weights.
FIGURE 20-4: Starting position.
FIGURE 20-5: Bicep curls with weights.
FIGURE 20-6: Starting position.
FIGURE 20-7: Triceps pulses with weights.
FIGURE 20-8: Starting position.
FIGURE 20-9: Rowing with weights.
FIGURE 20-10: Starting position.
FIGURE 20-11: Arms in a T-shape.
FIGURE 20-12: Starting position.
FIGURE 20-13: Seated twist with weights.
FIGURE 20-14: Starting position.
FIGURE 20-15: Heel lifts.
Guide
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Table of Contents
Foreword
Begin Reading
Index
About the Authors
Pages
i
ii
xiii
1
2
3
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
253
254
255
256
Foreword
Just like Larry Payne — a master Yoga teacher himself — and his co-author, Don Henry, this book about Chair Yoga is smart, easy to understand, and empathetic. Whether you’re new to this type of Yoga or not, you will find this book methodically explains what to do and how to do it. It pays attention to your mind first, explaining and giving you the foundation you need not only for Chair Yoga but also for your general health. The meditation it teaches is crucial for Yoga and, in my opinion, for life itself.
Then comes healing stretching for the whole body from the neck down. Every part of the practitioner is subject to meticulous attention. And after that, there is creative thought about actually making Yoga part of a daily routine. The beauty of this is that what is asked of the practitioner is reasonable: first a short 15 minutes, and then more. Without being bound by traditional rules, there is a chapter on how to use weights while doing Chair Yoga. The Yoga itself helps with strength. Add weights, and the benefit is doubled.
Know that you are in excellent hands while reading this book; doing what it recommends undoubtedly adds to health and well-being.
—Dr. Loren Fishman
Introduction
You can find a wide array of Yoga “flavors” in books and even your neighborhood studios. Chair Yoga is just another type, but it’s not some trend created for modern audiences. Its roots actually reach into Yoga tradition. Chairs have historically been used as props in Yoga classes, often to
Help practitioners get more deeply into a pose
Provide a degree of safety by helping with balance or stability or by simply bringing the floor up closer
The great Yoga master, B.K.S. Iyengar, enthusiastically promoted using a chair in order to help his students experience more challenging postures with more security or support. Back in the 1980s, Lakshmi Voelker brought the idea of using a chair to America, making Yoga more accessible and even more therapeutic. And co-author Larry Payne dedicated a section of the first edition of Yoga For Dummies (Wiley) to Chair Yoga back in 1999.
Make no mistake about it: Chair Yoga is an effective way for you to experience the benefits of practicing Yoga in a way that may make it more accessible to you. Whether it’s because of injury or age, your travel schedule, or your work routine, sometimes being able to do Yoga from a chair just makes more sense. And for some people, that accessibility makes all the difference in the world — the difference between actually practicing Yoga or abandoning it altogether.
About This Book
As Chair Yoga For Dummies demonstrates, you can readily adopt Yoga as part of your self-care routine, right from your chair.
In this book, we try to offer you a digestible series of poses or movements, not an encyclopedia of all possible postures. The fact is that you can adapt almost any Yoga pose done on a mat to a chair.
Here, we present some of the best and most popular Chair Yoga poses and movements (with about 200 photos) and also incorporate those movements into some sample routines you can do anywhere you find yourself sitting. Chair Yoga For Dummies is a great place to try out Yoga or to allow your existing Yoga practice to evolve right along with your body.
In addition to focusing on your muscles and bones, Chair Yoga also gives you an opportunity to nurture your mind. While there may be no one perfect approach to meditation, some form may be just what you need to help reduce stress. (And we all have too much stress, right?) This book dedicates a whole chapter to some of the most straightforward ways to meditate — an activity that’s easily performed and easily integrated into Chair Yoga.
Finally, while the book focuses on both the physical and mental benefits of Chair Yoga, it also highlights some vital breath work that can actually benefit both. Like meditation, breathing exercises are an essential part of a Yoga practice, and a chair may be the best place to perform those exercises.
Foolish Assumptions
As we were writing this book, we made a few assumptions about you, dear reader First, we’re guessing that you have very good reasons for not pursuing a regular Yoga routine. In reality, however, those reasons are far from being very good— and this book will hopefully prove just that. Maybe you think you’re too old or too inflexible. Perhaps you think you’re too overweight or too injured. And secondly, if you’re still looking for an excuse, there’s always that onerous lack of free time or appropriate space. Our guess — our assumption — is you might be clinging to one or more of these “very good reasons.”
Of course, if you happen to be a super-flexible former gymnast (or maybe just an average 16-year-old), you may need to find the full, traditional expression of a particular Yoga pose simply to feel a stretch. If, however, your flexibility is more limited than that, you don’t have to go as deeply into a pose in order to feel the exact same degree of stretch or strengthening. Your so-called limitation may indeed be due to injury, inexperience, age, weight, or even workload. Or maybe you just (gasp!) have an average range of motion. The goal of a Yoga practice should be improved physical and mental health, so put less focus on what it looks like and more on what it’s doing for your body and mind. And Chair Yoga can do a lot.
Icons Used in This Book
We use several icons throughout this book to help you better navigate the text and find the most important and helpful bits:
This icon identifies special suggestions that you may want to keep in mind as you practice a Chair Yoga routine or try a pose.
Some things are worth keeping in mind, particularly when attempting a new posture or trying a new routine.
Even Chair Yoga, as accommodating as it attempts to be, can lead to injury if you’re not mindful. These paragraphs may help you to pay attention to certain obstacles, but they in no way substitute for the good advice of your doctor or other health care practitioner.
Text marked with a Technical Stuff icon is interesting (we like to think), but ultimately it isn’t essential for getting a handle on Chair Yoga. If you want to get in and get out, you can skip these bits without compromising your understanding of the topic.
Beyond the Book
An effective way to focus on some of the key concepts of this book is to check out the online Cheat Sheet that summarizes many of the important takeaways relating to a Chair Yoga practice. Go online to dummies.com and search for Chair Yoga For Dummies Cheat Sheet.
Where to Go from Here
If you want a complete picture of Chair Yoga, you can definitely read this book straight through. But you don’t have to go cover to cover to meet your needs.
Want to target a specific part or parts of your body? Try the chapters in Part 2. Need a premade Chair Yoga routine for your busy schedule? Chapters 16 and 17 can help. Just looking for some tips on mindful breathing? Exhale and flip to Chapter 3. However you read this book, remember that Yoga — including Chair Yoga — needs to serve you, not the other way around.
Part 1
Yoga for Life
IN THIS PART …
Uncover the health benefits of simple movements.
Consider what kind of teaching you want and how to prepare your Chair Yoga practice area.
Discover the power of your breath.
Review how meditation can have a profound impact on your mental fitness.
Chapter 1
Checking Out Chair Yoga
IN THIS CHAPTER
Moving for health
Using a chair rather than a mat
Noting the benefits of Chair Yoga
Checking out a couple of simple Chair Yoga exercises
Getting up and down off the floor or a Yoga mat can be a challenge for some people. But no one should be left off the Yoga bandwagon.
For any number of reasons, you may choose to practice Yoga while sitting in a chair. Chair Yoga doesn’t require that up-and-down flow you may find in other Yoga classes. You can remain in a seated position where you feel more stable — even safer — while still reaping some of Yoga’s most significant benefits:
More flexibility
Increased strength
Better balance
Improved circulation
Decreased anxiety and stress
Reduced pain
Better sleep
Greater willpower
These benefits have been acknowledged over the years by not only Yoga teachers and students but also Western medicine itself.
Chair Yoga is just one approach or technique, but it may in fact be the smartest one. The key to making your movements truly Yogic is to synchronize them with your breath. That coordination keeps you relaxed and allows your body to benefit from the power of simple movements.
Harnessing the Power of Simple Movements
Sitting in front of a screen or in a line of slow-moving commuter traffic can render you relatively motionless for hours at a time. In fact, health practioners often warn about how being sedentary, especially sitting too much, is actually almost the same threat to good health as smoking is.
Yoga teachers and Yoga therapists alike talk about how much you can gain from the simplest of movements.Simple and safe movements can
Build muscle strength
Increase flexibility
Increase bone density (in some practitioners)
Lubricate your joints
Improve your will power
Decrease anxiety and stress
Exercise your heart and lungs
You can read more about some of these benefits in the following section.
The ultimate objective is to avoid inactivity but, at the same time, proceed both slowly and thoughtfully. That’s where Chair Yoga comes in. Although you can move in many ways, Chair Yoga may be both the perfect and the safest activity. It’s also a great way to supplement other aerobic and strength training exercises.
If you want to hang on to a Yoga practice but find your body is making new demands, consider Chair Yoga. If you’re new to Yoga and maybe feel too old or too inflexible, this approach may be an ideal entry point.
At the end of the day, Yoga — even Chair Yoga — needs to make you feel better. Listen to your body, don’t allow yourself to endure pain, and most of all, have fun!
When a Yoga Mat Just Doesn’t Work
The chair has a long history in Yoga. It’s a traditional prop, often used for safety and support in the pursuit of the classic form of a pose. Great Yoga masters like B.K.S. Iyengar employed the chair by using innovative methods to help students move into otherwise difficult postures.
But Chair Yoga is something different. Popularized in the USA by Lakshmi Voelker back in the 1980s, it’s more about making Yoga accessible to everyone. It’s about finding ways for Yoga to accommodate the particular needs of the practitioner rather than finding ways for the practitioner to adapt to a pose. Chair Yoga is about practicing in a way that serves your fitness goals and makes you want to come back again and again.
Seniors need Yoga, too
Without a doubt, many senior centers have mat Yoga classes that are well attended by people in their ’60s, ’70s, and even ’80s. These people use their mats in the traditional way, which means they get up and down off the floor at various points throughout the class. Some seniors, however, just can’t do that. Chair Yoga provides an alternative for almost anyone.
Your body changes as you get older, and you may lose certain capabilities. Even in an average Yoga class, practitioners can’t do the things they did when they were younger — at least not without the risk of getting injured.
Deskbound employees
Whether they’re self-imposed or handed down by an employer, productivity demands can keep you at a desk for too many hours at a time. (Of course, many people willingly sit in front of their computers for extended periods of time, oblivious to the clock and the rest of the world around them.)
Chair Yoga provides a way to counteract all the negative aspects of sitting at a desk for long periods of time and receive the benefits of thoughtful movements without leaving the desk chair.
