Learn More About The Wonderful Benefits of Chair Yoga!
As a yoga teacher that spent many many years in the healthcare field, it is easy to understand my attraction to chair yoga. Without a doubt, mobility plays a crucial role in patient care when assisting others on their road to recovery due to illness. For this reason, I witnessed firsthand how people that presented to our facilities with good physical strength, endurance, and flexibility seemed to have better outcomes.
Learn more about the wonderful benefits of chair yoga and how you can incorporate it into your daily practice. Furthermore, chairs are such a part of our modern lives, why not put them to good use?
What is Chair Yoga
In simple terms, chair yoga is the practice of yoga poses while using the assistance of a chair. Generally, poses are done while sitting on the chair or standing while using the chair for assistance. Oftentimes, people will find they have more confidence in achieving deeper stretches while utilizing the support of a chair. Specifically, chair yoga makes yoga more accessible regardless of physical limitations.
Who Is Chair Yoga For?
Chair yoga can offer benefits for anyone and is essentially accessible for all. In addition, the practice can be modified to meet people where they are in their bodies. See below for examples of specific groups that can greatly benefit from adding chair yoga to their practice.
- Older Adults.
- Anyone with mobility issues.
- People recovering from injuries or surgeries.
- Office workers, people that spend a lot of time in a chair.
- The beginner exerciser.
“Anybody can Breathe. Therefore Anybody Can Practice Yoga.” TKV Desikachar
Wonderful Benefits of Chair Yoga
The wonderful benefits of chair yoga are far-reaching. Personally, I always like to look to clinical research to find facts about topics I am interested in. Benefits are listed below for easy reading, but if you would like to dive deeper into the science that backs these up, see this Article HERE.
- Improves flexibility and balance.
- Increases strength and muscle tone.
- Reduces chronic pain.
- Helps manage chronic conditions.
- Boosts your mood and improves mental health.
- Improves proprioception (Being able to sense where your body is in time and space, therefore increases coordination and decreases risk of falling).
- Better quality sleep.
Materials Needed for Chair Yoga
Fancy equipment is not necessary while doing chair yoga. In fact, all you really need are comfortable clothes and a sturdy chair. However, I have listed what I feel are the keys to having a productive and safe chair yoga session.
A Few Things to Mention about the Chair:
- A sturdy chair that does not have wheels.
- Preferably a chair with a low back and no arms.
- Non slip flooring. Oftentimes, the chair is placed on a yoga mat to prevent sliding. A carpet or a rug is also a good surface.
Beginner Friendly 20 Minute Chair Yoga Session
Final Thoughts
If you have been curious about trying yoga and not quite sure where or how to start, chair yoga is the perfect introduction! I hope you will try my 20 minute beginner- friendly yoga session above and see what all the hype is about! Likewise, I invite you to try a few other of my yoga videos which are designed to be accessible and enjoyable. Check out my yoga section right HERE. Better yet, sign up for my monthly newsletter below and get first dibs when new videos come out!