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chair yoga


*Many of the poses being used start in mountain pose. There will be a link each time that this pose is used that will take you to a page explaining both standing and chair mountain pose.

Mountain (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Become aware of the four corners of the feet - the big toe mound, little toe mound and the inner and outer side of the heel
  • Feel the outside of the foot heavy and the inside of the foot light
  • Feel a long spine from tail bone to crown of the head
  • Engage the pelvic floor 
  • With a subtle contraction feel the belly button and ribs move towards the spine and the spine move towards the belly button and ribs
  • Allow the shoulders to fall back and down using a slight contraction at the bottom of the shoulder blades
  • Feel the neck lengthen and the chin to tuck slightly

extended mountain (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Find mountain pose
  • On an inhale lift your arms overhead up until the point you feel your traps (the muscle between the neck and shoulder) contracts

chest stretch (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Find mountain pose
  • Inhale the arms up overhead
  • Exhale bring the hands back behind the head interlacing the fingers
  • Inhale press your hands into your head and your head into your hands feel the neck lengthen and the chin to slightly tuck
  • Exhale keeping the core strong and the ribs tucked in move the elbows back opening up the chest

neck stretch - flexion (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Find mountain pose
  • Inhale the arms up overhead
  • Exhale bring the hands back behind the head interlacing the fingers
  • Inhale press your hands into your head and your head into your hands feel the neck lengthen and the chin to slightly tuck
  • Exhale allow your elbows to come towards each other while the chin drops towards the chest allowing the back of the neck lengthen

neck stretch - lateral flexion (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Find mountain pose
  • Inhale bring your right hand to the left side of the head
  • Exhale gently bring your right ear towards your right shoulder stretching out the left side of the neck
  • Inhale bring the neck into a neutral position and repeat on the other side

cat cow (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Find mountain pose
  • Place both hands on your thighs just above the knees
  • Inhale move your chest and chin forward arching the back while keeping the hips stable
  • Exhale drop the chin towards the chest and round the back feeling the shoulder blades separate

side stretch (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Find mountain pose
  • Inhale the arms up overhead 
  • Hold on to the left wrist with the right hand
  • Exhale bend the upper body towards the right side while keeping the hips stable
  • Inhale bring your body back to neutral and repeat on the opposite side

shoulder stretch (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Find mountain pose 
  • Inhale the arms overhead on an exhale bring the arms behind your back and interlace the finger
  • You can keep the arms bent or if you have great range of motion you can bring the arms towards straight and possible bring the hands away from the hips
  • As you do this pose you want the spine long with the ribs knitted in towards the spine
  • Allow the traps to come back and down and feel a stretch through the shoulders and chest

triceps stretch (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Find Mountain pose
  • Inhale your arms overhead
  • Exhale bend your left elbow placing your hand on your spine and place your right hand on your elbow pressing the hand down the spine
  • Ensure your neck is long by pressing your head into your left forearm
  • Ensure that your chest is open

twist (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Find Mountain pose
  • Inhale arms up overhead 
  • Exhale place your left hand on your right thigh and your right hand on the top of the chair twisting through the spine

Back bend (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Find Mountain pose
  • Inhale your arms up overhead 
  • Exhale place palm of your hands with the heel of the hands at the top of the hips and finger tips pointed down
  • Inhale lengthen your spine
  • Exhale keeping the length in your spine bend backwards with the hips stable

figure four (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Find Mountain pose
  • Inhale bring your left ankle on your right thigh allowing your hip to externally rotate and the knee to fall to the side
  • Engage the left foot curling the toes back towards the shin feeling a stretch in the outside of the left hip

forward fold (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Find Mountain pose
  • Inhale your arms overhead 
  • Exhale fold forward at your hips allowing your upper body come towards your thighs and your neck to relax and head to hang

halfway lift (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • From your seated forward fold place your hands on your thighs and on an inhale lift your body up off of your thighs with a straight back and look straight forward

triangle (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • The the seat of the chair towards you
  • Have your left foot pointed towards the chair and your right foot at a 90 degree angle with the arch of the foot lined up with the left heel 
  • On an inhale bring your arms up to shoulder height stretched out like airplane wings
  • Exhale tightening the core
  • Inhale reach forward with the left hand creating a lateral flexion on the left side 
  • Exhale bring the finger tips or palm of the left hand down to the chair keeping the right arm in the same alignment


down dog (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Stand facing the seat of the chair 
  • Stand just a little less than your arms length away from the chair
  • Find mountain pose on an inhale reach your arms overhead 
  • Exhale with your knees bent fold forward at the hips reaching the arms forward to the rest the hands on the chair
  • You neck should be extended so that your ears are in line with your biceps

standing forward fold (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Face the back of the chair not quite arm's length away
  • Find mountain pose on an inhale raise your arms overhead
  • Exhale with a bend in the knees, a strong core and a long spine fold forward at the hips placing the hands on the back of the chair

hamstring stretch (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Have the seat of the chair facing you
  • Finding mountain pose inhale and lift your right foot off of the ground place your right heel on the seat of the chair
  • Keep a slight bend in both knees 
  • Inhale lengthen the spine and tighten the core
  • Exhale bend forward at the hips you can place your hand on your thigh or you can reach further down the leg

high lunge (chair)

Picture

low lunge (chair)

Picture
Cues:
  • Stand facing the seat of the chair 2-3 feet away
  • Find mountain pose inhale and step your left foot forward to where the knee is a few inches in front of the chair and you can rest your hands on the chair
  • Exhale and begin to bring the knee forward

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jeff@excelwithgrace.ca
604-783-6427