3 Benefits of Chair Yoga

Over the past year, we’ve had to modify our lives to fit a new normal. We may have needed to adapt our homes to also serve as our offices, our kids’ schools, our gyms, our happy-hour hangouts, and our date-night restaurants. We might have perfected our Zoom backgrounds to hide the mess behind us, worn sweatpants with a blazer, and somehow still learned to bake a sourdough almost as delicious as our neighbor’s. Even so, we might not have the same time, space, or energy that we did a couple of years ago to devote to a consistent yoga practice. If traditional yoga just isn’t in the cards for you anytime soon, you can still reap its benefits through a modified practice called Chair Yoga. 

What is Chair Yoga?

Chair Yoga is exactly what it sounds like! Developed in 1982 by Lakshmi Voelker, Chair Yoga is an inclusive, accessible form of yoga easily adapted to the office or other small spaces. It can be done either seated in a chair or standing and using the chair as support. Here are three reasons why Chair Yoga is great:

1. Chair Yoga is Inclusive and Accessible

One of the many benefits of Chair Yoga is that it can be practiced by anyone who is able to sit in a chair. By developing Chair Yoga, Lakshmi Voelker aimed to “create accessible yoga” for those with limited mobility or those who have trouble practicing traditional yoga. This gentle, non-intimidating method can be practiced by those who are new to yoga, those who are recovering from injury, and those who are re-acquainting themselves with their practice after a long hiatus. For those who already have an advanced traditional yoga practice, Chair Yoga can also help deepen poses and stretches. 

2. Chair Yoga Saves Space

To practice Chair Yoga, all you need is a chair. You don’t even need a mat! This method works great for cramped office spaces, for work conferences (Zoom and in-person), or for a crowded home. You won’t need to spread a mat out on the floor and risk being stepped on (and stared at) by a colleague or your partner or the puppy you adopted during lockdown. You can even do Chair Yoga on an airplane during a long-haul flight to help increase circulation.

3. Chair Yoga While Confined to Your Desk

Slammed? Back-to-back calls all day? Attending a 3-day virtual conference? You can practice Chair Yoga during work to strengthen and focus without needing to change out of your sweatpants-blazer combo or even step away from your desk. Poses (asanas) like Seated Forward Fold, Seated Pigeon and Twisted Pigeon can help release the tension that builds up over a long day spent sitting in front of a screen.

Give it a Try

Check out Allina Health’s simple sequence to give Chair Yoga a try. These illustrated poses can be done anywhere and anytime. You can even do them while you’re sitting on the couch watching TV and waiting for your sourdough to rise.