CHAIR YOGA

IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?

By: Deborah Devine

Can you get fit while you sit?  Is it crazy to ask that question?  Especially after being told that sitting is the new smoking, and as we now find ourselves sitting more than ever before. Is it possible that our declared enemy, the chair, is actually waiting to become our friend in fitness? Surprisingly, yes!  And Yogis have been promoting this kind of mind-body fitness for almost 40 years. Chair Yoga makes yoga accessible for people of all ages and levels of ability, and offers enough diversity in its array of practices to suit everyone’s needs.

Chair Yoga for Mobility

For anyone working with balance and mobility challenges, gentle postures are done sitting in the chair.  Modified Sun Salutes and static postures can be performed easily, and we have the option of adding small weights to further develop the core and upper body.

Chair Yoga for Aging Well

Chair Yoga is also a great practice as we age, because it’s likely we’ll be managing through some injuries, perhaps arthritis, and even joint replacements.  So challenging postures we may have found easy in the past, are now too painful or risky.  Chair Yoga is perfect in helping support us to cultivate balance, endurance, and strength in standing postures such as Tree Pose and Lunges.  And we also see experienced yogis using chairs as support for even more challenging postures, like Head Stand and Shoulder Stand.

Chair Yoga as Lockdown Lifestyle LifeSaver

Chair Yoga can also help us through lockdowns, and is an effective #WFH wellness hack to help us stay refreshed in mind and body.  To endure the endless hours online, many people are creating mini Chair Yoga breaks, timed throughout the day.  Get a timer and break out a few modified moves on the chair like Downward Dog and Pigeon Pose.  It feels terrific, and helps us stay on our game mentally.

Chair Yoga has stood the test of time in the fitness world, because it’s so practical and effective.  We get the circulation going, move lymph, improve joint function by moving synovial fluid around, we’re engaging muscles, and hydrating our inner webbing, the fascia.

And Chair Yoga, when practiced mindfully, reduces stress, which changes our body chemistry and hormones.  This has far reaching implications across many areas of our health including, sleep, metabolism, immune function, heart health, pain management, and mental performance and emotional wellness. So make friends with your chair, and you too can get fit while you sit!

Deborah Devine is a trusted yoga teacher, speaker, wellness expert, and TV Host of Healing Yoga, airing daily on VisionTV and OneTelevision

Connect with Deborah at www.deborahdevineyoga.com

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