Chair Yoga is real yoga — no floor required

Chair Yoga isn’t “easier yoga.” It’s yoga engineered for the bodies we actually live in: hunched shoulders, tight hips, knees that would rather not kneel, and backs that have done a lot of sitting. Everything happens seated or standing with the chair for support. Nobody gets down on the floor, and nobody has to get back up.

What we actually do

We begin by sitting tall at the edge of the chair, feet parallel and about hip-width apart, so your spine can be long without leaning on the backrest. From there:

• Mindful breathing  — slow, deep breaths; breathing in through the nose, allowing your chest, abdomen, and back to expand open, and exhaling through the nose or mouth while releasing tension from the shoulders as you empty.  
• Seated cat and cow — hands on the knees, inhale to lift the chest and look up a little, exhale to round the back and drop the chin. This is the single best thing most of us can do for a stiff spine, and we do it slowly, with the breath leading.
• Gentle twists — one hand on the opposite knee, the other on the chair behind you, an inhale to grow tall and an exhale to turn from the belly, not the neck.
• Chest and shoulder stretches — the one my desk-sitters love: clasp your hands behind you, gently straighten the arms, and lift the chest like someone is drawing your knuckles toward the floor. Five slow breaths. It undoes an hour of hunching.
• Hip and hamstring openers — an ankle crossed over the opposite knee for the hips, or a heel slid forward on the floor for the hamstrings, always with a long spine rather than a rounded back.
• Standing balance — with a hand resting on the chair, we practice standing on one foot, then lifting the hand away for a breath or two when you’re ready. Balance is a skill, and it comes back faster than people expect.

We close the way every class closes: a few quiet minutes of breathing with the eyes lowered or closed. Some of my students say it’s their favorite part of their week.

Who it’s for

Anyone recovering from an injury or surgery, anyone managing arthritis or balance concerns, anyone over sixty who wants to stay strong and steady, and anyone whose body just isn’t interested in the floor right now. It is also a wonderful first class for a nervous beginner, because the chair takes the fear of falling out of the equation.

When

Chair Yoga meets at my studio on Mondays at 11:00am, Wednesdays at 11:00am, and Fridays at 10:30am. It’s $15, beginner-friendly, and you can register online or simply stop in.

My studio is inside the Fleet Feet building at 1511 Mount Rose Avenue in York, PA — come in the main door, and my Yoga and Wellness Center entrance is inside and to the left. Parking is free, drop-ins are always welcome, and virtual and in-person class options are $15. You can register online or simply stop in.