My Mantra - Chair Yoga for Daily Mobility!

Cheers everyone – sharing vibes of good health! Thought it would be fun to share a suggested 20-minute chair yoga sequence you can enjoy at lunch or during an afternoon break, right at your desk. As a certified yoga instructor, I practice daily – if you have ever wanted to incorporate yoga practice into your regular health and fitness routine chair yoga offers lots of benefits and does not require a ton of time commitment.

Chair yoga offers a rejuvenating break during the workday, promoting physical relaxation and mental clarity, which can enhance productivity and reduce stress for employees. Its accessibility and convenience make it an excellent way to alleviate tension, improve posture, and recharge, all without the need for extra space or specialized equipment.

The chair in restorative yoga is a widely embraced prop offering versatility as an alternative to using walls, bolsters, or blocks. It proves especially invaluable for anyone who wants to practice a quick yoga class during the day or anyone who may face challenges when transitioning to or from the floor, making it an accessible and supportive tool. The elevated foundation that chairs provide, compared to other props, is particularly advantageous for individuals with limited shoulder or hip mobility as well.

I am offering 4 poses to explore and recommend holding each pose for a minimum of 5 minutes, or as long as 15 minutes, depending on how much time you have and how your body is feeling. Be mindful to listen to your body and if you feel any discomfort in a pose make any adjustments to your body position or back out of the pose all together.

If you have access, feel free to turn on calming music to create a soothing background sound.

Begin in a seated position sitting straight up in your chair, lengthening your spine with your feet flat on the floor, hip width-apart. Place your hands on your thighs, palms facing down. Close your eyes and clear your mind and become more mindful of your breath. Beginning with a cleansing breath, exhale release all of the air from your body, let it go. Inhale, slowly fill up your body with new air and invigorating energy, from the depths of your belly to the crown of your head, exhale, open mouth exhale release. Repeat this cleansing inhale and exhale two more times. Find a snuggle in your throat and begin breathing in and out of your nose, continue to focus on your posture and breathe mindfully. This is seated mountain pose and helps improve posture, enhance focus, and relieve tension in the spine, promoting a sense of alertness and relaxation. Enjoy this pose for five to fifteen minutes.

Continuing into the next pose keep your feet flat on the floor, sitting with a long spine. Inhale, arch your back, lifting your chest and rolling your shoulders back, this is cow pose, with ease, slowly exhale rounding your back, tucking your chin to your chest, this is cat pose. Repeat this gentle flow up to 5 minutes synchronizing your breath with movement. Cat-Cow Pose aids in relieving back tension, promoting spinal flexibility, and fostering a sense of relaxation and rejuvenation in a seated position.

Inhale slowly rise and find a long spine seated position on your chair. Move your seat to the edge of your chair with your feet hip-width apart. Inhale once again as you lengthen your spine, then exhale and hinge at your hips, folding forward from your waist. Let your hands hang down toward your feet or reach for your shins. This pose is called seated forward fold, remain in this pose for 5 to fifteen minutes, breathing deeply and releasing tension in your back and hamstrings.

Inhale with easy, slowly rise and find a long spine seated position on your chair, sitting with your feet flat on the floor and your knees facing forward. Inhale to lengthen your spine. Exhale and twist to the right for seated spinal twist, placing your left hand on your right knee and your right hand on the back of your chair. Inhale to return to the center, and then exhale to twist to the left. Feel free to hold each seated spinal twist for 30 seconds to a minute, repeating each side up to 3x, breathing deeply. Seated spine twist can help to alleviate lower back discomfort, increases spinal mobility, and enhances digestion and circulation.

Exhale return to the center, find a long spine and bring your feet flat to the floor hip width distance. Bring your arms comfortably next to your side with your eyes closed. Continuing to be mindful of your inhales and exhales, take the next handful of minutes and find complete stillness in savasana. As you come back to a centered state, feel the deepening of your breath, give your fingers and toes a little wiggle or enjoy a big stretch. Inhale reach your arms over head, palms to touch, exhale slowly bring your hands to heart center as a sign of gratitude, continue to keep your eyes closed as you end your practice repeating the mantra “I root myself in the present moment, I release what no longer serves, finding strength and freedom in letting go."

These are just a few of the yoga poses you can explore sitting at your desk. There are so many benefits of yoga, I encourage everyone to discover how to incorporate yoga into your everyday life!

Wishing you a happy and productive day!

Namaste

~Candice