3 chair yoga exercises you can do anywhere

3 chair yoga exercises you can do anywhere


Take these asanas with you to the coffee shop, your office or any remote chair location and you'll always have a place to go to escape the stress or simply take a break.

1. Shoulder Rolls
Sitting up straight, supported by your sit bones, (1) ensure the pelvis is articulated in a neutral position - Not too tucked or titled out. (2) Inhale and draw your shoulders up toward your ears. Squeeze them tightly. (3) Really feel the strength in the shoulder joint and moving the shoulder blades back and down. (4) Exhale and press your blades toward each other, lifting your heart, puffing out the chest and feeling the stretch across your chest and shoulders. (5) Slide the shoulder blades all the way down the back and repeat five times.
Benefits: Relieves tension headaches and upper back strain while also relieving the shoulder and neck muscles, brining circulation into the upper body

2. Spinal Twist
Sit up straight in your chair, (1) crossing your right leg over the left. (2) Gently place your left hand on the inside of your left knee as you take a deep inhale through the nose. (3) Raise and lengthen your other arm over your head and moving from the pelvis-up, twist to the right. (4) Visualize the each part of the lower body twisting before making your way to the upper body. (5) Exhale as you allow your right elbow to fall towards the back of the chair. (6) In your twist, take three deep Ujjayi breaths, inhaling and exhaling through the nose. (7) Continue to lengthen your spine on each inhale and gently twist the body on each exhale, completely emptying the diaphram at the bottom of each exhale. Repeat on each side three times.
Benefits: Promotes digestion and aids in detoxification, soothing constipation and indigestion symptoms. Twists also release back pain, strain and tension, creating added flexibility to the spine through consistent practice.


3. Wrist Mobility Asana
Sit up straight in your chair either moving towards the edge of your seat or finding a comfortable sitting position towards the back of the chair. (1) Extend both arms, moving from the shoulder joint, directly out in front of you, shoulder-height and width apart and parallel to the floor. (2) With your palms facing the floor, take a deep inhale and circle both wrists where the palms now face the sky. (3) Take one deep breath feeling the gentle, reverse twist in the wrists. (4) On the next inhale, circle the wrists back around, except this time, take the palms in a "stop-sign" fashion - The backs of your hands facing you, the palms facing away. Listening for the breath, repeat several times in each direction.

Benefits:

Stretches and relaxes the wrists, arms, shouldrs, back and chest, bringing increased circulation to the upper body. Also helps to focus and calm the mind through use of the breath.
It's said that Salamba Sirsasana (or supported headstand) pose is the equivalent to a cup of coffee. And while it's not suggested you take a headstand in the middle of your local cafe, you'll be able to discretely center yourself anywhere with these chair yoga poses and, best of all, reap the benefits anytime.