Chair yoga is a gentle form of yoga that modify yoga poses so that they can be done while seated in a chair. This yoga is well-suited for people with sedentary lifestyles or for those who are chair-bound.
Chair yoga is a gentle form of yoga that modifies yoga poses is practiced sitting on a chair, or standing using a chair for support. This type of yoga integrates movement for people with sedentary lifestyles or for those who are chair-bound.
Combining chair movement with breath work along with visualization techniques and meditation, chair bound individuals gain more physical and mental freedom and well-being.
Chair yoga is a general term for practices that modify yoga poses so that they can be done while seated on a chair. These modifications make yoga accessible to people who cannot stand or lack the mobility to move easily from standing to seated to supine positions. Many of the basic body mechanics of the individual postures are retained, no matter the ability of the practitioner. While seated on a chair, students can do versions of twists, hip stretches, forward bends, and mild backbends. In addition to a good stretch, chair yoga participants can also enjoy other health benefits of yoga, including improved muscle tone, better breathing habits, reduction of stress, better sleep and a sense of well-being.
Testimonials
“Due to an accident, I am now forced to live my life in a wheelchair. I want to be healthy and fit, but have limited mobility. I cherish the day Shanna Hughes came into my life with her Chair Yoga class. Shanna guides her students through proper breathing, stretching, strengthening muscles and helping the mind and body to feel centered and at peace. She uses the appealing tone of her voice to guide her students through a variety of exercises. There is no shame if we can’t perform and she uses humor to encourage us to enjoy our experience with her. It works. I feel stronger. I feel more confident. I feel more empowered. Thank you Shanna.”
– Beverly
“Shanna is a gifted teacher and her greatest gift is the serenity, calm, and humor with which she conducts her classes, which are a very pleasant balance of stretching and breathing exercises, interspersed with moments of relaxation and meditation. I take her chair yoga course together with several friends and we describe the hour with Shanna as our “mini-spa.” We look forward to her classes because they’re fun. We leave them refreshed, much more limber and far less stressed than we were when we arrived. The meditation and breathing techniques she teaches are a great help in dealing with life’s stressful moments.”
– Gene Smith
“Doug and I have loved everything about Shannas’ yoga classes at the Culver Senior Center. The stretches and breathing exercises start in a basic and non-threatening way and then progress into a more challenging space that she expertly lead us into step by step. We never thought we could be doing what we now can do when we started this class in the fall. Since we feel better we are now exercising every day and walking thirty to forty minutes at time. Our doctor is very happy about our progress and we’ve lost weight on top of everything else. The breathing and meditation has helped me personally with my anxiety and stress. Most recently I was able to get through a frightening medical test by using the breathing techniques that she taught us.
We feel that Shanna’s class is magical and inspiring. We feel the benefits to our health and well-being are many fold and will only increase with further practice. She has helped us rediscover joy in movement. Thank you. We wish her class was every day!”
– Anne & Doug Saxon
“I’ve always been driven to DO—to define myself by the WORK done, the visible ‘product’ resulting. But, as one grows older, the effort becomes more frantic compromised by bodily wear and tear. One feels diminished, less worthy as one is able to DO less. I find that Shanna’s class has moved me over time—and this is certainly an on going exercise in redefinition—from appraising myself on the basis of filling every moment with measurable, viable, concrete results, from registering WORK DONE, ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN to a greater quietude, a more generous and sympathetic, less physical definition of self. I find Shanna’s vocal Rhythms, her own composure, the choreographed postures, the thought provoking readings are moving me from, above all, glorifying DOING to more nuanced appreciation of BEING.”
– Phoebe Faulkner
“My mother, Helen Epstein, takes your chair yoga class at the Senior Center and she really enjoys it. She speaks about how kind you are. It’s a wonderful opportunity for older people who have certain physical limitations to still engage in yoga, in awakening their bodies, breathing deeper and living more fully. Thank you for providing this invaluable service!”
– Helen Epstein
“Shanna’s Chair Yoga class is just what I needed, since I could not keep up with a conventional yoga class. I especially like the way that she makes sure we synchronize our breathing with our body movements. I have recommended her to many of my senior friends.”
– A happy student