01 / Movement · Chair Yoga
Find your footing.
Move at your pace.
A chair offers a place to begin. Explore 23 seated and supported movements, with room to adapt each one.
movements
with clear instructions
and comfortable variations
Taking support is nothing to hesitate over
Sitting on the floor does not suit every body on every day, and a chair can give a beginning you can trust. Notice the pressure under the soles of the feet first, then the direction the joints are pointing, then the breath. Once the chair is carrying some of the weight, a little room opens up for attention, and that room is where the practice happens.
Understand the movement more than the name
Some of these forms take their inspiration from Tadasana, Virabhadrasana or Bhujangasana; others are ordinary physical exercises with no older lineage. Calling all of them the original form of an ancient asana would be a false claim, so beside each name the instruction says plainly what the body is being asked to do. Follow the instruction; the name can wait.
Do a little, and do it with care
There is no obligation to get through the whole list. If a small movement is going comfortably today, take that one and stay with it. Rest before tiredness starts to take the control out of your hands. Pushing on through pain has no place in this practice.
Before you begin
A stable chair.
A little space.
Use a sturdy chair without wheels on a non-slip floor. Your feet should rest flat, with your knees near a right angle. Secure the chair against a wall for standing work. Keep breathing; use a comfortable range and stop if you feel pain, dizziness, or unusual breathlessness. Seek urgent medical help for chest pressure, sudden weakness, or severe shortness of breath. If you are pregnant, recovering from surgery, or managing a heart, blood-pressure, eye, spinal, or balance condition, ask your clinician about suitable modifications. This is educational guidance, not a substitute for medical care or individual instruction.
If you have osteoporosis or a vertebral fracture, seek individualized guidance before spinal bending or twisting; use the modifications advised for you.
Guidance: NCCIH, NHS seated exercise, and Too Fit To Fracture.
Strength &
functional movement
From finding an upright seat to working the legs and practicing a steady rise from the chair.
Open the guide ↗10 movementsBalance &
mobility
Gentle range of motion and supported standing options, with easier seated alternatives.
Open the guide ↗A simple sequence
Arrive. Move.
Return to stillness.
This is a suggested order, not a timed workout. Rest between movements and choose the options that suit you.
- 01
- 02
- 03
Move the legs
Try leg extensions and gentle marching, using the easier options as needed.
Open the practice - 04
Choose your support
Continue seated, or add a supported weight shift if standing is steady for you.
Open the practice - 05
Practice away from the screen.
Print the guide or keep it nearby on your device.