Chair Yoga and You
Fall 2024 Issue
By Roberta Hewson
Hello! I hope you have been enjoying our lovely Santa Barbara summer.
As you may know, yoga has gained attention and popularity over the last few decades due to the physical and mental benefits of its movements, known as “poses.”
Chair yoga is a modified form, allowing these poses to be done in a chair. This type of yoga includes slow and gentle movements for those who need to avoid getting up and down from the floor, are preparing for or recovering from surgery, or want to enjoy gentle movement with limited mobility.
Here, I’m presenting the combination of the Cat and Dog poses. Done together, a gentle flow is created between the two poses that warms the body and brings flexibility to the spine as the back, torso, and neck are stretched.
DOG POSE
Benefits:
The Dog pose activates your relaxation response and deactivates your stress response to help counter stress and anxiety. It can help you wind down for bed and even improve your sleep. This pose strengthens and stretches your back muscles, abdominals, shoulder, and hips.
It also improves abdominal and diaphragmatic breathing capabilities, enhances flexibility in stiff shoulders, and strengthens the muscles in your chest, hips, thighs, triceps, shoulder joints, ankles, and spine. It stretches the lower spine, hips, and core muscles while opening the chest
and lungs, thereby allowing easier breathing. This pose extends your intercostal muscles, leading to increased lung capacity.
CAT POSE
Benefits:
The Cat pose strengthens the core muscles, improves posture by stretching the back muscles, and can increase flexibility in the neck, shoulders, and spine. It can gently massage the spine and increase circulation of spinal fluid.
It can also help relieve pain in the lower back, shoulders, and neck.
The combination of these poses helps reduce stress and anxiety as the slow rhythm of moving between cat and dog poses can trigger the relaxation response and deactivate the stress response.
I’ll be back with more inspiring chair yoga poses in upcoming issues. Meanwhile, notice and take care of yourself and your body – you are important.