These 5 Chair Yoga Poses Can Help You Stress Less At Work

Chair yoga is one of the finest gifts of contemporary yoga. It is not only amazing but impactful. Although it was originally created as a yoga style for senior people, chair yoga has extended its arc to a very wide range. It is now giving an option to the younger population to engage in various types of physical stretching. The working class is enjoying the goodness of chair yoga quite enormously. Such is the popularity of this form of yoga nowadays that it is also being included in certain 200-hour yoga teacher training programs in Nepal and India. A number of yoga schools across the globe also include chair yoga in their teaching programs.

In short, the importance of chair yoga can be described better through practice rather than words. Let’s explore the delight of chair yoga in detail. Here are five of the finest chair yoga exercises that can help you come out of stress in various situations. These are the asanas that I enjoy personally in the office and at home when I’m trying to relax. 

1. Chair Pigeon Pose

Let’s begin with an amazing exercise that everyone can practice at home or in the office. Pigeon pose is extremely important for straightening the spine and stretching the thighs. Sitting on the chair, bring your left foot on the right knee. Make sure your right sole is perfectly placed on the ground and is making a right angle. Hold the left thigh and knee to help your body stretch in the left direction. Repeat the same practice on the other side of the body. After continuous sitting in one place, it’s common to feel some pain in the thighs, hips and spine. This pose will help the body gain back momentum. Try performing this exercise after every couple of hours in the office in order to stay away from the anxiety created by a heavy workload.

2. Utkata Konasana On The Chair

Goddess pose has always been one of the greatest exercises for a full-body workout. It is all about putting your body in a state of composure. Begin the asana practice by sitting on the edge of your chair. Make sure to keep your hips right in the middle, opening your legs out as wide as you can. Follow this movement with the namaskar pose, bringing your palms together to join in front of your heart. Keep breathing for a couple of minutes in the same position. If you want to make this exercise a little more advanced, try to lift your body above the chair and hold it there for the moment. Focus is key in this asana. Along with offering the body and mind with the power of goddess Durga, the pose helps you enhance your concentration. It is advised that you hold the body in this position for a couple of moments while chanting a few mantras for profound benefits.

3. Seated Twist

The beauty of yoga lies in its flexibility. Yoga lets you relish each and every moment of your life quite beautifully. The seated twist is one of the gifts of yoga’s beauty. Come to the middle-edge of your chair. Place your soles on a mat, keeping the upper body straight. Bend yourself leftward to hold the chair’s top rail with the left hand while making sure the hips and legs are still in the original state. Your right palm should be placed on the left knee. The pose should be repeated on the other side as well. A different way of twisting the body is reaching your arms to the sky and bending the body in either direction. This is awesome practice for putting the body and mind in a zone of relaxation.

4. Forward Fold

Coming to the fourth favorite of mine, sitting forward fold asana is great for bringing energy to the whole body. Stress and anxiety are among the most common health issues we face. These issues can affect every part of the body in many ways. The forward fold can help the body relax after struggling with tension in muscles and the brain. It can be practiced by sitting on the edge of the chair and extending the legs straight with the heels placed on the floor. Fold yourself forward and hold your toes with your hands. Swiftly place the abdomen on the thighs. It is very important not to let the knees bend. The spine should also be straight. This asana boosts blood circulation in the brain so that it remains calm even in the most stressful of circumstances.

5. Chair’s Prayer Version

Let’s recreate yoga in a different way. Let’s bring elements of spirituality to chair yoga. You can live this asana during your break. Sitting on the chair, raise your arms in the air and join them in the prayer pose to chant the OM mantra, making sure to close your eyes. This is an amazing pose for all those people who feel distracted while working. Students should also try this practice so that they remain connected with their studies throughout the class. You can meditate while sitting in a chair to stay calm and composed. Make a list of a few Sanskrit mantras and utter them while practicing this asana. Doing this helps the soul come into a state of immense tranquility and a form of positiveness gets stored in the body.

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