During your work day it can be hard to find time to fit in a yoga practice, even if you know that it will help you feel more relaxed and energized. A 15 minute chair and standing yoga routine is a great short practice to fit in the middle of a busy day at the office or when working from home.
In this blog we’ll explore a chair and standing yoga sequence you can do at your work desk or at home. It’s focused on moving the entire body to combat stiffness and a poor posture that might come from sitting too long.
Practice along with this 15 minute chair and standing yoga routine.
Chair Yoga Sun Salutation
Chair yoga sun salutations are a great way to warm up your body and increase mobility after spending a long time sitting.
Come to sitting at the front of your chair with your back self-supporting. Use an inhale to reach your arms up and over head. And then exhale as you bring your hand together, lift your chest and arch back. Inhale, come back to the center, arms up and overhead. Exhale, arms come to rest on your thighs. Inhale, come back up to sitting tall, arms up and over the head. And exhale, arms come back alongside as you come back to sitting again.
Chair Yoga Routine
Once you’ve warmed up try out this quick chair yoga routine of three poses.
(1) Upper Body Circles
Bring your legs and feet out wide to the side. Hands come to rest on your hips. Begin to make slow and steady circles from your hips in one direction. Using your inhale to lean forward with your chest and exhale to lean back and complete the circle. Repeat several times in one direction and then start to reverse and circle the opposite way.
(2) Seated Forward Fold
Bring your feet hip distance apart and interlace your fingers behind your back. Start to fold forward from your hips, resting your belly on your thighs and reaching your arms up and overhead. Stay here for 5 – 10 breaths.
(3) Seated Hip Opener
With the help of your right hand, lift your right knee up and draw it out to the right side. You can keep your left hand on your left hip and keep lengthening out through your upper body. Stay here for around 5 breaths and then switch to the other side.
3 Standing Yoga Poses
If you want to feel more energized try these three standing yoga poses.
(1) Chair Pose
Come to standing with your feet together or a bit apart. Shift your weight back into your heels as you start to drop your hips down and back coming into the Chair Pose. Arms can be reaching out in front or up to the ceiling. Keep allowing your breath to move slowly through the nose as you stay here for 5 breaths. If you like repeat 2-3 times.
(2) Side Angle Pose
Take a big step back with your left foot. Letting your right foot face forwards and left foot spin out to the left side. From here bend your right knee forward as you draw your left leg and leg back. You can lightly rest your right arm on your right thigh and reach your left arm up. Stay here in the Side Angle Pose for around 5 breaths and then switch to the opposite side.
(3) Reverse Warrior Pose
Start out with your legs in the same position as the last posture, Side Angle Pose. This time you want to reach your left arm back towards your left leg and right arm up towards the ceiling. Coming into the Reverse Warrior Pose. Stay here for 5 breaths and then move to the left side.
Happy practicing!
X Irene
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