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Chair Yoga for Home Yoga |
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| 1. | Settle in stillness – eyes closed, find a tall seat, shoulders back and down, feet flat & parallel, knees over ankles, listen to your easy soft breathing, focus & come inside |
| 2. | Yoga breathing- inhale slowly and fully through the nose expanding the rib cage and filling up the lungs/exhale slowly and evenly through the mouth, hum, angel breath |
| 3. | Shoulders – shrugs, up & back & down, reverse circles, stop sign arms flip or bring elbows together, airplane arms flip palms, eagle arms, swimming, clasp fingers behind |
| 4. | Head & Neck – look up/chin to chest, look side to side and over shoulder, circles with your nose, ear to shoulder |
| 5. | Arms – straight arms: swing across body, forward & back, look up palms touch then down to side, fling, flap |
| 6. | Wrists – flip down/up, rotate with tight fists, prayer palms, opposite prayer palms, press under arm pits |
| 7. | Fingers – fist/stretch, ‘Liberace’, massage/pull/flick individually, push finger tips together, thumb circles |
| 8. | Spine – interlace fingers with palms out then arms up looking up arching spine and then hands to knees with chin to chest curving spine, cat/cow, camel rides, forward folds |
| 9. | Twists – grounding the feet inhale to lengthen and exhale to twist: hands at heart center, eagle arms, finger tips on shoulders, interlace behind head, hook fingers pulling, hold chair back with other hand on opposite thigh looking over shoulder |
| 10. | Torso side stretch – hands on rib cage lifting up torso, arms up overhead beach ball or hold opposite wrist & lean to each side, one hand crawls down chair leg other arm up |
| 11. | Hip flexors/Core – marching, kicking, knee/leg lift up and hold, open sideways, cross legs & squeeze, hands push on shins for flat back, ankle on opposite knee fold forward |
| 12. | Quadriceps & Knees – knee lift, straight leg lift, ‘Le Bidet’, chair pose with arm variations, squats |
| 13. | Ankles & Toes –flex/extend/rotate ankle, press on ball lifting heel, press on heel lifting toes, push all toes into the floor, stretch/ wiggle/ massage toes, pick up a marble |
| 14. | Balancing – up on toes, lift toes, walk on toes, walk on heels, swaying, knee lift and hold, tree pose, ballet poses, walk the line, mindful walking, kick tush holding ankle, chair downward dog with leg lifts & hip openers, lunges |
| 15. | Sun salutation – legs apart inhale sweep arms up looking up and stretch, breathing out as you bend forward, hands on shins, push for flat back, release down, slowly inhale as you raise arms back up palms touch overhead and then to heart center. Stand in stillness with palms open by side. |
| 16. | Savasana –squeeze body parts then release, wiggle to find stillness, soft breath, absorb the energy and bring it down, relax, surrender, focus on heart & loving feelings, say a prayer. SMILE |
| Good advice from the teachers | Listen to the whispers of your body ………….. if you don’t, PAIN is on the way.
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