Why do Chair Yoga?

Pull up a chair and join us in our Chair Yoga Class in Mississauga.  We are always looking at images on social media from the yoga industry that make us think we need to get into pretzel like shapes to do yoga, or be upside down to do yoga. Often these types of poses are achievable by a very small percentage of people practicing yoga and may even be contraindicated for most people practicing yoga. So, let’s get honest and real.

Anybody can do yoga. If you can breathe, then you can do yoga. 

Here are some reasons why chair yoga is for you:

Chair makes yoga accessible to all

The purpose of yoga is to have a strong and pain free body that can sit still for long periods for meditation and spiritual purposes.  This is evidenced in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 1.2 “Yogas citta vritti nirodhah,” meaning “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.”  In today’s age we sit in front of our desk for work for several hours, wouldn’t it helpful if we had a pain free body which will increase our productivity.  You do not need to stand on your head to do yoga or get into a wheel pose to be called flexible. These sort of images can be intimidating to many people. Most of yoga poses can be performed on a chair making it accessible to people with limited mobility, injuries, or knee discomfort.  

Chairs yoga can improve your posture

Have you ever seen a person practicing yoga with poor posture? Doing chair yoga can significantly improve your posture over time. Both your posture and breathing will improve.

Chair Yoga helps relieve chronic pain

Chair yoga can help people with chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, migraine, low back pain, and many other types of conditions. A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine at Harvard University found that among 313 people with chronic low back pain, a weekly yoga class improved mobility more than standard medical care for the condition. Also a meta-analysis of 17 studies done at Harvard University found that more than 1,600 participants concluded that yoga can improve daily function among people with fibromyalgia and osteoporosis-related curvature of the spine. Practicing chair yoga also improved mood and psychosocial well-being.

You do not have to get down on your knees

Surprising lot of able-bodied people get nervous about yoga as they are unable to get down on the floor. Chair yoga is a great practice to explore.

Chair yoga can improve range of motion

The quality and range of movement one can achieve from sitting in a chair is surprising. Even fit people can benefit from this slow movement as their bodies would not have moved in this way making it a beneficial practice for them. Not so fit people who feel a little disconnected from their bodies can experience yoga in a non-threatening way by practicing yoga on a chair.

Chair yoga is an excellent prop

You can stand right beside it for balancing poses, or you can sit on it, or you may place your foot on it for some hip opening poses. If you struggle with a balancing pose like the Half Moon pose, try using a chair instead of blocks. Chair yoga can be a beautiful and freeing practice making your pose steady and comfortable as written in the Yoga Sutra text 2.46 sthiram sukham asanam.

Chair yoga in Mississauga is offered at Mind to Body Yoga and Fitness. Check our schedule here. If you are unsure of which classes to take, please feel free to contact us at any time. Haven’t given our studio a try yet? Sign Up for unlimited access with our $65 – 30 day intro offer or check our promotions page for current promotions. Or just drop by to chat about what options might work best for you. We are so proud of our studio and will continue to build and develop a positive community that supports the health and wellness of our clients. We hope to see you soon!