Chair Yoga: Accessible Support and Stability
Whether you are navigating an injury, working on mobility, or simply want to understand your alignment better, using a chair changes everything. It is a beautiful way to make the practice kind and supportive.
My Chair Yoga Workshop is for teachers, seniors, and anyone with injuries. This poster shows me in a supported Warrior II, demonstrating how a chair can make classic poses accessible.
A chair can be a wonderful prop for deep, supported backbends. This allows you to open your heart and release your spine without any strain.
Here, I use a chair and wall ropes for a supported inversion. This is a safe and gentle way to get the benefits of going upside down.
Open your heart with this supported backbend using a chair and wall ropes. It creates a feeling of expansion and freedom in the chest.
A student uses a chair to support a forward bend, allowing them to let go and release tension in the back and hamstrings.
From a supported backbend on a chair to a full Dhanurasana (bow pose) on the floor. The chair helps prepare the body for deeper postures.
This video shows the progression of Vasisthasana (side plank), starting with the support of a chair and moving to the full pose on the floor.
A simple, restorative pose using a chair and bolster to gently open the hips and relax the lower back.
Finding a moment of pause and meditation in a supported bridge pose on a chair. This is a beautiful way to calm the mind.
A simple exercise using two chairs to build core and leg strength. Let's keep practicing and do it all together.
About Chair Yoga: Support & Stability
Using a chair isn't just about sitting—it's about finding precision in your practice. By using the chair as a stable, elevated base, we can explore deep backbends and inversions without straining the neck or lower back, which allows you to focus entirely on your breath and correct alignment.
Many students tell me they worry about being 'stiff' or dealing with knee pain when they start yoga. That is exactly why I love incorporating props into our sessions at my Hauz Khas studio. Think of the chair as your partner on the mat.
Whether we are using it to support a Warrior II or to help us safely attempt an inversion like Sirsasana, the chair removes the fear of falling and helps you focus on what really matters—your alignment. We use backless chairs as a foundational prop to help you build core strength and improve mobility, regardless of your current flexibility level.
This approach isn't just for seniors or those recovering from injuries; it is a brilliant way for experienced practitioners to refine their form in standing poses or deepen a restorative stretch. In my classes, we work on the principle of 'Yogas citta vritti nirodhah' (stilling the fluctuations of the mind), and having the right support allows the body to let go of tension more quickly. If you are struggling with a specific pose or just want to practice in a way that respects your body's current limits, come join us for a session.
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