Slightly Longer Chair Yoga for Seniors

In this yoga session, you will practice gentle chair yoga, specially designed for seniors. Chair yoga is a wonderful way to safely improve your flexibility, balance, and circulation, even if your mobility is limited or you prefer not to get down on the floor. All you need is a sturdy chair without wheels. Sit comfortably, with your feet flat on the floor and your knees at a right angle. Take this time to care for your body in a safe and supportive way. Let's begin. Here are a few tips for your chair yoga practice. Always move at your own pace and never force yourself into a stretch or movement. If you feel pain, carefully come out of the position. Try to practice regularly, even if only for a few minutes a day, to maintain your mobility and well-being. The most important thing in yoga is to listen to your body. --- We start by focusing your attention on the breath. Sit upright, relax your shoulders, and place your hands on your thighs. Breathe deeply in through your nose and feel your chest and belly expand. Exhale slowly through your mouth, releasing all tension. [Pause 7s] Breathe deeply in through your nose again, filling your lungs completely with air. [Pause 7s] Exhale slowly and fully through your mouth, feeling your body calm down. [Pause 7s] Once more, breathe deeply in through your nose and consciously notice your breath. [Pause 7s] Exhale slowly through your mouth and release all tension. [Pause 7s] Breathe deeply in through your nose again, feeling the freshness of the air in your lungs. [Pause 7s] Exhale slowly and fully through your mouth and feel the calm settling in. [Pause 7s] Breathe deeply in through your nose and hold your breath for a moment. [Pause 5s] Exhale slowly through your mouth and feel your body relax further. [Pause 7s] Breathe deeply in through your nose again, filling your lungs completely. [Pause 7s] Exhale slowly and fully through your mouth, letting go of all thoughts. [Pause 7s] Breathe deeply in through your nose and feel your chest rise. [Pause 7s] Exhale slowly through your mouth and feel the relaxation. [Pause 7s] Breathe deeply in through your nose and hold your breath briefly. [Pause 5s] Exhale slowly through your mouth and release all tension. [Pause 7s] --- Now we move on to neck rolls. Gently lower your right ear toward your right shoulder. Then slowly roll your chin to your chest and continue to your left shoulder, creating a gentle semicircle. Move slowly and feel the stretch along the side and back of your head. [Pause 12s] Repeat this movement two more times, then change direction and roll from left to right. [Pause 12s] --- Focus your attention on the shoulders for shoulder circles. Lift both shoulders up to your ears, then roll them back and down in a circular motion. The circles can be as big or small as feels comfortable for you. [Pause 10s] Now change direction and circle your shoulders forward and down. [Pause 10s] Lift your shoulders slowly to your ears once more, hold the tension briefly. [Pause 8s] Let your shoulders drop powerfully and feel the relaxation. [Pause 8s] --- Next is the seated cat-cow stretch. Place your hands on your knees. As you inhale, arch your back and gently look upward, opening your chest into cow position. As you exhale, round your back, tuck your chin to your chest, and pull your belly in for cat position. Slowly alternate between these two positions, coordinating the movement with your breath. [Pause 14s] Perform the cat-cow movement two more times at your own breathing rhythm. [Pause 14s] --- Now we stretch the sides of the body. Reach your right arm up toward the ceiling while your left hand stays on the chair for support. Gently lean to the left and feel the stretch along the right side of your body. Hold the position and breathe calmly. [Pause 10s] Return to center and switch sides. Reach your left arm up, lean to the right, and stretch the left side. [Pause 10s] --- Next is a seated twist. Sit upright with your feet flat on the floor. Place your right hand on the outside of your left thigh and your left hand on the back of the chair behind you. Gently twist your upper body to the left and, if comfortable, look over your left shoulder. Keep your spine long and your shoulders relaxed. [Pause 12s] Return to center and twist to the right. Place your left hand on your right thigh, your right hand behind you, and gently look over your right shoulder. [Pause 12s] --- Now we activate the legs with seated marching. Place your hands on the sides of the chair for support. Lift your right knee toward your chest and lower it again. Then lift your left knee, as if marching while seated. Perform the movement at a gentle, steady pace. [Pause 14s] Continue marching, focusing on lifting and lowering your knees with control. [Pause 10s] Now we add a new exercise: lifting the toes. Imagine pressing your toes down into the floor and then lifting your heels as far as comfortable. [Pause 10s] Repeat lifting and lowering your heels slowly and with control. [Pause 10s] --- We finish the practice with ankle circles. Extend your right leg slightly forward, keeping your heel on the floor. Slowly circle your right foot several times in one direction, then the other. [Pause 10s] Switch to the left foot and circle in both directions to promote mobility and release stiffness. [Pause 10s] Now another leg exercise: lift your right leg slightly and extend it forward. Hold the position briefly. [Pause 10s] Lower the leg slowly and repeat the movement with your left leg. [Pause 10s] --- For more arm mobility, we now add seated arm circles. Extend both arms out to the sides so they are parallel to the floor. Slowly circle your arms forward in small, controlled movements. [Pause 12s] Change direction and slowly circle your arms backward. [Pause 12s] --- Now we complement the practice with gentle wrist mobilization. Extend your arms in front of you and make slow circular movements with your wrists, first in one direction. [Pause 10s] Change direction and slowly circle your wrists the other way. [Pause 10s] --- As another leg movement, we do seated leg extensions. Slowly extend your right leg straight out in front of you, hold the tension briefly, then slowly lower it back down. [Pause 10s] Repeat the movement with your left leg. [Pause 10s] --- To conclude, we take a calming breath together. Sit upright, close your eyes if you wish, and breathe deeply in through your nose. Exhale slowly through your mouth and let your whole body relax. [Pause 7s] Breathe deeply in through your nose and feel your chest rise. [Pause 7s] Exhale slowly through your mouth and feel the relaxation throughout your entire body. [Pause 7s] Once more, breathe deeply in through your nose and consciously notice your breath. [Pause 7s] Exhale slowly through your mouth and release all tension. [Pause 7s] --- hank you for joining this Chair Yoga session today. Take a moment to notice how your body feels — calmer, softer, and more awake. Remember: gentle movement, even for a few minutes a day, can make a real difference.Be kind to yourself, move at your own pace, and come back whenever you need a moment to breathe and reset.Have a beautiful day, and take good care of yourself. And a greeting to the birds out there.