The Wonders of Gentle Or Chair Yoga

Chair yoga: the short version

Using a chair never makes you less of a yogi. Chair yoga means practising yoga poses with a chair as a prop (a support that helps you do the pose well), and it suits every age, from beginners to people who have practised for decades. A chair lets you stay longer in a pose and feel its shape, which is why gentle and chair yoga for seniors, for stiff bodies and for building strength are so popular. At Flametree we use chairs in many classes, in the studio or LIVE online.

Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree. This page sits in our Props notes.

Chair yoga in short form

• Props are not cheating: a chair shows you what a pose can teach.
• Stay longer: the chair holds you up, so you can feel and breathe.
• Who it suits: beginners, seniors, stiff bodies and experienced students.
• Where to start: standing poses with a chair.
• Chair backbends: a gentle way to feel the chest open.
• Take care: tell your teacher about knees, hips, blood pressure or balance.
• Next step: try a class, in Darwin or LIVE online.

Gentle yoga classes online and in the Flametree studio can help you explore your yoga and experience new sensations in your body. Gentle yoga, and many other classes at Flametree, include a good deal of chair yoga, taught in a gentle and quite playful way. If you have never used a chair for your yoga, you are in for a useful way to build strength, steadiness and calm. Gentle or chair yoga for seniors is especially useful, and there are many options for chair yoga classes online.

Props are not cheating: what a chair teaches you

Using a chair, or any prop, does not mean you are inadequate or taking a shortcut. A chair expands your view of what a pose really is, and of what you can do. It lets you feel shapes and sensations you may not have thought possible, a bit like being handed a new lens for seeing your body and your breath.

Newcomers sometimes tell us they do not use props. Often the shape they then make does not give them the benefit of the pose, and some poses can be done in ways that strain the body. A prop sets the pose up so the benefit is there and the strain is less. That is why Mr BKS Iyengar developed props in the first place.

So next time you see a chair in the studio, think of it as an invitation to explore, to soften and to go a little deeper. Whether you are stepping onto the mat for the first time or have practised for years, a chair is there to widen your horizons.

Why chair yoga, including chair yoga for seniors, works so well

A chair gives you support, time and something to work against. Here are a few quick points on how it helps.

• You can stay longer. A chair holds you, so you can stay in a pose longer than you could without it. In the Iyengar tradition, that extra time is where the quiet, restoring side of yoga comes from.
• Beginners: chair poses make some postures reachable, so you can get started.
• Non-beginners: you can get into positions that further develop flexibility, strength, or both.
• Gravity and a lever: a chair can put gravity on your side, and gives you a fixed point to work around.
• Resistance: a yoga chair also lets you work against resistance, for example by pulling on the bar under the seat.

Many Flametree classes, at beginner level and above, use a chair. Gentle classes and the classes for the back, neck and shoulders use it a lot. When you feel ready, you can move on to other classes. If you want to know how chairs help build strength, see Build Toward Stronger.

First make sure the chair you use is solid. Then place it on a rubber mat so it does not slide.

Try these poses with a chair

Start with standing poses. A chair gives you a clear sense of direction and helps you find correct alignment (lining the body up well). Many students discover parts of their body they have not opened before, and the chair lets you stay longer in standing poses. If you are a beginner, that can build strength without so much tiredness.

Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) with the hands on a chair is one example. It is also one of the poses that suits chair yoga for seniors.

Chair yoga for stiffness, backs and more

A chair can make stiff or sore parts of the body easier to work with. Here is what students and teachers find.

• Stiff or weak arms: the chair lets you build up arm strength gradually, and stretch the hamstrings (the muscles at the back of the thigh).
• Inner thighs: sitting on a chair while practising standing-pose variations works the inner thighs.
• Back problems: many people with back problems find a chair a gentler way to strengthen the back, and it gives courage to try a slightly harder pose. Tell your teacher about your back first.
• Seated poses and twists: you can use the chair as a lever to open the body and find more movement in the spine.
• Forward bends: with your arms resting on the chair, you can go forward, stay longer and even relax in the pose. Most of us find forward bends hard, and this is where the chair really helps.

The chair can also help you find a quiet, restful state of mind. It is used in restorative yoga (poses held with props so the body can rest) to help you stay longer and quieten the nervous system. Restorative yoga includes backbends, inversions and forward bends. If you can get a chair without a back, you can be even more inventive. There is really no limit to what you can discover.

Can you do backbends with a chair?

Yes, and a chair is one of the best ways to start. Many people find backbends over a chair give them a lift in energy and mood. Chris teaches a gentle progression in short bursts. First you lie back over a backless chair, or sideways on a kitchen chair. Later you lie back over the top of a padded chair with your feet against the chair legs. Later still you sit on a bolster or folded blankets in front of a chair set against a wall. Do only what you can do, and learn each step with a teacher.

The full how-to, with a supported chest opener, is in our Backbend Yoga page.

Is chair yoga safe? What to tell your teacher

Chair yoga is gentle, and safe when the chair is set up well. Tell your teacher about any knee, hip, blood pressure or balance concerns before class, so the chair can be set up for you. Stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness or pins and needles. Feel free to check with your professional advisers if you wish, but also give yoga a try.

If your concern is bone health, see Yoga For Osteoporosis. For a gentle class that suits most people starting out, read Gentle Yoga For Beginners.

Get started with chair yoga classes online or in Darwin

There is more about how to improvise yoga props around home, or where to buy them off the shelf. At Flametree, chairs are used in many classes and levels, and some classes each week lean on the chair more than others. The timetable shows every class, including the online ones, so you can take chair yoga classes online or in the studio.

There is also more about our classes for people over 50.

More from Flametree: chair yoga for seniors, exercise for over 60s, how to get more flexible and yoga for seniors.

Chair yoga: frequently asked questions

Is it cheating to use a chair in yoga?

No. A chair is a prop, and props help you get the benefit of a pose with less strain. Using one does not make you less of a yogi. Many experienced students use chairs to explore poses in new ways.

Who is chair yoga for?

Chair yoga is for all ages and levels. It is especially useful for seniors, for people who are stiff or building strength, and for beginners who find some poses out of reach. Experienced students use chairs too.

Can beginners do chair yoga?

Yes. Chair poses make some postures more accessible, so beginners can get started and learn the shape of a pose. Standing poses with a chair are a good first step, taught with a teacher in the studio or LIVE online.

What do I need for chair yoga at home?

A solid chair, placed on a rubber mat so it does not slide. A chair without a back lets you be more inventive. Our page on improvising props at home explains what else you can use around the house.

Can chair yoga help a stiff or sore back?

Many people with back problems find a chair a gentler way to strengthen the back and stretch stiff areas. Tell your teacher about your back first.

Is chair yoga safe?

Yes, when it is set up well. Tell your teacher about knee, hip, blood pressure or balance concerns. Use a solid chair on a rubber mat, and stop if you feel sharp pain or dizziness.

Can I do chair yoga classes online?

Yes. Flametree teaches LIVE online classes that use chairs, so you can practise at home with a teacher watching. Go to our online class list, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.

Where can I do chair yoga in Darwin?

Flametree Yoga Studio uses chairs in many classes in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online. Your first class is free if you are new to Flametree: in the studio, if you have lived in the NT for three months or more, and online, for anyone new.

You can see more from our classes on our Flametree Yoga Facebook page.

Practise this at Flametree

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online.

• New to Flametree? Your first class is free. In the studio, just come along. Online, go to our online class list, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
• Beginners: new students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both. See the beginner half price pass.
• Already practising yoga? The same half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, for new students and for anyone away three months or more, is also available as the non-beginner half price pass.
• See every class time, including online classes, on the timetable.

Can’t make a class? Practise at home with our video courses.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, tell your teacher before class. Feel free to check with your professional advisers if you wish, but also give yoga a try. Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and LIVE online.

Sources: Chris Lalor’s own teaching and writing on props and chair backbends. Iyengar Yoga Australia for the Iyengar method and its use of props.