Chair Yoga for Seniors

One often forgotten group of people that can greatly benefit from a regular yoga practice are senior citizens. Even if you are not in this group, you likely have parents, aunts and uncles or grandparents you can introduce to yoga so that they may reap the benefits of yoga for seniors.

A common misconception is that you need to have to have specific physical attributes to practice yoga, such as being flexible or strong. In reality, this is not true and every person is capable of practicing yoga except for those who are lazy. Even for those who have physical impediments, pranayama and meditation remain available to all of us. While anyone can practice yoga, it does remain fitting to adapt the asana practice to a level in line with your personal physical abilities.

A yoga practice, even if it is short, can quickly enrich your life with better health, vitality, and life force energy.

Start with asanas (postures) that are available to you now, in your current state, and not ones you perhaps could do in a younger body. Yoga for seniors is in general very gentle and focuses on improving flexibility, increasing endurance, and strength (for the muscles and also for the bones). Hence, your daily practice can dramatically improve quality of life and self-determination. Yoga for seniors can also stimulate the body’s self-regeneration capabilities and transitively slow the aging process. Further benefits include improved balance and more flexibility that lead to fewer falls and injuries.

Finding a suitable level is not only about choosing specific asanas that are appropriate for yoga for seniors, but also involves using props for support, such as pillows, blankets or chairs. Less is more, especially when starting yoga at a later point in your life.

What kind of chair?

Ideally you choose a chair with a firm seat and no arm rests. Sit on the edge and place your feet parallel on the ground, hip width apart. Your ideal chair allows you to have the feet on the ground and your knees are at a 90° angle. If not, adjust with a firm pillow or fold up blanket under your feet.

Surya Namaskar

The Sun Salutation is with reason one of the most well-known asana sequences in yoga. The English translation of Surya Namaskar is “to salute the sun”. The Sun Salutation is easy to remember and a powerful sequence to practice every day. Practiced slowly and consciously you might feel how the movements are like a meditation and you may sense the energy while practicing. Further benefits of the Sun Salutation are; increased strength and mobility of the arms, legs and joints. All large muscle groups are moved, it stretches muscles and tendons, it stimulates the vascular system, massages inner organs, stimulates digestion and works on harmonizing the body and mind.

Since not everyone can do the full sun salute, below is a sequence of a modified version on a chair that is accessible for most.

Sun Salutation on a chair

We start by looking at how to sit on the chair. In the base position you can do the entry mediation and your pranayama. Sit on the edge, legs hip width apart. Place the soles of your feet on the ground or a blanket. Imagine you are balancing a book on the crown of your head. Sit up straight with a natural curve in your lower back. You can rest your palms facing down onto your thighs so your shoulders and arms are relaxed.

• • Bring your palms together in prayer in front of your heart, inhale and exhale fully.
  • With your inhale lift the arms over your head, look up and maybe bend back a little bit.
  • Exhale, bend forward and wrap your hands around your left shin. If your shin is not available wrap your hands under your knee or thigh.
  • Inhale, lift the left leg from the ground towards the chest with the knee bend.
  • Exhale, release the left leg back down.
  • Inhale, bring your upper body back to neutral/upright, lift your arms above your head.
  • Exhale, bend forward and wrap your hands around your right shin. If your shin is not available wrap your hands under your knee or thigh.
  • Inhale, lift the right leg from the ground towards the chest with the knee bend.
  • Exhale, release the left leg back down and let your arms hang on your side
  • Inhale, circle with the left arm upwards towards the right to lengthen your left side of the body. Follow your hand with your gaze.
  • Exhale, release the arm back down.
  • Inhale, circle with the right arm upwards towards the left to lengthen your right-side of the body. Follow your hand with your gaze.
  • Exhale, release the arm back down to the outside of your left knee.
  • Inhale, open your left arm to the left parallel to the ground. Look over your left shoulder behind you.
  • Exhale, return to center and place the left hand on the outside of your right knee.
  • Inhale open the right arm to the right, keeping your spine tall when twisting.
  • Exhale, back to center.
  • Inhale, into a seated cobra. Your elbows are bent next to the body with your palms facing up next to your shoulders. Tuck the tailbone under and open your chest.
  • Exhale, release.
  • Hold on to the back legs of your chair, and with your inhale straighten the left leg forward.
  • Exhale, release the leg back down.
  • Inhale, straighten the right leg.
  • Exhale, back down.
  • Inhale, lift both legs.
  • Exhale, release the heels down, bend forward and lift the arms high up behind you.
  • Inhale, circle the arms along your side passing the ankles until they help you to lift your body and the hands arrive over your head in prayer.
  • Exhale hands back in front of your heart.

Start with one round per day and maybe add an extra round every week.
Once you are done, sit for a moment with your eyes closed and then lie down flat on your back for savasana. This is the final relaxation at the end of a yoga practice.

If you are a senior citizen, or want to practice this with your grandparent, or maybe you are physically impaired, this gentle yoga for seniors practice can be a great way to start a daily habit. Let us know if you tried it and maybe how old you are, or with which older family member you completed the practice. We are excited to hear from you.

Sources:
https://www.amazon.de/gro%C3%9Fe-Yoga-Vidya-Hatha-Buch/dp/3943376168

About the Author

This blog post is written by Julia Grässer, Doron Yoga Teacher alumni, who did her 300h yoga teacher studies at Doron Yoga & Zen Center. As part of her thesis she writes articles about the practical implementation of yoga in our modern times.
This series of Yoga Philosophy blog posts provides a taste of her theoretical studies. Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts here, email Julia directly at julia@warriorprincessyoga.net or visit her website.