Yoga Techniques - Chair Yoga for Spine Health

Transcript: [MUSIC PLAYING] Welcome to Chair Yoga for Spine Health. Benefits you will receive from regular practice are a decrease in back pain and stiffness, an increase in flexibility of the spine, and support for abdominal organ health. Chair Yoga for Spine Health.

In this mindful sequence, we will explore cat cow, a side stretch, and a gentle twist to mobilize and lengthen the spine.

Anchor awareness and breath to the movement to stay present with the practice and receive maximum benefit. Come forward in the chair and find a comfortable seated position.

Root the feet into the floor and then lengthen through the spine. Rest the hands on the thighs near the hip crease.

In cat, the spine rounds into flexion. And in cow, the spine lengthens into extension.

On an exhale, draw the abdominal muscles deep, and flex the spine toward the back of the chair. Tuck the chin. Feel the crown of the head and the tail bone stream forward. Hands slide to the knees and we breathe into the back body in cat spine.

On an inhale, feel the vertebrae restack from lower to upper spine. Head stacks, gaze lifts, and the hands slide back as we lengthen in cow spine.

Continue to move through cat cow at your own pace. Exhale into cat. Inhale into cow.

Notice what you feel inside of you as you mindfully move. How does this feel to move the spine in this way?

Maybe pause in cat and breathe into the back body. Enjoy the stretch as the back ribs open with the breath toward the back of the chair.

After another round or so of cat cow, let the movement cease, and return to a mindful seated posture.

Side stretch moves the spine into lateral flexion. Inhale the arms forward and up. To stabilize, root the feet and lengthen through the crown. Tone the abdominal muscles back. Maintain this. Clasp the left wrist with the right hand. Breathe into the entire left side of the torso to expand that interior space.

When you feel the left side open to the breath, use the right hand to slowly draw the left arm up and slightly over. Keep the breath flowing. Release the left wrist. Let the arms float forward and down. Shake them out.

Now, close the eyes and send awareness into the two sides of your interior. Notice any differences between the left and right. Did the breath create change in the left side?

Open the eyes and prepare to go the other way. Inhale the arms forward and up. Root down and lengthen up. Clasp the right wrist with the left hand, and begin to breathe into the right side of the torso.

When you feel the right side open to the breath, use the left hand to slowly draw the right arm up and slightly over.

Root down. Reach up. Breathe into the right side. Expand and open.

Release the right arm. Let the arms flow forward and down. Shake them out.

Close the eyes and send awareness into both sides of your interior. Notice how the two sides feel now.

Next, we'll explore spinal rotation in a slow, gentle twist.

Come to a stable seated posture. Maintain awareness to breath, and we'll begin spinal rotation. We grow the twist from lower spine to upper. It's a process, slow and steady.

On an inhale, allow the arms to swing to the right. Land the left hand to the outer right knee and let the right hand find a place to root at the back of the chair. Receive an inhale and lengthen.

On the exhale, rotate the pelvis and lower spine a bit to the right. Enjoy an inhale and lengthen. Exhale and rotate the middle spine and the rib cage to the right.

Lastly, inhale and lengthen. Exhale and invite the upper spine to rotate right. Engage the eyes to the far right. Breathe.

On the next inhale, release the arms and return to a stable seated posture, and prepare to go the other way.

On an inhale, lengthen and allow the arms to swing to the left. Land the right hand to the outer left knee, and let the left hand find a place to root at the back of the chair.

Receive an inhale and lengthen. On the exhale, rotate the pelvis and the lower spine a bit to the left. Enjoy an inhale and lengthen. Exhale and rotate the middle spine and the rib cage to the left.

Lastly, inhale and lengthen. Exhale and invite the upper spine to rotate left. Engage the eyes to the far left. Breathe.

On the next inhale, release the arms and return to a stable seated posture. Notice how you feel.

After another round or so of cat cow, let the movement cease, and return to a mindful seated posture.

Benefits you will receive from regular practice are a decrease in back pain and stiffness, an increase in flexibility of the spine, and support for abdominal organ health.

Thank you for joining me in this practice. Namaste.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[janicebrewington]

Good practice with clear clues, including mindfulness. Thank you.