| Public enemy #1 for our bodies....the simple chair. | | | | physically challenged due to age, illness, or who |
| Or is it how we use chairs that's the | | | | just can't do poses on the floor, need not miss |
| problem?When I was a kid, my Dad asked me if I | | | | out on the many benefits of yoga. Invalids, those |
| could design a chair for people whose knees bent | | | | confined to wheelchairs or recovering from injury, |
| backwards. I'm still working on that one. But since | | | | with their physician's approval, can benefit from |
| I began doing yoga, I've been working on | | | | their own adaptation of the breathing and gentle |
| designing a practice for those of us whose knees | | | | seated poses. Seated yoga can build the strength |
| bend forward many hours a day. What do we do | | | | and flexibility, needed to progress to more and |
| with bodies that ache because we sit, and sit, and | | | | more challenging poses. Breathing, stretching and |
| sit? We're a society of "chair people." We sit for | | | | strengthening can be introduced at a slow pace, |
| meals, sit for classes, sit in the car, sit at a desk, | | | | gently bringing bodies to new levels of fitness, |
| sit in meetings and movies. We sit to talk on the | | | | increasing circulation and bringing in healing "life |
| telephone and watch TV, sit at computers, on | | | | force" energy."Sitting Fit" benefits all of us, |
| planes, on trains, in waiting rooms. Some of us sit | | | | regardless of our physical condition. Sitting needs |
| due to accident or illness, weakness, or job | | | | to be balanced with moving, breathing and |
| requirements. Some of us sit because we just | | | | stretching, so try some of these simple poses for |
| have a lazy life style. Do you ever feel that your | | | | a "mini yoga break." You'll feel the difference and |
| life has become a series of transitions from one | | | | return your attention to your work refreshed, |
| seated location to another?I don't think our bodies | | | | more relaxed and with a clearer mind.Sitting Fit |
| were meant to live that way! Most chairs aren't | | | | Can Be Done in a Chair ... Anytime, |
| designed to support our bodies with healthy | | | | AnywhereBreathing Sit up straight on the edge of |
| posture. They cause us to slump, curve our | | | | your chair, feet flat on the floor directly below |
| spines, push our heads forward or lean us back | | | | your knees. Let your hands rest on your thighs. |
| onto our tailbones. The worst back problem I | | | | Take a long, deep breath, and exhale completely. |
| ever had came after sitting in a seminar room for | | | | Inhale deeply again, reaching for the ceiling with |
| three days of lectures.Inactivity can cause | | | | the crown of your head, lengthening your spine. |
| stiffness, backache, weakness, constipation, poor | | | | Continue breathing with full deep inhalations and |
| circulation, mental dullness, nervousness, cramps, | | | | complete exhalations for 10 to 20 breaths.As you |
| and degeneration. Depressing thoughts. Whatever | | | | exhale, slide your shoulder blades down your back, |
| the reason and wherever you sit, its possible to | | | | dropping your shoulders away from your ears as |
| begin to become fit, even while sitting in your | | | | you reach through your finger tips. Keep breathing |
| chair.Yoga, the 5000 year old gift of body/mind | | | | deeply for 3 to 5 breaths. Exhale as you lower |
| balance, can be adapted to a seated stretching | | | | your arms.Shoulder shrugs Inhaling, bring your |
| program that can counteract the inevitable results | | | | shoulders up tightly toward your ears. Roll your |
| of too much sitting. Body awareness, better | | | | shoulders back, pressing your shoulder blades |
| posture, relief from aches and pains, as well as | | | | tightly together. Exhale as you press your |
| increased flexibility and strengthening, and a deep | | | | shoulders down toward the floor. Inhaling again, |
| sense of relaxation can be achieved right where | | | | bring your shoulders up again, roll them back and |
| you are....are you sitting down?Although a | | | | press your shoulder blades together, and release |
| consistent yoga program of standing, balancing, | | | | down. Repeat several times and don't forget to |
| lying poses, and inversions is a more complete | | | | breathe!Forward Fold Still sitting on the edge of |
| practice, yoga need not be relegated to the yoga | | | | your chair with your feet hip width apart, inhale as |
| studio or health club. The time commitment of | | | | you bring your arms out to your sides. Reach |
| hours per week can sometimes be difficult to fit | | | | forward with your chin as you rotate from your |
| in to a busy schedule. Doing a pose or two hourly | | | | hips, exhaling as you bring your chest toward |
| throughout the day can give you some of the | | | | your thighs. Keep your back flat. With your next |
| benefits of a yoga practice and help relieve the | | | | exhalation, allow your self to relax, chest on your |
| results of sitting too much. In fact, small efforts | | | | thighs, arms and head dangling, relaxed. Take 3 to |
| while sitting in various daily situations, can | | | | 5 deep, full, relaxing breaths. Inhale as you sit up |
| contribute greatly to our strength, flexibility, | | | | slowly with a flat back.Knee Raises Sitting up |
| relaxation, increased circulation, stronger | | | | straight, inhaling as you raise your right knee up in |
| respiration, and clarity of mind. Yoga poses | | | | front of you. Grasp your leg in front of your knee |
| adapted to small bites may not have the same | | | | with both hands. Keep your back flat as you |
| intensity as a full yoga class, but the benefits of | | | | exhale and draw your knee in toward your chest. |
| yoga are readily available to those who nibble on | | | | Hold it there for 3 to 5 breaths. Release as you |
| yoga throughout the day.Those who are | | | | exhale. Repeat with your left leg. |