If you can sit in a chair, you can enjoy the benefits of yoga!

Chair Yoga For Dummies is a guide to developing a yoga practice that you can do while seated in a chair. Traditional yoga poses can be replicated as sitting yoga poses and stretches, enjoyable and accessible for people at all levels of experience and mobility. There's a reason yoga has been around for thousands of years. Practicing chair yoga regularly can decrease your blood pressure, anxiety, inflammation, and chronic pain. It also increases flexibility, balance, and strength. And it helps you sleep better, too. All you need to get started is yourself, a chair, and this bookcouldn't be simpler.

With this book on your desk, you can infuse a little namaste into your office routine or build a personalized home practice that fits your lifestyle and abilities. Youll learn specific poses to target problem areas, and guidance on creating your own chair yoga workout plan. Practitioners can achieve meditation, flexibility goals, and more.

Stay active while seated!

Larry Payne, PhD, is the president of The International Association of Yoga Therapists. He founded Samata International Yoga and Health Center and is the author ofYoga After 50 For Dummies.Don Henry is a Yoga therapist who has been teaching Yoga for more than a decade. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America.

Foreword xiii

Introduction 1

Part 1: Yoga for Life 5

Chapter 1: Checking Out Chair Yoga 7

Chapter 2: Getting Ready for Chair Yoga 19

Chapter 3: Inhale, Exhale: Controlling Your Breath 29

Chapter 4: Adding Meditation to Chair Yoga 41

Part 2: Chair Yoga for the Body 51

Chapter 5: Relieving That Pain in Your Neck 53

Chapter 6: Stretching and Straightening the Shoulders 65

Chapter 7: Bringing Your Back to the Forefront 75

Chapter 8: Paying Attention to Your Abdominals 85

Chapter 9: The Hips Dont Lie 95

Chapter 10: Getting a Leg Up 103

Chapter 11: Arming Yourself 111

Chapter 12: Ankles and Feet: Bearing All the Weight 123

Chapter 13: Dont Forget the Fingers, Hands, and Wrists 133

Chapter 14: Adding a Chair to Popular Standing and Inversion Poses 145

Part 3: Creating Home Routines 159

Chapter 15: Moving Ahead with Chair Yoga 161

Chapter 16: Fifteen-Minute Routines for Home 167

Chapter 17: Focusing on a 30-Minute Routine 175

Chapter 18: Working in Yoga at Your Desk 193

Chapter 19: Chair Yoga in Transit 207

Chapter 20: Sit Up and Weight: Adding Weights to Your Chair Yoga 215

Part 4: The Part of Tens 229

Chapter 21: Ten Things to Remember about Chair Yoga 231

Chapter 22: Ten Things to Do When Creating a Home Chair Yoga Practice 235

Index 241