Chair Yoga
15 poses · beginner friendly
Chair yoga adapts familiar poses so they can be done sitting on, or holding onto, an ordinary chair. That makes it practical for desk workers who want to move without changing clothes, and genuinely accessible for seniors and anyone with limited mobility, balance concerns, or difficulty getting down to the floor.
It isn't a watered-down practice so much as a resized one: the same spinal movements, twists, and leg work happen, just with the chair carrying your weight or steadying your balance. Use a stable chair without wheels, on a non-slip surface, with your feet able to rest flat on the floor.
The list below covers the seated versions first, then standing poses that use the chair for support. Move within a comfortable range — nothing here should be forced, and every pose works with a smaller range of motion than the floor version.
What it's like
- · Every pose done seated on a chair or standing with chair support
- · Gentle pace, small ranges of motion, frequent rests
- · No getting down to the floor at any point
- · Works in office clothes, at a desk, in a few spare minutes
- · A stable, armless, non-wheeled chair is the only equipment
- · Balance poses always have the chair within reach
Good for
- ✓ Desk workers who want to move during the workday
- ✓ Seniors and anyone with balance concerns
- ✓ People with limited mobility, joint pain, or difficulty getting to the floor
- ✓ Anyone recovering strength who finds mat classes too demanding
- ✓ Complete beginners who want a low-pressure way in
Chair poses
Seated foundations
- Mountain PoseTadasana
Seated Mountain: sit tall away from the chair back, feet flat and hip-width, crown reaching up — the baseline posture for everything else.
- Easy PoseSukhasana
Practiced as a simple tall sit on the chair, hands resting on the thighs; cross the ankles if that feels natural.
- Cat–CowMarjaryasana–Bitilasana
Hands on knees: arch the spine and lift the chest on the inhale, round and tuck the chin on the exhale.
- Standing Side BendIndudalasana
Done seated: one hand holds the chair seat, the other arm reaches up and over for a gentle side stretch on each side.
- Simple Seated TwistParivrtta Sukhasana
Sit sideways or square on the chair and turn toward the chair back, hands resting on it; twist from the mid-back, keeping it light.
- Seated Forward FoldPaschimottanasana
Fold from the hips over the thighs, hands sliding down the shins toward the feet; rest the chest on the thighs and hang the head.
- Cow Face PoseGomukhasana
Arms only, done seated: one arm reaches over the shoulder, the other up the back; hold a strap, towel, or sleeve between the hands.
- Eagle PoseGarudasana
Arms only, or arms plus crossed thighs while seated: wrap the forearms, lift the elbows slightly, and breathe into the upper back.
Standing with chair support
- Warrior IVirabhadrasana I
Stand behind the chair holding its back, or straddle the chair seat with the front leg bent over it and the back leg extended.
- Warrior IIVirabhadrasana II
Sit sideways on the chair with the front knee bent over the seat edge and the back leg reaching away, arms extended — or stand with one hand on the chair back.
- Triangle PoseUtthita Trikonasana
With a short stance, rest the lower hand on the chair seat instead of the shin; the chair sets an honest, supported height.
- Standing Forward FoldUttanasana
A half fold with hands on the chair back or seat, spine long — all the hamstring work with none of the head-below-heart strain.
- Tree PoseVrksasana
One hand on the chair back for balance; rest the lifted foot at the ankle or calf, or simply on tiptoe beside the standing foot.
- Low LungeAnjaneyasana
Hands on the chair back, one foot stepped well back with the heel lifted — an upright lunge with no floor contact needed.
- Garland PoseMalasana
A supported squat: lower only partway while holding the chair back, or simply sit tall at the front of the seat with feet wide and elbows inside the knees.
Take this sequence off-screen
The Desk Reset Card — three emergency routines to pin next to your monitor.
Explore more
Every pose above links to full step-by-step instructions, or browse the complete pose library and all styles.