#covid19#lockdown#stayhomestayhealthy#Chair yoga for Seniors, Face exercise

Face exercises stretches and strengthens the facial muscles. Especially the cheeks, chin, jaws, eyes, lungs and neck. Sit tall on a sturdy chair. Take a few normal breaths and relax.

1. Close your eyes strongly. Hold for 5-10 seconds. Open the eyes. Blink your eye lids for a few times. Look at a far object and relax your eyes.

2. Blow air into an imaginary balloon, holding the balloon neck with your hands. Blow as long as and as strong you can. 

3. Blow in like you are drinking water through a straw. Blow in as strong as and as long as you can.

4. Fill maximum air in your mouth and hold on as long as you can. 

5. Pull out your cheeks sideways and hold as long as you can.

6. Close your nose with your upper lips strongly.

These are wonderful exercises that can be done at any time.

Enjoy your funny faces sitting in front of a mirror. 

#covid19#lockdown#stayhomestayhealthy# Chair yoga for Seniors, Neck exercise

Sit tall on a sturdy chair. Take a few normal breaths and relax. Do this very slowly without any jerk on your neck.

Bring your chin towards your chest. Hold the pose for 5 to 10 seconds. Feel the stretch on back of the neck and shrink on the front. Slowly go back as far as possible. Now feel the stretch on the front of your neck and shrink on the back neck. Come back straight. Go to the right shoulder without lifting. Hold for a while, feel the stretch on your left side neck, slowly come up and go to the left shoulder feeling the stretch on the right neck. Come up straight and start rotation. Clockwise, anticlockwise and again clockwise. 

Now one round of neck rotation is completed. Do for a couple more times.

Do a few more normal breaths in a relaxed state. 

Benefits 

Strengthens the neck.

Balances the fluid in neck.

Enhances sense of self esteem. 

#covid19#lockdown#stayhomestayhealthy# Chair yoga asanas for seniors

#covid19#lockdown#stayhomestayhealthy# Welcome back to Chair Yoga for Seniors ❤️
Today we are doing three asanas. Asanas increase the blood circulation, help the fire and water elements to balance with the air element. These balance, strengthen the body and mind to be in a state of tranquility and peace.
Mountain pose( tadasana)
Stretches the hands, shoulders , spine and hips.
Half Moon pose( Ardhachandrasana)
Stretches the ribs, spine, shoulders, hands and neck.
Hand to foot pose( padahastasana)
Stretches hands, spine and back.
Eliminates excess belly fat.
More blood circulation to brain.
Feel relaxed. Do not force yourself. Do as the body moves. Do these asanas for 3 or 5 times each. Hold the pose for 5 to 10 seconds. Relax after completing. If you are on medication please consult your doctor before commencing yoga.

Sit tall and relaxed 

Padahastasan inhale 

Chair yoga for seniors. Legs and lower body strengthening

These exercises in chair yoga are mainly for strengthening legs and lower body.

Sit tall with spine straight in a sturdy chair. Hands on your lap.

Take a few normal breaths and relax.

1.With hands on your thighs lift right leg up in a slanting way with toes pointing forward. Repeat in the left leg. Do two more times in both the legs.

2. Bring both your hands behind and hold firmly on the chair, raise right leg up parallel to the ground. Hold for 5 seconds. Bring down. Repeat on the left leg. Bring down. Do for two more times in both the legs.

3. Firmly holding on the chair turn your right leg towards right with knee and foot sideways. Feel the stretch. Hold for 5 seconds. Bring back and do on the left leg. Repeat for two more times in both the legs.

4. While firmly holding the back of the chair lift your right leg, as high as possible. Hold for 5 seconds. Bring down and repeat on the left leg. Bring the leg down and do for two more times on both the legs.

5. Next and last for today is raise your right leg and place the foot on your left knee. Hold for 5 seconds. Bring down repeat on the left leg. Do for a couple more times on both the legs.

6. Bring both the legs sideways with feet together, raise your feet on toes and touch your heels. Hold the pose for 5- 10 seconds. 

Come back to the original pose with hands on your lap. Take a few normal breaths.

Right leg turning right 

Both legs turned sideways with heels touching 

Right leg up

Chair yoga for seniors

Hand reflexology is so important when we consider chair yoga. It is gentle and nurturing. At the same time it is also a powerful healing therapy for whole body health and wellness. It stimulates the nervous system. It works in unison with the body to help protect and correct the physical and physiological imbalances. By working on the various reflex points in the palms, it stimulates the lungs, neck, shoulders, spine, thyroid, abdomen, knees, hearing and sight and so on. It helps the stiff joints and poor blood circulation. Understand the reflex points before commencing the exercise. It helps to detect the reflex points and the corresponding organs and systems in our body. 

Hand is easily accessible than foot. Once the pressure is applied to the point, the blocked energy starts dissipating. There starts the inner healing. 

Sit tall and comfortably on a sturdy chair. Relax your body. Take a few breaths. Start the massage. Stretch out your left palm in front of you or on your lap. With your right thumb gently press the palm starting from your wrist. Press gently the whole palm. When it reaches the bottom of the thumb go up pressing with thumb and index finger, come down pressing. When you cover pressing the palm, go up through little finger or index finger and come down. Then press the sides. Then go to top of left palm. Next from the wrist rub and massage your left hand top upto shoulders. Then come down rubbing and massaging the lower portion of your left hand from shoulders to wrist. Interlace your fingers and circulate a few times.

If you feel ticklish or pain while massaging concentrate on the point, give the pressure a little longer and rotations in a circular motion. Visualise the particular body part and take special care.

Now repeat on your right palm and hand.

Before concluding 

Interlace the fingers and Stretch both your in front of you.   

Bring them close to your chest. Do two more times.

Stretch out both the hands in front of you.

Squeeze the fingers. Hold for 5 seconds. Release. Do for two more times.

It’s done ✅ 

Sit relaxed. Take three more breath in breathe out. 

Benefits 

Strengthens the connection with body and mind. 

Relieves stress and anxiety.

Promotes deep relaxation and gets good sleep.

Increases healing potential.

Improves nerve functions.

Improves brain power.

Eliminates body toxins.

Enhances immunity.

#covid19#Lockdown#staysafestayhealthy# Chair yoga for seniors third day

Third day session is for strengthening upper body.

Sit comfortably on a sturdy chair. Sit tall with spine straight. Hold Chin mudra or Buddha mudra. Breathe for a minute. Start with prayer 🙏 pose. Feel the stretch in each pose. Hold each pose for about 5 to 10 seconds. Stretch out your hands shoulder level sideways  with palms facing up. Raise your hands straight up. Bend at elbows and place your arms above your head. Bend towards right feel the stretch. Come straight bend towards left. Come straight,  raise hands straight up, bring hands on shoulder level with palms facing down, then to prayer 🙏 pose. Back to original position with mudra palms. Relax for a minute with mindful breathing holding your favourite mudra. Chin mudra or Buddha mudra. 

Benefits 

Strengthens the ribs and core muscles 

Lengthens the muscles in between ribs and pelvis 

Brings balance to the body 

Stretches and strengthens the hands, shoulders, back , chest and hips.

If you are on medication for any ailments consult with your doctor before starting a new routine.

Don’t force yourself to do the exercises. Fix a smile to feel relaxed and comfortable. Slow and steady is the philosophy of yoga. Consistent practice is the success key. Visualisation of the benefits are prime factor for better results. 

 

#covid19#Lockdown#staysafestayhealthy# Chair yoga for seniors second day

T

Specially for those who cannot do yoga in standing pose.

After getting into chair yoga breathing then proceed for some exercises. The upper body exercises are beneficial for shoulders, hands, ribs, chest, back and even hips. Improves flexibility. Flexibility is not the thing to go away with age if you are mindful in practice. 

Benefits 

Relieves the stiffness in the shoulders.

Stretches the chest and back.

Strengthens the ribs, hands, elbows and hips.

Sit tall in the chair. Normal breathing. Place your fingers on your shoulders, stretch your elbows sideways. Feel the stretch. Bring the elbows forward to touch them together as far as possible. 

Don’t overstrain. Listen to your body and proceed. 

Bring the elbows down close to your body. Feel the stretch.

Take them up with your outer palms closing the ears. Feel the stretch.

Each time the stretches are on different parts like chest, back, shoulders, fingers and wrists.

Do it for a few times. 

Visualise the effects and experience the flexibility. It will take time. Yoga is slow and steady. Don’t leave hope. Go along slowly to achieve the goal. 

In the video you can see the rotation. Rotate your shoulders slowly. Place the fingers on your shoulders with elbows pointing outward. Rotate forward three times and backward three times. Slowly the movement the maximum will be the result. Maintain a consistent practice to stay flexible through all the years.