Relax Your Tight Muscles With This 20-Minute Full-Body Seated Yoga Flow

Published on 11/23/2020 at 4:05 PM

Marsha Danzig, RYT 500, has been practicing yoga as an amputee since the 1980s — she lost her leg due to bone cancer — and teaching adaptive yoga for more than two decades. She created Yoga For Amputees 12 years ago in order to broaden inclusivity in the yoga space.

Danzig recently signed on as a yoga instructor for Kakana, an accessible streaming workout platform for people of all abilities that specifically makes sure those with disabilities feel they belong in the fitness sphere. She told POPSUGAR, "When we change the messaging of yoga to be inclusive for all bodies; when we show images of different types of bodies doing yoga; when yoga teacher trainings include courses on making yoga accessible to all; when yoga studios, gyms, and online wellness platforms like Kakana make yoga available to all abilities; and when we personally dismantle our own biases and beliefs about disability, adaptive yoga will be more known throughout the world."

Danzig shared with us an example of adaptive yoga done sitting in a chair. The flow is changed when taught live on Kakana to accommodate each person's capabilities, she noted, adding that it should take up to 20 minutes or so to complete depending on if you need breaks in between the poses.

Keep reading for instructions to go along with each pose. You'll be holding most of them for two deep breaths, two times through. Optional tools used are a yoga block (or objects you can stack, like pillows) and a yoga strap. This gentle sequence is designed for anyone who may need a more adaptive flow — or just wants to do yoga while seated — and is looking to slow down and relax tight muscles.

Easy Sitting Pose

Sit tall in your chair with your hands relaxed by your sides, on a table in front of you, or on your lap.
Close your eyes if comfortable. This acts as your starting position for the yoga flow.
Keep your face, jaw, and shoulders relaxed.
Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth three times, and get ready to begin with your first stretch.

Arm Extension

Interlock your hands in your lap, and flip your palms away from your body.
Inhale.
Exhale as you extend your arms straight out in front of you and lift your palms up overhead.
Elongate each side of your torso as you reach upward.
Take two more deep breaths here.
On an exhale, unlock your hands and let your arms travel down to your sides.
Repeat this one more time.

Spinal Extension and Flexion

Grab hold of the edge of the chair and keep your spine neutral.
Inhale as you lift your sternum up, arching your chest forward.
Exhale as you round your spine, bringing your chin toward your chest. Think about these movements as similar to Cat Cow.
Repeat this one more time.

Seated Twist

Next, let go of the edge of your chair.
Inhale as you extend your arms out to the side into a "T" shape.
Exhale and twist your head and torso to the right, bringing your left arm out in front of you and your right arm in back.
Take two more deep breaths here.
Inhale as you return to center with your arms still in that "T" shape.
Exhale and twist to the left. Hold for two deep breaths before returning to center.
Repeat this one more time on either side.

Revolved Triangle

From your Seated Twist, keep your arms in that "T" shape.
Inhale.
Exhale and twist your torso to the right, resting your left elbow on your right thigh as you reach your left hand toward the floor.
Reach your right arm behind at a diagonal and upward as you twist, turning your head toward your right arm.
Take two more deep breaths here.
Inhale and lift your chest back up to your starting position with your arms in a "T" shape.
Exhale and reverse the twist to the left.
Take two deep breaths as you hold the twist on your left side and return to center.
Repeat this one more time on each side.

Bound Angle

Rest your feet on a block in front of you if you have one (you can also use pillows or folded blankets).
Inhale.
Open your legs into a diamond shape.
Grab hold of the edge of your chair, and exhale as you fold forward as far as you can.
Hold this pose for two deep breaths.
Inhale and lift your torso back up.
Keep your legs in that diamond shape, and repeat this one more time.

Seated Half Forward Fold

From Bound Angle, place your right foot on the floor and keep your left on the block in front of you.
Keep grabbing the edge of the chair as you straighten the left leg.
Inhale and lengthen your spine.
Exhale, folding halfway forward toward your left leg.
Hold for two deep breaths.
Inhale as you lift your torso back up.
Switch sides to do the same pose with your right foot on the block with your right leg extended.
Hold for two deep breaths before returning to the starting position.
Repeat two times total on each side.

Seated Lunge

Move the block away, and place a strap (if you have one) around your left thigh.
Sit toward the back of the chair and inhale.
Exhale, and using the strap or your hands beneath the left thigh, lift your left leg up, drawing your knee toward your chest.
Hold for two deep breaths.
Inhale as you release your leg back to the chair.
Switch sides, holding your right thigh up for two deep breaths.
Repeat this two times total on each side.

Gentle Twist

Get rid of the strap if you were using one.
Sit up tall in your chair with your hands at your sides.
Inhale.
Exhale and twist to the right, grabbing the right side of your chair with your left hand.
Make sure you're turning your head to the right as well along with your torso.
Hold for two deep breaths.
Inhale and come back to center.
Switch sides and twist to the left, holding for two deep breaths.
Do two twists on each side.

Sun Breath

Close the sequence by coming back to your centered seated position.
Inhale and bring your arms overhead.
Exhale as you draw your palms together in prayer at the center of the heart.
Repeat this at least one more time.