Chair Yoga for You: A Practical Guide (8 page)

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COOL-DOWN POSTURES

The purpose of a cool-down is to return your body to its resting state.

62. BACK OF SHOULDER STRETCH

Bring your right arm across your chest. Place your left hand or arm above or below your right elbow. Gently hug your right arm close to your chest. Repeat on the other side.

63. MIDDLE OF BACK STRETCH

Bring your hands in front of your chest, interlacing fingers, so that you are looking at your palms. Reach your hands as far away as is comfortable, bringing your chin toward your chest. Gently round your back

64. ROCK THE BABY

Sit tall and place your right ankle on your left thigh. Flex the right foot and hold it with your left hand while holding your knee with the right hand. Swing your foot back and forth as if you are rocking a baby, and then draw the leg in toward your chest as if you are hugging the baby. Repeat with your other leg.

65. PIGEON

Sit tall and place your right ankle just above your left knee. Exhaling, bend forward from your hips, keeping your back flat. Hold for a few breaths. Inhaling, rise up into your Yogic Posture. Repeat on the other side.

If placing your ankle over your knee is difficult, sit forward in the chair, straighten your left leg and cross your right ankle over the left ankle, and then lean forward.

66. HAMSTRING STRETCH

Sit at the front edge of the chair and extend your right leg so it is almost straight (keep a slight bend in your knee). Your left foot should remain flat on the floor.

Gently lean forward from your hips until you feel a stretch in the back of your right thigh. For a calf stretch, stay in this position, but do not lean forward. Keep the right heel on the floor and pull your toes up toward your shins as much as possible.

67. INNER THIGH STRETCH

Sit to the front edge of the chair. Bring your feet and knees wide apart. Place hands on the inside of each thigh, gently pressing outward. Exhale forward, hinging from the hips and keeping a flat back. Lower as much as you like, and then inhale up. Repeat a few times.

68. WRIST RELEASE

Holding your arms in front of the body, circle hands at the wrists several times in each direction. Now point and flex the hands a few times and release.

69. FACIAL RELEASE

While relaxing the rest of your body, close your eyes and scrunch up the nose, forehead, lips, and eyes. Inhale as the tension builds. Exhale as you release and stretch your face back out, opening your mouth and moving your jaw gently back and forth.

70. LION POSE

With palms down over your knees, take a deep breath. As you exhale, open your eyes wide and stick your tongue far out of your mouth, expelling breath with a throaty whisper. Repeat two times.

71. SEATED FORWARD BEND

Sitting tall, inhale your arms overhead. Exhale as you bend forward until you are relaxing with your chest on your lap and your arms dangling toward the floor. Remain here for a few breaths. Inhale as you slowly roll up one vertebra at a time: lower back, middle back, upper back, shoulder blades, shoulders, and head. Exhale to relax your body. Inhale and stretch out your arms and legs. Exhale and relax your body.

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FINGER EXERCISES

Finger exercises are particularly good for arthritic finger joints.

72. FINGER FLEX

Stretch your fingers wide. Squeeze your fingertips down to the top pad of your hand, and then make a fist. Repeat twice.

73. FINGER SQUEEZE

Stretch your fingers wide. Beginning with your little fingers, bend each finger and push it into the top pad of your hand with your thumb.

74. FINGER STRETCHES

With your palm facing up, use other hand to gently pull each finger back one at a time toward the back of your hand; do not stretch thumb joint.

75. PULL AND TWIST

Starting with the little finger of your right hand, pull on your finger with your left hand, and then twist your finger away from you. Repeat on each of the other fingers.

76. JOINING

Place both hands down above your knees, with your thumb to the inside and your fingers to the outside. One at a time, bring each finger in to meet your thumb. Take each finger out again.

77. PARTING

Stretch your arms out in front of you, placing your palms together. Separate each finger, beginning with your little finger. Repeat twice.

78. THUMB TO FINGERS

Stretch the fingers out. Touch the base of your little fingers with your thumbs, and then slide your thumb out to the tip of your fingers. Repeat on each finger a few times.

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FOOT AND TOE EXERCISES

Your feet will thank you for giving them a little attention.

Begin with your right foot just above your left knee. After completing all of the following steps with the right foot, switch to the left foot.

79. PULL AND TWIST

Starting with your little toe, pull and twist each toe away from you.

80. MASSAGE

Pound on the sole of your foot with your left fist. Massage the ball of your foot with both thumbs.

81. CLASP

Place the palm of your left hand on the ball of your foot and lace your fingers through your toes.

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EYE EXERCISES

Eye exercises strengthen the extraocular muscles of the eyes and reduce tension. Keep your head and torso still while doing these exercises.

82. UP-DOWN RIGHT-LEFT

Look up and look down three times, close your eyes, and breathe. Look to the right and look to the left three times, close your eyes, and breathe.

83. DIAGONAL RIGHT-LEFT

Look up diagonally to the right and diagonally down to the left three times, close your eyes, and breathe. Look up diagonally to the left and diagonally down to the right three times, close your eyes, and breathe.

84. AROUND THE CLOCK

Slowly look around the clock three times starting at twelve o’clock, then around to three, down to six, around to nine, and back up to twelve. Close your eyes and breathe. Slowly look around the clock counter clockwise three times starting at twelve o’clock, then around to nine, down to six, around to three, and then back up to twelve. Close your eyes and breathe.

85. FINGER GAZE