Use some of the postures described below, or play part of a chair flow yoga video found on YouTube.
- Check-in posture: sit tall in chair with two feet flat on the floor and hands in lap
- Shoulder shrug: lift shoulders up and down
- Arm across body: stretch and hold arm across your body, alternate sides
- Eagle arm & leg: twist your arms and cross your legs, then twist/cross the other way
- Twist: look behind you using arms as supports to keep twisting
- Cat/cow: breathe in while sticking stomach out, breath out while hunching back like a cat
- Hip opener (#4 squat): place your ankle on your knee to make a figure 4 shape, alternate sides
- Hamstring stretch: reach down to touch your toes without curling your back
- Boat pose: lift arms and legs up and hold to engage abdominal muscles
- Tree pose: stand behind your chair (holding the back of it for balance) and place the bottom of one foot on your calf, lift one arm up like a tree
Why do it?
This practice releases tension in the body from stress buildup and can be done from a seated position in the classroom. Breath work is incorporated which helps to clear your mind and make space for learning.