Yoga: Rise Up Wellness

Hi. My name is Shay and I'm here at Blue Door Neighborhood Center in partnership with Rise Up Wellness to share with you a gentle chair yoga practice. So we're going to start out with a tall spine sitting in our chair, halfway up the chair, and then turn our palms up.

Try to release your shoulders, slowly.

Swirl them down, back and down, elbows pointing back and start with a breathing exercise. Next time we will inhale slowly going to bring all the tip of the fingers in. And when we. exhale slowly extend.

All your fingers, opening your palms. So inhale.

Slowly.

Bring your fingertips in.

Exhale slowly let them go out. And repeat this at least five more times. Exhale.

Fingers out.

You can close your eyes if you feel more comfortable closing your. eyes, you can maybe gaze at the tip of the nose. Keep going, exhale out.

And last one Extend your palms completely You can turn your palms down now start stretching our necks now slowly turn one ear to each shoulder Try not to move anything but the head. Good

Try not to interrupt the flow of your breath back in the center. I'm going to drop the chin to the chest. Inhale. Chin up. Exhale. Chin down and heal. Chin up slowly bring your chin down. Let's do two more Last one and we meet back in the center. When your chin is parallel to the ground.

We are going to turn the head to the left, looking over the left shoulder. I'll slowly turn the head to the right, looking over the right shoulder, continue with the same flow, turning left and right again.

Try not to move anything but your head.

Two more rounds.

And we meet back in the center.

Great. And then drop the chin down this time.

And to do three big circles in slow motion to one direction.

Take on your breath, then the other direction of the opposite direction. Three circles and we meet

Back in the center chin level with the ground. Let's start moving into our hands. Okay, I'm going to bring the tip of the fingers together. Going to try to press the palms, creating a little resistance.

And slowly come back to the tip of the fingers again and keep pushing at least five more times push out, stretching all your fingers. Out

And in.

Five times.

Push, push, release. And last one.

Very good. Now interlace your fingers. We're going to start making circles or maybe the figure eight with our hands with our wrists. Good. and we exhale.

Keep your fingers, interlace. You're just going to press our palms to the front stretching your arms.

Push. Great. Slowly. Bring your hands down.

Inhale. We're going to try to bring your arms up.

Maybe close by your ears. Exhale slowly. Bring them down again.

Two more times. Inhale.

Arms up, exhale down. Last one up and down.

Good enhancing to prayer your position. Going to keep our palms together Turn your fingers down and inhale fingers up.

Exhale fingers down, inhale fingers up let's do three more and up two, one. Very good. Now release and start shaking your hands gently.

Maybe making circles with your wrists extend both palms to the front Now point your fingers down Inhale fingers up.

Exhale, fingers down. Inhale, fingers up, Exhale down and up.

Last one down.

Up and release Hands to your knees Goodness. Roll the shoulders up to the ears. Exhale squeeze

The shoulder blades bring the shoulders down.

Inhale Push them back and down.

Three more.

Going with your breath two and last one. Very good. Okay.

Now start moving side to side.

Weakening your hips your feet, come back to the center, start making circles from your hips. Move slow and gentle circle to the opposite side. That's one. Very good. All right, move the knee side to side. Until we get our legs. Good.

Come back to the center. We are going to.

Lift the heels.

Off the ground. and drop them gently down when you.

Exhale Inhale heels up, exhale heels down inhale up and down. Three more down, two down. last one and down Very good.

You are going to separate this time your feet a little wider than the legs of the chair. You are going to slide your hands.

all the way to the top of the knees with a straight spine or slowly inhale.

slide your hands back up until your spine is straight again.

exhale fold gently to affect inhale. Come back up.

let's do two more.

Exhale front, inhale up, last one, front and up. Very good.

let's bring our feet a little closer.

All right. you want to do a little cats and

Cows for our back pain and a movement into.

The spine.

So in the press, both hands just gently press your fingers into the top of the knees.

Now slowly arc the back, pushing the middle back all the way back to your chin.

In. and next time we inhale

Lift the head up, push the shoulders back, chest to the front. You can look up exhale

round your spine again.

inhale lift the head as the chest to the front, shoulders back exhale

round.

inhale up to the front, exhale around. Inhale up in front. Last one.

Round.

in front very good do side sets

stretches next so we're going to move.

To slightly to the left side of your.

Chair right hand is going to be next to the right hip.

and the left arm up and fold, gently to the right, inhale

Bring your arm up.

Again. Exhale, fold, bending the right elbow inhale up. Try to keep your shoulders in the same line, exhale, fold. And last one and fold. Very good. Reach up, release the left hand move again, this time to.

The right side.

You press the left palm right next to the left hip.

Rise your right

arm up Exhale fall gently to the left Inhale Come back up Exhale left and up exhale up Two more, up and Last one Then we meet back in the center.

Okay. And move more to the hips now.

So you can hold the sides of the chair bring the right knee up and then down, left knee up, left foot down. And three more of these up and down, up.

Down.

last one good. Very good. Very well. Okay.

so we are going to bend our right knee.

You can hold.

Behind the thigh. If you cannot hold the thigh. You can pull it to your palms. We can cross your fingers in front of the right knee. Then we're going to try to.

Pull the knee a little closer.

To the center of the body. At the same time that we're trying to bend the elbows and use your arms to bring your leg

Closer.

we're going to take five deep breaths here, we can.

Also do little circles with your ankles. Two, three.

Four, five. In the other direction.

And release good left side. Bend the left knee and pull.

Into your pants behind the thigh in front of the knee.

Pull your knee a little closer. Squeeze your elbows in lift the chest. And one, two, three, four, five.

Other direction.

One, two, three, four, five. Really very good. All right, we're going to separate our knees

Little wider.

we're going to slide our palms all the way to the shins. Or maybe in top and top of the knees. We can hold.

It here, relax your head, or we can also press your forearms or elbows into your knees.

relaxing the head as well. Try to loosen your lower back by allowing the head to get heavier.

And heavier shoulders or arms heavy as.

Well.

Good to come up. You can press your hands back into the top of the knees and raise your chest up. Good. All right. I'm going to turn the knees to the right side now, ok. both knees to the right and try to scoop.

Closer to the right edge.

Of the chair.

The foot should be right below the knee and the left knee can.

Be pointing back to the ground. Down to the ground. We can hold the back part of the chair with your right hand. You can extend the left arm up. You can stay here for five deep breaths, or.

You can slide the left foot back just make sure the left hips is

in front of your chair.

Good. Two,

You can extend both arms up.

Three, four and five. Bring both arms down, You going to twist the left foot back. And your toes are going.

To be pointing to the front. The right knee is going to stay right where it is. Okay, so make sure your knee and foot are in the same line. Extend your arms to.

The sides and we can look to the right, middle.

Finger.

For five deep breaths two, three, four and five. Good middle, extended side angle.

you are going to bring your right palm into the right knee or you can bring the right forearm into the right back.

Inhale, bring the left arm up and across twist the left shoulder back. Try to look up to the ceiling, you going to hold it only for three more breaths. Two and three lead with the left arm.

Both arms up, both arms down.

Knees to the front.

You can move them side to side. We are going to repeat everything back on the left side.

So turn your knees to the left, Come a little closer to the left edge of your chair.

Making sure you get your knee and your ankle are in the same line. Left hand can be holding the back part of your chair, your right knee is going to be pointing down. We can extend the right arm up and hold it here for five deep breaths. You can extend both.

Arms up or you can slide the right foot back.

Remember, the right hip should be in front of the chair this time.

Two, three, four and five breaths

Ok, you are going to turn your arms to the sides, right toes pointing to the front, arms to the sides.

And one, two, three, four, five. Let's into move to extended

side angle. so your palms can be pressing into.

Left knee, right arm up, or.

You can press into your form and right arm.

Up and across. Two, three, four and five.

Good. lean back. this time with the right arm, arms to the sides, arms down.

Both knees to the front. And you can move them side to side. Good. All right. When you get ready to stand up.

So let's try not to use the hands. If you need to.

Use your hands, you can press into your knees or the sides of the chair, Just make sure.

That you are ready to stand up. Or you can extend the arms to the front.

Lift hips off.

Your chair, can bring your arms up, maybe grab.

Opposite elbows and move side to side, stretching, Good next time you exhale.

Just release your arms. We are going to move a little more into our balancing poses.

Okay, so we're going to use our chair. We are going to still use the support of the chair. We are Just going to move.

Behind the chair.

Making sure you have extra support here. Your legs.

Are going to be apart at the hips, going to lift your heels off the ground.

And then slowly exhale.

Bring your heels.

Down, inhale heels up.

Exhale, heels down. You might not need both arms. Rise one arm.

Up and down.

Then switch the other arm down. Or you can use both arms up and down.

Very good. Right? Step back. Short step back with with the right leg. Right heel is going to be.

Off the ground. Both of these are going to.

Be straight. Then just from the heel.

Down your hips.

Back. Inhale lift.

Into your heel again, pressing into your.

Toes. Exhale, heel back.

Two more times.

Exhale back and last one. good. All right, take.

One step to the front.

With the right foot. Left foot back. Short step, it doesn't have to be too long. Just make sure both legs are straight. Ok? left heel to the ground hips back Inhale heel up Hips to the front. exhale back, Inhale up and back, up. Last one, back and up Very good one step to the front.

Stand behind the chair and roll the right knee up and out.

Left knee, up and out.

Let's do three more, down and up, down two. Last one. All right. Next we're going to try to do is our tree pose

So stay.

Next to the chair we are going to try to balance in one foot at a time make sure you have the extra support of the chair and stand in the left foot and a bring the right.

Heel up. You can press it there, leaving the toes.

Into the ground? Bring one arm to the front, one hands to the front, maybe the left one can press.

You can always use your chair

For support and extend both arms.

You can attempt any tree pose variation. You can slide the right foot a little higher. Keep holding the chair.

And count at least five breaths balancing.

And in one foot. Great.

Slowly bring your arms down if they're.

Up. leg last you can move or walk in the same space and let's get ready to do it on the other side. so we can stand.

Bring your chair.

Next.

To the other side. You can try doing it in this side ok? so the standing leg is the one that's going to be.

Next to the chair. bring the left heel.

This time inside the right ankle. You can hold it here. You can bring your arms up.

Or in front. Hold the chair and slide the foot a little higher.

Just make sure you're not pressing.

Into the knee. Can be above the knee or below the knee. Never on the knee.

And count your five breaths.

Two, breath, four and five.

Hands down.

Leg down and again, you can move your hips side to side.

This time we're going to bring our hands to our hips.

Your legs a little wider.

Start making circles.

with your your hips.

Opposite direction.

Your hips and release. Good. And we're going to get ready to sit again so we can come.

To the front of the chair, extend your arms to the front and let's try to count to ten while we sit down. ok? Extend your arms and slowly start bending your knees. One, two try to keep a straight spine. Three, four.

Five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten. Very good! You can bring your knees a little closer. You can close your.

Eyes again. You can turn your.

Palms up if you wish Close your eyes and let's focus.

Back into our breath.

Taking nice deep inhales through the nose posture. Just one second And now exhale.

Completely through the mouth.

Inhale again, pause for just one second and release. Keep going pause and let go.. Very good. alright, I hope you enjoy your class today.

Thanks again to the Blue Door Neighborhood Center and Rise up for this collaboration. Thanks to them, we're bringing this video to you. Thank you.