What is Chair-Based Yoga (CBY)?
CBY is a practice of Hatha Yoga while sitting on the chair, but also using chair as a support if needed, during the standing practice, for people who can stand. CBY can also include use of the wall for asana practice and of other pops commonly used in Yoga.
Who is Chair-Based Yoga (CBY) for?
Chair-Based Yoga (CBY) is for people who cannot access floor easily or for other reasons cannot participate in the mainstream classes. This includes people with limited strength and mobility, people with limiting health conditions and their carers, but also people who would like to practice Yoga within limited special circumstances, such as in classrooms and offices. Examples of CBY participants where strength, mobility and health are the reasons to take CBY are: elderly people with difficulties in getting to and lifting from the floor, wheelchair users, cancer survivors, people with chronic pain, osteoporosis, or neurological conditions were standing practice is not easy or recommendable.
Why would someone practice Chair-Based Yoga (CBY)?
CBY brings the benefits of Hatha Yoga to everyone who is not able to attend usual Yoga classes. Benefits of Hatha Yoga practice are many, in terms of balancing body and mind, and aligning with a sense of purpose and meaning in life, in face of existential questions and challenges of the human condition. Many people also experience therapeutic effects of Yoga practice, with regards to physical and mental health, and many of these effects are supported by research evidence too.
In general, CBY is considered to improve participants’ flexibility, mobility, strength, physical awareness & balance, breathing, mood, self-efficacy and confidence, all of which contributing to better health outcomes. The CBY practice also provides an opportunity for meaningful socialising and peer support for people who might be socially isolated, that in turn contributes to the overall benefits of practicing yoga in the way that is safe and possible. And as we now practice online, you can even take the same class with your dear ones who live remotely.
How to join a Chair-Based Yoga Class with Mairi?
Chair-Based Yoga sessions are currently running as 1-2-1 classes, and it is ideal to start this way before joining the group classes as the session can be tailored for your specific needs. When the group is formed, Chair-Based Yoga classes will run in live and interactive classes via Zoom, twice a week in 6 week blocks of classes of approximately 35 minutes, every Monday and Wednesday at 11.15am. You need to be able to connect to the Zoom application on your laptop, tablet or phone.
If not practicing in 1-2-1 sessions already, before you would join the class, we would need to arrange a free phone consultation to better understand how to support you in the class. This may in turn require one-to-one session to start with, if your health condition requires so, or you feel more confident starting that way, before joining the online group classes – otherwise joining the group straightaway is perfectly ok!
For some people who are physically inactive, this might be a huge step to make, but the benefits are great, and it may be a huge joy too. So please give it a try.
To arrange the initial consultation please send your request via contact page. I am looking forward to chatting with you and hopefully seeing you in the class.
What people say about this class?
Here is what Sandra said about her experience of Chair-Based Yoga:
“I joined Mairi’s Armchair Yoga about six months ago. And I do the Armchair Yoga which is very good for me. Mairi taught me to enjoy the classes. My strength and flexibility have improved enormously.“
As Sandra uses her armchair for the practice, she renamed the Chair-Based Yoga into ArmchairYoga so you have that option too!
To read read more about what people say about practicing Yoga with Mairi please visit Testimonials Page.
Yoga with Mairi 