Chair Yoga: Sit, Stretch, and Strengthen Your Way to a Happier, Healthier You

Now anyone can do yoga! I have been practicing mat yoga for 20 years, and then started teaching it almost three years ago. This summer I was asked if I would take on a chair yoga class. I was unfamiliar with this modified form of traditional yoga but as I looked into it I found it to be much more valuable and viable than it appeared at first glance. Then I began noticing people around me who would never in a million years give traditional mat yoga a try but were willing to consider chair yoga for its simplified form, which is less intimidating and more accessible to those who have injuries, who lack flexibility, who have no experience with exercise, or whose work keeps them at a desk for long periods of time. "Sitting is the new smoking," the author says boldly in her Introduction. Just let that sink in and consider how sedentary our society is, at work and at rest, and it is slowly killing us. (I think of the people on the space cruiser in the movie WALL-E, whose lives were so leisurely and automated they could not function outside their hover-chairs.) You have to really make an effort to move yourself, and many of us are not inclined to break free of our entropy. This book offers a full range of modified yoga movements you can do in a chair, from very basic to some challenging moves where you use the chair to help you balance as you progress to doing the pose without the chair. The photos and explanations are all very clear, and the overall tone of the book is fun and encouraging.

I teach Chair yoga and purchased this book on March 11, 2021 to help me plan my classes. Of all my yoga books, this one, hands down, is the best resource for me. Over three years later and I’m still pulling new ideas from it. Unlike other books, the photographs and the instructions are clear and concise. You won’t find a better Chair Yoga book. I love it. I wish this author would publish more of her ideas.

I just got this book, and I have not fully checked it out from chapter to chapter. It appears to have many chair yoga poses that I already know and use, but many more besides. I have taken Yoga Journal magazine and I wish they would run feature articles on chair yoga practices and poses. I believe more people would learn and do chair yoga for themselves, if word would be published. I can do most yoga mat poses, but some I cannot and that's where chair yoga works for me. I had another chair yoga book (Alice Christensen's Easy Does It Yoga) but that book needs serious updating. This book does very well, I do wish it would lay flat better.

I started chair yoga a few months ago & have been looking for a good companion to my practice. This is a great resource. It shows as many poses as I can think of, uses photos & illustrations, is well organized and I love the spiral binding so the book lays flat. A little on the pricey side, but glad I bought it.

I absolutely love chair yoga to help ease pain from life-long back trouble. Kristin McGee has a practical, realistic approach to yoga and it's easy to incorporate these poses into your daily routine. Her upbeat personality comes across the pages (without being obnoxious, lol), encouraging you to experiment and improve your health, both physical and mental. The instructions are written clearly and the photos are incredibly helpful. This is not a book for hard core yoga fanatics; it focuses mainly on poses and breathing for busy, injured/infirm, older, or newbie yoga practicers. I highly recommend this book.

It repeats some of the poses “stretches” at the end, and it includes some stretches for the face, eyes, mouth... I didn’t know I could do that but I certainly won’t do them since they feel silly and unnecessary but I had a good laugh when seeing them. Still a good book, with illustrations on how to do the stretch and explains it very well in my opinion

Having always done yoga and it was getting harder to get on the floor and get up again I thought I would try chair yoga, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made, book is easy to use and informative, I use it every day. The one thing I wish was that it was on a spiral, when using a page with instructions book won't stay open you have to put something heavy on it to keep the page you want open.

I actively use, and have recommended this book to many people. Especially in the health care sector. The philosophy is simple--you can definitely be mindful and exercise, even if you are desk or chair bound. There are no excuses left for those who refuse to better their health. Fuller breathing, better flexibility, and enhanced range of motion, are totally attainable in our busy, yet seated, world. Think about how much you sit in a day. You would be happily surprised if you did just a few of the exercises in this book. You don't need to be an earthy-crunchy hippie to appreciate the wisdom and health benefits contained here. Get the Kindle version, and use it on your phone!

Pro's: Hundreds of exercises to choose from. Pictures are clear and concise. Categorized by body area. Good written instructions. Cons: Not for beginners. It isn't that the exercises don't exist, they do, but there are so many to choose from, a newbie will get lost and will lose interest because they either hurt themselves, or find their level of fitness is not yet up to many of the movements illustrated. Personally, it is a great reference book, excellent for instructors, or seasoned practitioners. There is one thing I wonder about, is how does she actually get into some of those positions. Anyways, people who are recovering from an injury, those with disabilities, just starting, and Seniors may find this book a bit too involved.

I've always found Yoga intimidating because of the flexibility and balance required - until I understood these are gained by first mastering the basics. I chose chair yoga because I'm now approaching retirement and this seemed the best option until I develop the strength and form required for balance and flow to transfer to the mat. So far, so good. Kristin's book is clear and concise with plenty of photos/explanations of the benefits of each movement and you can sense her enthusiasm for the life of a yoga teacher. There is also a nice little chapter on meditation. Breathe.

Perfect for my stage of being disabled when I can’t get up from the floor

Images and explanations for several chair yoga poses

Parfaitement adapté à un public ayant besoin de regagner en mobilité et tonus. Il est vraiment très instructif et clair.