Seated Postures

Grab a sturdy chair and take a seat for these postures!

Postures 15-34


TO DO: Review each posture in the photos and then watch the respective video. Scroll down to view the postures.

Seated Postures



Easy Seated

  • Lift and lengthen through torso
  • Shoulders released down through ears
  • Chest open
  • Palms forward



Seated Upward Salute

  • Feet flat on the floor
  • Knees about hip distance
  • Lift and lengthen, sweep arms overhead
  • Fingers toward sky and gaze follows
  • Release down
  • Or keep elbows or arms down
  • Sequence of three



Seated Torso Circles

  • Feet hip distance
  • Shift ribs to one side, rotating rib cage back and around in circular motions
  • Reverse and rotate to other side
  • Option to do slight rotation through the ribs



Seated Neck Rolls

  • Bring chin to chest, pause for a couple of breaths
  • Exhale rotate right ear to right shoulder, pause
  • Rotate back down chin to chest, pause
  • Rotate left ear to left shoulder, pause
  • Shoulders down and relaxed, bringing ear to shoulder rather than should to ear
  • Inhale chin to chest, exhaling from side to side, sinking movements to breath
  • Hands on legs
  • Rotation can be smaller as needed



Seated Neck Stretch

  • Right ear over right shoulder, right hand on top of head
  • Option to keep hands in lap and have ear drift to shoulder
  • Opposite arm reach out, lengthen fingertips for deeper stretch
  • Bring hands back to lap, chin to chest
  • Invite chin to neutral, chin to sky to get stretch down front down to collar bone
  • Move slowly as you come out of the pose



Shoulder Rolls

  • Sit bones grounded on chair
  • Shoulders up and back, back and down
  • Rolling forward up and down, slower at first, 3 rotations up and back
  • Add additional rolls at their own pace both up and back
  • Option to keep rolls in a shallow position



Seated Foot and Ankle Stretch

  • Spine tall, free from back of chair
  • Right leg extended, foot flexed
  • Option to lower leg as needed
  • Hand can be planted on the chair for additional support
  • Point and flex toes, and switch to other side
  • Adding on ankle roll, one direction and then the other



Cat/Cow

  • Come forward on chair but keep enough of sit bones on chair for support
  • Inhale lift and lengthen, naval to spine, round shoulders in, pushing low back out
  • Inhale lift and lengthen, belly forward, neck long, chest open, hinging from hips slightly



Cow Face

  • Have tension band handy (option for towel, belt, strap)
  • Place end of band in right hand, seated tall
  • Both arms up overhead
  • Drop hand with band behind hand, opposite arm comes around and holds bottom of band
  • Right elbow comes back so chest is open
  • Can hold, pulse, or pull hands away from one another
  • Option to bring band in front of body, elbows in, tension on the band in front
  • Top elbow can be more forward facing



Seated Single Leg Stretch

  • Closer to edge of chair
  • Left leg extended out
  • Hands on chair for support
  • Lift, forward fold, hinge at hips and keep a flat back
  • Lead with the chest, long spine
  • Hold, come up to reset, and repeat before switching legs
  • Option to come into a more shallow forward fold
  • Deep breath in and release, perhaps drawing torso down further toward legs
  • Perhaps adding an additional chair in front for added support



Seated Hamstring Stretch

  • With a strap or tension band
  • Base leg is bent, foot flat
  • Band to ball of opposite foot, grabbing hold at top of band
  • Inhale, lift and lengthen, draw leg up
  • Pulling band in toward you
  • Naval to spine to secure low back
  • Option to relax tension on prop, lowering the leg slightly or to floor, if foot is on floor student could bring themselves to a forward fold to find additional stretch down leg
  • 3 sets rather than holding for a longer period of time



Seated Pigeon

  • Option to offer Single Leg Stretch instead of this pose
  • Or crossing at ankle or at knee and fold forward
  • Bring ankle up top of thigh
  • Forward fold, drop head down to comfortable position
  • Hand holding knee for support, not pushing down
  • Come up, reset, and repeat 3 on each side
  • Before moving for the other side, ankle and hip roll, reset



Seated Twist

  • Feet hip distance
  • Inhale lift and lengthen, exhale turn toward left side
  • Open chest, gaze toward left shoulder
  • Back hand can come to back or seat of chair for support
  • Find a focal point, pause, and then find a spot just outside of gaze toward left side, turn torso and neck to try to meet the new focal point to move deeper into pose
  • Slowly unwinding, come to neutral, reset, move to other side
  • Option to come into more shallow twist
  • Or hands can come to hips and turn body to side



Seated Eagle

  • Extend both arms out in front, palms up
  • Cross one arm over the other at elbow
  • Top arm to face, turn palms in to face one another, trying to make connection with palms
  • Instead of twisting, arm over chest
  • Or draw elbows down to chest height



Seated Cactus

  • Chest open
  • Invite into upward salute, draw arms down
  • Elbows wide, and draw them back, at shoulder height
  • Widening chest
  • Palms forward
  • Shoulders down and back
  • Elbows can be brought down as needed
  • Can bring palms together, exhale widen into cactus



Seated Goddess

  • Similar to Cactus
  • Legs greater than hip width
  • Upward salute, draw arms to cactus, repeat sequence
  • Option to move elbows down as needed
  • Keeping chest open and drawing shoulders back



Seated Goddess Side Twist

  • Keep right arm down, left forearm to thigh
  • Draw right shoulder back and open up chest
  • Option to draw arm to cactus or bring arm down
  • Gaze to go up to fingertips or wherever most comfortable



Seated Goddess Angle

  • Upward salute in Goddess sequence
  • Left forearm on left thigh
  • Right arm up and over, leaning to left
  • Pulling fingertips out and down will help to move into deeper stretch rather than the amount of the lean
  • Upper arm can come down, or hand can come to hip and move into side bend



Seated Shoulder Stretch

  • Cross arm over the other, hugging arm across the chest
  • Option to provide for Eagle
  • Keep front arm down and hug opposite shoulder



Complete and Continue