Chair Yoga and Acupressure for Well-Being

• Yoga

Combining chair yoga and acupressure can relieve irritability, anxiety, fatigue, indigestion, and depression, as well as tension in the neck, back, and shoulders. It can also alleviate many of the discomforts associated with menstruation and menopause.

Here are three simple, grounding practices to try.

To relieve neck, back, and shoulder tension: Sit on a chair with your arms crossed and your hands resting on your shoulders. Drop your chest toward your knees, letting your neck, head, and crossed arms hang down over your knees. Make sure that your chin is lifted. Hold for one minute, breathing deeply. Then, exhale as you pull your abdominal muscles toward your spine, and slowly roll your spine back up to a sitting position, raising your head last.

To relieve irritability and anxiety: Sit on the front edge of one chair with another chair in front of you. Place your feet on the second chair, feet flat and knees bent and drawn together and up towards your chest. Remember to find your level of flexibility and comfort. Rest both hands on top of your feet and place your index finger at the base of the area between your first and second toes. Press that point firmly for one to two minutes. If pressing the point isn’t physically possible or comfortable in this position, visualize that you are doing so while resting your hands on your shins or knees.

To relieve fatigue, indigestion, depression, and cramps: Sit on the front edge of one chair with another chair in front of you. Place your feet on the second chair, flat and about shoulder-width apart, with knees together. Turn your heels slightly out. Place your palms on your hipbones so that your hands are angled in toward your groin. Spread your fingers open and place your middle fingers in the crease where your pelvis and thigh meet. Press down gently with your middle fingers for one to two minutes.

Find out about upcoming programs with Lakshmi Voelker at Kripalu.

© Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. All rights reserved. To request permission to reprint, please e-mail editor@kripalu.org.