A chair is one of the most useful yoga props in an ordinary home. It can be a seat when getting to the floor is difficult, a raised surface for your hands, or something steady to hold while you balance. Health information on balance exercises routinely suggests holding on to a solid support such as the back of a chair.

A chair is also heavy, has legs that can slide, and can tip if loaded wrongly. This guide covers choosing one, setting it up, and using it in the three common ways.

Choosing a chair

Most homes have a suitable chair. Check it against this list before using it for practice.

  • Four legs and no wheels. Office chairs that roll or swivel are not suitable.
  • Solid and stable when you push on the seat and backrest from different directions.
  • A flat, firm seat. Soft cushions can shift.
  • A height at which you can sit with feet flat on the floor and knees roughly level with hips. Choose a different chair if your feet cannot rest securely.
  • No folding mechanism that could collapse, unless it is a purpose-made yoga chair that locks.

Positioning the chair

Check the chair in the direction you will use it. Do not assume a chair can bear exercise loads just because it is suitable for sitting.

  1. Place the chair on a non-slip surface. All four legs should rest evenly; avoid folds or loose rugs that make the chair rock. A wall does not guarantee that a chair cannot tip.
  2. Test it: press down on the seat and pull lightly on the backrest. It should not move.
  3. Clear the area around it so you can step to either side.
  4. Decide which way it faces before you start: seat toward you for hand support, backrest toward you for balance support.

Use 1: chair as a seat

Sitting on a chair lets you practise many movements without getting down to the floor: spinal movements, side bends, gentle twists, arm movements and forward folds. Sit toward the front of the seat with both feet flat, so your spine is upright without leaning on the backrest.

  • Twists: turn from the ribs while keeping the hips facing forward; use the backrest lightly, not as a lever to wrench further.
  • Forward folds: hinge from the hips; rest hands on thighs or blocks if the floor is far away.
  • Leg stretches: extend one leg forward with the heel on the floor; use a strap around the foot if needed.

Use 2: chair seat as a raised floor

In poses where the hands normally reach the floor, the chair seat brings the floor up. With the chair against a wall, seat facing you, place your hands on the seat in place of the floor. This can make poses that ask for weight on the hands, or reaching downward, more accessible.

Keep weight moderate at first and make sure the chair cannot slide away from you.

Use 3: chair back for balance

Standing behind the chair with one or both hands on the backrest gives a steady reference in balance poses. MedlinePlus exercises for preventing falls use exactly this setup, advising holding on to a solid support such as the back of a chair. Use as little pressure as you need; aim to touch the chair rather than lean on it.

  1. Stand behind the chair, close enough to rest your hands on the backrest with elbows slightly bent.
  2. Shift weight onto one foot slowly while holding on.
  3. Lighten your grip to fingertips when you feel steady.
  4. Keep the chair within reach; return both hands to it if you wobble.

Mistakes to avoid

These checks address obvious setup problems; they cannot eliminate the risk of a fall.

  • Using a chair with wheels, a swivel, or a loose leg.
  • Pushing sideways on the backrest, which can tip the chair.
  • Standing on the chair.
  • Using the backrest to force a twist further.
  • Placing the chair on a rug that slides.

Who often uses a chair

Chairs suit people who find getting to and from the floor difficult, beginners learning balance, people in small spaces, and anyone practising at a desk. If you have a health condition or are recovering from an injury, the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health advises talking with your health care provider and yoga instructor about your individual needs.

Sources & further reading

  1. MedlinePlus: Exercises to help prevent falls

    Hold on to a solid support for balance, like the back of a chair; start slowly and check with your health care provider.

  2. NCCIH: Yoga—Effectiveness and Safety

    People with health conditions should talk with providers and instructors about individual needs.