3 yoga poses that don’t require getting down on the floor
Anyone can benefit from yoga. Stretches and exercises paired with conscious breath and attention to sensation in the body — any body type can do this.
It’s just a matter of finding the right style of yoga, or specific poses that feel right for you.
Today, I’d like to share postures for those who would rather not take a flow class or work the floor. These are postures that can be done standing or seated in a chair.
Maybe getting down on the ground is painful for you. Maybe you’re just not in the mood. Either way, these poses can help stretch and open your body and give you distinct sensations to mindfully breathe into. They’re offered by Tamika Caston-Miller.
Caston-Miller is the founder of Ashé Yoga, which offers online and in-person classes, training and retreats. The center’s approach is holistic. Offerings include everything from soundbaths to yoga nidra, to workshops like “Somatic Movement, Meditation & Writing” (Nov. 4-6). CastonMiller teaches mostly yin and restorative classes (which do involve being on the floor), but she says there are as many ways to practice yoga as there are types of bodies.
“My yoga practice is my own with variations that make sense for my specific skeleton, years of practice and bodily experiences,” she says.
“For those who are looking for a more well-rounded teacher who can increase the accessibility of the practice, they’re out there. Benefits of the practice include increased body awareness and mobility, better understanding of using breath to pacify the nervous system and experience with meditation whenever you need it.”
Accessing those benefits likely involves more than reading one article and sampling a few postures. But the poses Caston-Miller offer here may give you a taste for what’s possible. Yoga can look and feel a lot of different ways. Explore what feels good for you!
Chair Pigeon
While seated, Caston-Miller says to “place your right ankle over your left thigh near the knee. Remain upright or fold forward. Repeat on the other side.”
She adds that it’s important for hips to be in line with your knees. “You may add a stool or books under your feet if your chair is too high. You may also practice this on a sofa or the side of the bed.”
She says that folding forward in chair pigeon — much like Jaime Berkowitz can be seen doing at right — stretches the glutes and can help alleviate back pain. “When upright, it’s good for creating space in the hips.”
Crescent Lunge
It helps to start this posture with both hands on the back of a sturdy chair. Then, Caston-Miller says, “step your right foot back to create a lunge on the left side. Point all 10 toes in the same direction. Widen your feet apart to hip-width distance or any comfortable degree.”
It’s not necessary to go as deep as the photo shows. You might step back a little less, especially to start. Just mind your alignment, keeping your front knee directly over the ankle.
You can stay here. Feel the twinkle in your legs. Crescent lunges strengthen some muscles, like the hamstrings and quadriceps, and stretch others — I feel it in my calves, hip flexors and along my spine. Take a few deep breaths and see how it feels in your body.
Variations may include adding a twist: Release your opposite hand (in this case, your left) and reach it out behind you. Or release both hands and stretch them up in the air; feel the lengthening through the middle of your body.
Notice — without any judgment — how adding a twist or amping up the balancing element by reaching both arms up shifts how you feel (and think) in the pose.
Half Moon at the Wall
“(Doing this posture) at the wall with chair support is an amazing way for students of all ages and abilities to practice balance and to remember their strength. It is incredibly important that we do both of these things as our bodies change with age and time,” says Caston-Miller, who demonstrates the pose at left.
She adds that this pose can sometimes seem unapproachable in studio settings, but with the wall and an additional prop for your hand, it’s much more accessible. Caston-Miller had a hip replacement and still finds it both invigorating and supportive. Listen to your body to see whether that is the case for you.
Start by standing near a wall where you have plenty of open space and a chair or other piece of furniture to use as a prop.
The photos show CastonMiller taking the posture in stages. Go as far as feels good for you.
To start, stand with your right side against the wall, right toes facing forward. Put your left hand on your hip.
Shift your weight to your right leg. Keep your back straight as you hinge from your right hip, lowering your right hand to rest on a chair or furniture while lifting your back leg, with toes facing away from the wall.
“Lift your left leg to any degree. You may stop when you feel challenged.”
Perhaps send your top arm and gaze up and have your whole back against the wall.
Try this pose as part of a regular home practice or whenever you want to try something that feels cool!
Caston-Miller’s classes may be found at asheyoga.com and yogaworks.com.