Chair Yoga: SHOULDERS

About This Class

In this dynamic chair yoga session, Dan Ward guides students through a full shoulder-focused sequence that is accessible yet surprisingly thorough. The class opens with a grounding breath awareness exercise before moving into thumb-hooked arm reaches that warm up the shoulder girdle. Students then explore side-body stretches, upper-back rounding, and a strap-assisted gomukhasana-style bind (cow face arms) that simultaneously works both internal and external shoulder rotation — with the option to use a towel instead of a yoga strap. Additional shoulder work includes eagle arms (garudasana arms), a seated chest-opening backbend gripping the sides of the chair, chair dips for shoulder strength, and a crossed-knee forward fold that adds a hip-opening dimension. The class closes with sweeping inhale-and-reach arm flows and a moment of stillness at the heart center. Throughout, Dan emphasizes listening to the body, backing off when you meet resistance, and using the legs and core to support the upper body work — making the session feel integrated rather than purely rehabilitative.