Staying active and energised doesn’t have to mean being on your feet.
And you don’t even need to do any of the standing asanas (yoga poses) to be able to reap the benefits of the practice.
In fact, seated postures are some of the best positions for improving your flexibility, range of motion, core strength and focus.
…this is where sitting yoga comes in!
What are Sitting Poses?
Sitting yoga poses are a collection of yogic poses (or asanas in Sanskrit) designed to be performed while seated on the ground.
While the poses are often simple, the physical and psychological benefits of sitting poses are bountiful.
Ready to discover the world of sitting poses?
Let’s go!
So, What Are The Benefits Of Sitting Yoga Poses?
Where oh where do we begin?
Firstly, being seated naturally provides a position of stability from which you can explore positions and deepen stretches with greater confidence.
This makes them perfect for improving your flexibility, range of motion and releasing tension in your legs, back and shoulders.Similarly, sitting naturally distributes your body weight across a larger surface area.
This means sitting yoga utilises the earth below your sit bones to lighten your load during movement and exercise, helping to reduce the strain on your joints, muscles and ligaments.
The stability and comfort of seated yoga poses not only makes sitting poses perfect for meditation practice, yogic breathing and yogic eye exercises, but also means that they pose lower chance of injury than other asana groups such as inversions, due to the lowered risk of falling.
Aaand what’s more, the majority of sitting yoga poses are accessible to beginners!
With a yoga block here or a position adjustment there, most seated postures can be easily modified to suit any level of flexibility, balance and strength.
The benefits of sitting yoga are just too good to miss, which is why we’ve made this introduction to the 6 Best Seated Yoga Positions.
To exit the sitting poses, simply follow these steps and guidance in reverse.
#1: Wide-Legged Forward Bend
- Begin sitting in the centre of your mat, legs outstretched in front of you, toes pointed up towards the sky.
- From here, slowly bring your legs wide apart. You should feel a good stretch in your inner thighs, but not so much that its uncomfortable to hold the pose or causes your spine to curve.
- Keeping your spine long with shoulders back and down, exhale, place your hands between your legs and gently bend from your hips as you slowly start to walk your hands forward.
- Be mindful here not to curve your back or compress your chest. Focus on keeping your back straight and chest open as you bend. If you need to, bend your knees slightly to maintain a straight posture.
- When you reach the point where you can’t bend further without rounding your back, stop and hold this pose for up to ten deep breaths.
#2: Half Lotus Pose
- Begin sitting in the centre of your mat, legs outstretched in front of you, spine long, sit bones down and shoulders away from your ears.
- Flex both feet for one to two breaths and then bend your right knee so that your right foot is flat on the floor and slide your heel in towards your bottom.
- From here, use your hands to gently place your right foot onto your left thigh near to your hip crease.
- Be mindful here of any knee pain here – if experienced, mindfully exit the position.
- If comfortable, bend your left knee into a cross-legged position and gently nestle it underneath the crease between your right thigh and right calf.
- Stay here for five to ten deep breaths, then repeat on other side for anatomical balance.
- Tip: Half Lotus is a great substitute for the full Lotus Pose, which can be unsuitable for beginners or those with problematic knees.
#3: Half Lord of the Fishes Pose
- Beginning seated just above the centre of your mat, legs outstretched in front of you.
- Bend your left knee so that the bottom of your foot is flat against the floor.
- From here, bend your right knee and bring it underneath your left leg, using your hand to assist you, so that your right heal is next to your left buttock.
- Keeping both your sit bones on the floor, take your left leg and fold it over your right, so that the outer side of your left foot is next to your right knee.
- Keeping your back straight, spine long with shoulders back and down, inhale as you raise both arms to the ceiling.
- As you exhale, twist towards the left, placing your left hand on your mat behind you and your right elbow on the outside of your left knee. Gaze falling over your left shoulder.
- Hold for five to ten deep breaths, lengthening your spine as you inhale and stretching deeper into your twist as you exhale.
- Release and repeat on other side.
#4: Butterfly Pose
- Begin seated with legs outstretched in front of you, spine long with shoulders back and down away from your ears.
- Gently bend your right leg so that your sole is flat against the ground and your right heal is close to your right buttock.
- Repeat with other leg, bringing the left heal towards the left buttock.
- From here, allow your legs to gently fall to the side, knees still bent, so that you can press the soles of your feet together.
- Hook your left index finger around your left big toe, and your right around your right.
- Make sure your back is straight and spine long, shoulders back and down, and chest broad.
- Hold this pose for 10 or more deep breaths, trying to move your knees closer to the floor on each exhale.
- Tip: The closer your feet are to your hips, the greater the intensity of the stretch. Also, if you’re finding it hard to keep a straight back, try sitting slightly raised on a folded blanket or cushion.
#5: Sitting Forward Bend
- Begin seated with legs outstretched straight in front of you, spine long and shoulders back and down.
- Inhale as you raise your arms out to the side and up to the ceiling.
- Exhale and slowly begin to bend forward from your hips, keeping your back straight and shoulders back.
- Bend as far forward as is comfortable, grasping each foot with the corresponding hand, arms bent if needed.
- Stay here for 10 deep breaths. On each inhale, lengthen your spine and on each exhale, deepen into the forward bend trying each time to reach your head closer to your shins.
- Tip: Remember, it is more important here to keep a straight back and open chest than it is to be able to reach your toes. If you find that you can only reach your ankles or shins before your back begins to round, that’s okay!
Respect your body’s boundaries and trust that with practice your goals will come!
#6: Boat Pose
- Begin seated just above the centre of your mat, with bent knees and soles flat on the floor. Your back should be straight, spine long and shoulders back and down.
- Keeping your knees bent, slowly lift your feet up and off the floor and allow your torso to tilt back while being mindful not to round your back.
- Straighten your legs until your shins are parallel to the ground. Take a breath here to notice how your body feels. This is half boat pose.
- If you can do so while maintaining a straight back, straighten and lift your legs so that they are straight and at roughly a 45° angle to the floor.
- Roll your shoulders blades towards each other and straighten your arms out in front of you so they parallel to the floor, palms facing the ceiling. Try to roll back slightly so you are resting on your sit bones.
- Stay here for five to ten breaths, noticing the strength of your core.
- Finally, gently bend and lower your legs to release the pose.
You’ve got this!
As far as sitting poses go, the boat pose often has the reputation of being inaccessible for beginners, but this is simply not true!
Yes, the pose requires core strength and balance, however there are many modifications to ease beginners into mastering the boat pose:
- Try holding the backs of your thighs to help keep a straight back.
- Start by practicing half boat pose and building up.
- Gently focus your gaze on a fixed point ahead to help you balance.
- Remember that its more important to maintain a straight spine than to have completely straight legs in this pose – try to straighten your legs as much as is comfortable, but be mindful of your body’s limits.
A little extra tip on sitting poses:
Flexibility focused sitting poses such as those above make sitting poses a great warm up exercises.
However, you will likely find that you are able to go deeper into these stretches if you incorporate them into the end of your yoga practice after having activated and heated your muscle groups.
Got the idea, but not the gear?
With so many options, knowing what to wear at yoga practice can be daunting – but finding the right gear is key to optimising your practice.
Need some guidance? Check out our What To Wear At Yoga Class guide!
