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George’s Intro
I updated this post in 2026.
A chair yoga class formula gives you a reliable route through the lesson without forcing every student through the same version of each movement.
Hi, I’m George. I’m a British Wheel of Yoga teacher, creator of the Online Yoga Lesson Planner and maker of yoga card decks. I’m also mildly obsessed with sticky-note yoga doodles.
This guide gives you one six-part planning structure that you can use for a 30, 45, 60 or 75-minute chair yoga class.
You will also see how to keep a familiar route, change one useful part and adapt the plan for the students who actually arrive.
Jump to the one-page chair yoga class formula ↓
Why Use a Chair Yoga Class Formula?
A formula is a framework, not a fixed routine.
It helps you answer six practical questions before class: how will students arrive, mobilise, flow, stand if appropriate, cool down and rest?
Once those answers are visible, you can spend less time staring at a blank page and more time checking whether the route suits your group.
Start faster
Begin with six useful containers instead of an empty lesson plan.
Keep a clear route
Give the class a recognisable beginning, middle and end.
Adapt calmly
Change one section without rebuilding the whole lesson.
Protect the ending
Plan cooling and rest before the middle of class expands.
The formula supports planning. It does not replace your training, knowledge of the group or decisions made in the room.
The Six-Part Chair Yoga Class Formula
Use the six sections as a dependable route, then adjust the time and choices inside each one.
Arrive and breathe
Help students notice the chair, feet and room. Use an easy orientation, comfortable breathing or a short check-in.
Useful example: feet on the floor, hands on thighs and three unforced breaths.
Mobilise the joints
Introduce small movements before larger ranges. Include areas that will be used later in the class.
Useful example: ankle movements, shoulder circles and an easy seated twist.
Build a seated flow
Link a short sequence that students can learn without rushed choreography.
Useful example: arm raise, side bend, easy twist and seated forward fold.
Add supported standing
Offer standing only when it suits the group. Keep a seated version available and make the chair support clear.
Useful example: sit-to-stand practice, supported balance or a small standing flow behind the chair.
Cool down
Reduce the size, pace and complexity of movement. Return attention to support and an easy breath.
Useful example: seated side bend, gentle twist and hands resting on the thighs.
Relax and reflect
Leave enough time for a quiet finish. Students may stay seated or use another comfortable resting position.
Useful example: a short body scan, quiet breathing and a clear transition out of class.
One-Page Chair Yoga Class Formula
Write one useful choice in each row and you have an 80%-ready route.
The examples below give you a workable starting plan. Click in the final column to replace them with your own choices, then copy or print the table before leaving the page.
My Chair Yoga Class Formula
Edit the “My Choice” section.
60-minute example
| Section | Purpose | Time | My choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Arrive | Orient and settle | 5 min | Feet on floor + easy breathing |
| 2. Mobilise | Prepare key joints | 10 min | Ankles + shoulders + easy twist |
| 3. Seated flow | Build a clear sequence | 15 min | Reach + side bend + twist + fold |
| 4. Supported standing | Offer strength or balance | 10 min | Sit-to-stand + supported balance |
| 5. Cool down | Reduce pace and effort | 10 min | Small side bend + quiet twist |
| 6. Relax | Finish without rushing | 10 min | Body scan + comfortable breathing |
Your changes stay on this page only. Copy or print them before you leave.
Build a 60-Minute Chair Yoga Class
A 60-minute class gives every section enough room without making any single part do all the work.
Here is one complete route using the same six-part formula.
Arrive
Welcome, sitting-position choices, feet on the floor and comfortable breathing.
Mobilise
Ankle curl, heel lifts, shoulder circles, easy side bend and gentle twist.
Seated flow
Arm raise, side bend, easy twist, seated cat-cow and a comfortable forward fold.
Supported standing
Sit-to-stand practice, supported heel raises and a small balance choice. Keep the full section seated when that serves the group better.
Cool down
Return to the chair for smaller shoulder, side-body and twisting movements.
Relax
Quiet sitting, a short body scan and enough time to reorient before leaving.
If you want a visual five-pose opening, use the Chair Yoga Grounding Flow inside the arrival and mobility sections.
Adapt It for 30, 45 or 75 Minutes
Keep the six-part route and change the size of each section.
For a shorter class, reduce the number of movements rather than hurrying through them. Supported standing can become a brief option or disappear completely.
| Section | 30 min | 45 min | 60 min | 75 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrive | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Mobilise | 5 | 8 | 10 | 12 |
| Seated flow | 10 | 12 | 15 | 20 |
| Supported standing | 0 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| Cool down | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 |
| Relax | 5 | 7 | 10 | 10 |
| Total | 30 | 45 | 60 | 75 |
These timings are planning guides, not countdown targets. Begin the final two sections early enough that the class can finish calmly.
Adapt It for the Students Who Arrive
Adapt the plan, not the person.
Your written formula is a route. The students in front of you decide which version of that route is useful today.
When energy is lower
Keep: arrival, joint mobility and a clear ending.
Change: use fewer repetitions and longer pauses.
Remove: standing work if it makes the route less suitable.
For mixed mobility
Keep: one shared intention and the same section order.
Change: demonstrate seated and chair-supported choices before the group moves.
Add: extra transition time and permission to stay with the previous option.
When the group wants more challenge
Keep: the arrival, familiar anchors and unhurried relaxation.
Change: add a longer supported-standing block or more purposeful repetitions.
Avoid: treating a bigger movement as the only successful version.
Keep 80% Familiar and Change 20%
Students can recognise the class while you still bring in something fresh.
Keep the arrival, two reliable anchor movements, the way you explain choices and the closing practice.
Then change one middle section: a different seated mini-flow, a new supported balance, a fresh theme or a new route between familiar movements.
The fresh chair yoga sequences guide shows how to use six chair yoga card decks without turning every class into an entirely new experiment.
Real-World Chair Yoga Class Examples
The same formula can produce very different classes.
These worked examples show what to keep, change and remove when the time or group changes.
30-minute all-seated care-home class
Keep: feet-on-floor arrival, ankle mobility, a simple arm pattern and a quiet finish.
Change: teach one movement at a time with more demonstration and fewer changes of direction.
Remove: the supported-standing section.
Route: 3 minutes arrive, 5 mobilise, 10 seated flow, 7 cool down and 5 relax.
45-minute mixed-mobility community class
Keep: one shared six-part route and two familiar seated anchor movements.
Change: offer the standing section as a choice: seated leg work, sit-to-stand or supported balance.
Add: time to set up chairs and show all options before the movement begins.
Route: 5 minutes arrive, 8 mobilise, 12 seated flow, 5 optional standing, 8 cool down and 7 relax.
60-minute class with supported standing
Keep: the usual arrival, easy twist, seated flow and ten-minute ending.
Change: build a ten-minute supported-standing section around one balance intention.
Add: a clear seated alternative that follows the same direction or purpose.
Route: use the complete 5, 10, 15, 10, 10 and 10-minute formula.
You can also begin with one of the public shared yoga lesson plans, then copy and adapt it with an Online Yoga Lesson Planner membership.
George’s Conclusion
A useful chair yoga class formula gives you a route without trapping you inside it.
Plan the six sections, protect the ending and keep a seated choice available wherever standing appears.
Then watch what your students actually use. Keep the parts that help them feel secure and change one part that gives the next class a fresh purpose.
If you want to create, copy, edit, save and print your own plans with George’s blue yoga stick figures, use the Online Yoga Lesson Planner.
