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George’s Intro
I updated this post in 2026.
Help students feel the chair, the floor and their breath before adding more 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 five-pose chair yoga flow is for days when students need a simple route back to the chair, the floor and a comfortable breath.
Here, grounding means noticing physical support, moving within a manageable range and giving attention one clear job at a time. It is a teaching intention, not a medical promise.
The original five movements come from Card 2: Grounding in my Chakra Chair Yoga Mini Flows Deck 1.
The deck is a visual prompt when you want several short chair-yoga routes without starting from a blank page.
Teach the Five-Pose Flow
Start at the feet and finish with the breath.
The order gives students a clear journey: feel the floor, add an easy reach, move the side body, rotate gently, then become still enough to notice breathing.
No complicated choreography is required. Let each movement finish before the next one begins.
1Ankle Curl: find the floor
Begin with both feet resting on the floor. Extend one foot only as far as the student can keep an easy upright seat.
Main cue: Keep the movement small enough to feel the heel, toes and floor.
Why it comes first: It gives attention a specific physical task and introduces movement without asking the whole body to organise at once.
Useful option: Keep the toes on the floor and alternate lifting each heel.
2Arm Side Raise: add space
Let the arms travel through a comfortable arc. The shoulders do not need to chase the ears.
Main cue: Stop below shoulder height if that is the more comfortable route.
Why it comes next: The student keeps the stable seated base while adding a larger, breath-led movement.
Useful option: Raise one arm at a time or slide the hands forward on the thighs.
3Side Bend: keep the base steady
Ask students to notice whether one sitting bone becomes light. Reduce the bend until both sides of the pelvis feel supported.
Main cue: Think length first, distance second.
Why it sits in the middle: It introduces a new direction without requiring students to stand or change equipment.
Useful option: Keep the upper hand on the shoulder instead of reaching overhead.
4Easy Twist: turn without tugging
Move from the breastbone and ribs. Keep the chin roughly in line with the centre of the chest.
Main cue: Rotate without pulling yourself deeper.
Why it comes fourth: The class is warm enough to explore rotation, but the movement remains supported and easy to leave.
Useful option: Make the twist tiny and keep both hands on the thighs.
5Belly Breath: finish by noticing
Invite students to feel the movement of breath without forcing it into the abdomen.
Main cue: Let the breath be comfortable rather than impressively large.
Why it finishes the flow: Stillness makes it easier to notice the effect of the preceding movements and decide what the class needs next.
Useful option: Place both hands on the thighs if touching the abdomen feels unhelpful.
The full sequence usually takes about eight to twelve minutes. That makes it useful as a short practice, an arrival sequence or the opening block of a longer class.
For more guidance on chairs, student choices and class setup, see My Top 20 Chair Yoga Teaching Tips.
Adapt It for Three Classes
Keep the route and change the emphasis.
Mixed-mobility group
Keep: the same five-part order.
Change: offer heel lifts instead of extending the leg, one arm at a time and a very small twist.
Add: a visible demonstration before each movement and extra time to change sides.
Desk-break class
Keep: the ankle movement, arm raise, side bend and twist.
Change: use fewer repetitions and a slightly brisker rhythm.
Add: one pause to notice jaw, shoulders and feet before returning to work.
Evening class
Keep: all five movements.
Change: slow the transitions and remain for two comfortable breaths in each side bend and twist.
Add: a longer quiet finish with hands on the thighs or abdomen.
These are planning examples, not fixed prescriptions. The useful version is the one that fits the people in the room.
Build a Full Chair Yoga Class
A mini-flow can become the beginning of a complete class.
Keep the five-pose grounding route intact, then add only the sections that serve your group and purpose.
- Arrive: seated orientation and a simple check-in.
- Mobilise: use the five-pose grounding flow.
- Strengthen: add seated leg work or supported standing poses.
- Settle: return to quieter seated mobility.
- Rest: protect enough time for an unhurried ending.
The Chair Yoga Class Formula gives you a reusable beginning, middle and end. The Yoga Lesson Planning Hub helps you choose the planning route that matches today’s teaching problem.
George’s Conclusion
Grounding does not need an elaborate sequence.
A chair, five clear movements and enough time to notice the floor can give a class a dependable beginning.
Teach the route once. Watch what your students actually use. Then make the arm movement smaller, the pauses longer or the ending quieter next time.
That is useful lesson planning: a simple structure that leaves room for the people in front of you.