Chair Side Bend II

Side Bend II: The Chair Pose That Lifts Your Energy and Grounds Your Roots (Includes 30 Modifications)

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Feeling pulled in too many directions—or like you’ve been shrinking to fit?

Let’s create length, without leaving the ground.

Meet Side Bend II—a steady, uplifting pose from the Chakra Chair Yoga Card Deck that brings length to the side body, clarity to the mind, and alignment to the heart and solar plexus chakras.

This variation gives you one hand anchored for stability, and one arm stretching skyward like you’re reaching for the next version of yourself. It’s about balance between lift and grounding, effort and ease.

It’s rooted.
It’s liberating.
And it reintroduces you to your side body’s wisdom.

This pose doesn’t demand acrobatics. It simply asks: Can you find space within structure?

All you need is a chair, your breath, and a willingness to lift—on purpose.

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5 Steps To Master the “Side Bend II” Chair Yoga Exercise

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Step 1: Sit tall on your chair with both feet flat on the floor.

Step 2: Reach your left arm up, palm facing inward, toward the sky.

Step 3: Hold the edge of the chair with your right hand for support.

Step 4: With a straight back, stretch your left hand up and over your head—lengthening through the side body.

Step 5: Hold for a few breaths, then gently release. Repeat on the other side.

This posture lengthens your ribs, anchors your seat, and teaches your energy how to flow upward without floating away.

Let’s explore 30 modifications to help you personalise the exercise to your unique breath and body.

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10 Beginner Modifications For the “Side Bend II” Chair Yoga Exercise

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Beginner Modification 1: Elbow Bent Overhead
Keep the top arm bent at the elbow to reduce strain on the shoulder.

Beginner Modification 2: Smaller Reach
Don’t overextend—just a gentle lean is enough to feel the stretch.

Beginner Modification 3: Top Hand to Hip
Place the top hand on your hip and focus on a gentle torso tilt.

Beginner Modification 4: Sit Closer to Chair Back
Use the chair’s backrest to support your posture if balance feels wobbly.

Beginner Modification 5: Cushion Under Feet
Use blocks or cushions under your feet if they don’t reach the floor.

Beginner Modification 6: Gaze Forward
Keep your eyes looking ahead to avoid neck discomfort.

Beginner Modification 7: Hold Chair Leg Instead
Instead of the seat, hold the leg of the chair for lower support.

Beginner Modification 8: One-Breath Hold
Inhale up, exhale into the bend, then return—keeping things brief and manageable.

Beginner Modification 9: Blanket Under Sitting Bones
Elevate your hips for more ease and alignment in the spine.

Beginner Modification 10: Gentle Mantra
Inhale: “I rise with ease.”
Exhale: “I root in safety.”

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10 Intermediate Modifications For the “Side Bend II” Chair Yoga Exercise

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Intermediate Modification 1: Gaze Toward Top Hand
Add a neck stretch and heart lift by looking toward the raised fingers.

Intermediate Modification 2: Add a Pause at Peak
Hold the side bend for 2–3 breaths to deepen presence.

Intermediate Modification 3: Add Gentle Twist
Rotate slightly open from the chest as you bend sideways.

Intermediate Modification 4: Dynamic Flow
Alternate side bends with breath for a fluid side-body sequence.

Intermediate Modification 5: Use Strap or Scarf
Hold a strap overhead between both hands to stabilise arm movement.

Intermediate Modification 6: Reach Diagonally
Slightly angle the top arm forward to explore different muscle lines.

Intermediate Modification 7: Core Engagement
Activate your abdominal wall to support the spine during the arc.

Intermediate Modification 8: Add Ujjayi Breath
The gentle ocean wave sound of Ujjayi Breath can guide your attention into the pose.

Intermediate Modification 9: Light Wrist Pulses
Pulse the top hand upward an inch or two for added energy flow.

Intermediate Modification 10: Affirm While Holding
Repeat softly: “I lengthen. I listen. I let go.”

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10 Advanced Modifications For the “Side Bend II” Chair Yoga Exercise

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Advanced Modification 1: Longer Hold
Stay in the side stretch for 5–8 breaths to explore depth and stillness.

Advanced Modification 2: Reach Farther
Stretch the top arm beyond your ear to amplify the line of energy.

Advanced Modification 3: Combine With Twist
Begin in the side bend, then rotate your chest slightly upward to open the heart chakra.

Advanced Modification 4: Chairless Variation
Do the same pose seated on a bolster or block for a grounded, mat-free version.

Advanced Modification 5: Add Sound Vibration
Silently repeat “RAM” (solar plexus) or “YAM” (heart) to connect energetically.

Advanced Modification 6: Dynamic Breathwork Before Entering
Use energising breath like Breath of Joy to prepare your body for full expansion.

Advanced Modification 7: Hold Small Weight in Top Hand
Add gentle resistance by holding a yoga block or small object overhead.

Advanced Modification 8: Closed Eyes Practice
Close your eyes during the hold to internalise the movement and deepen awareness.

Advanced Modification 9: Try With Eyes in Mirror
Use a mirror to refine posture and witness your alignment from a place of compassion.

Advanced Modification 10: Journaling Prompt Post-Pose
“What part of me is ready to rise—without losing my roots?”

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Conclusion: Side Bend II Balances Stability With Stretch

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Side Bend II teaches root and reach, stabilise and expand.

With one hand grounded and one hand reaching skyward, you embody the principle that growth doesn’t require losing your center.

It’s not about bending farther—it’s about feeling more.

This stretch strengthens your relationship to your side body, your yogic breath, and your boundaries. It also helps clear stuck energy from the solar plexus (your seat of confidence) and heart chakra (your center of self-trust).

You’ll find this and dozens of other posture-as-practice movements in the Chakra Chair Yoga Card Deck. No yoga mat. No overwhelm. Just accessible shapes that remind you how to live upright—body, breath, and being.

Take a seat. Take a breath. And take up your full length.

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Side Bend FAQs

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"What Are The Benefits Of Yoga Side Bends?"

I would say the big top three benefits are:

1. Balance the entire body.
2. Lengthen abdominal muscles, hips, and thigh muscles.
3. Improve spine flexibility.

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"What Are Intercostal Muscles And Why Is It Important To Stretch Them?" 

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Okay. Okay. I admit it. I've never had a student of mine say this. But I can live in hope. Perhaps one day a nurse, doctor, or professional athlete will join my class and ask me a tricky anatomy question.

Side bends stretch the muscles between the ribs (the intercostal muscles). These muscles can get short and tight in daily life, due to time spent sitting and slouching.

Tight intercostals cause slouching.

And slouching will cause tension in your neck and shoulders to pile up.

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"Can Side Stretches Help Free Up My Breathing?" 

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If you have tight intercostal muscles there's a very good chance that your ribs don't have a full range of motion. And that means your breathing will be restricted.

Stretching your intercostal will open up the ribcage and lungs, which will significantly improve your breathing capacity.

Side Bends can also help relieve respiratory conditions, such as colds, asthma, and allergies.

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"Can Side Stretches Help Digestion?" 

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Yes. Side Bends stretch the abdominal muscles and digestive organs. This assists and regulates digestion, elimination, and metabolism.

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"Why Are Side Stretches Good For Women Who Are Pregnant?" 

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Women who are pregnant can benefit from gentle Side Bends because they will help to create more space in the torso for the organs and the growing baby.