Maybe you can’t do classic Yoga while sitting on a Quick-Seat Chair, but Yoga isn’t limited to head stands or backward bending wheels, or cobras, lions or locusts. The ancient science of Yoga which dates back more than 5,000 years has thousands of Yoga poses and variations, many of which involve little to no movement at all. In 1974 before Yoga was the trending rage it is now, I had already been teaching for a couple of years and pioneering the modified practice of Yoga for geriatric care and physical rehab when I found myself on an airplane heading for California to attend a special symposium on Yoga still in its infancy in the health industry.
My mind was engaged during that long flight with how I could use my own expert knowledge of Yoga to endure sitting for so many hours. Out came my pad and pen and down from the back of the seat in front of me came the pull down table/desk so I could jot some ideas. Back then, of course, there were wide seats and lots of leg room. In today’s economy class there is no room for anything except deep meditation and sitting very still. When I returned home from my trip, I set myself with the task of writing an article on the very subject of Yoga in the air and sent it off to the editor of Trans World Airlines. In a couple of weeks, I received a letter in the mail which included a check for a large enough sum of money, to buy myself a sports car. I guess they liked what I had to say, so Airborne Asanas appeared in Ambassador Magazine and went all around the world in their Gatsby edition. The important thing was that way back then, I just felt the need for people to have interesting, engaging and educational things to do while sitting and waiting.
Little did I know that decades into the future I would be combining my life-long knowledge of Yoga with my background in health care/rehab and with Quick-Seat Chair. As George Peppard was known to say in the cult classic TV series, The A-Team, “I love when the plan comes together,” because at Quick-Seat Chair we want you safe, seated when needed, and entertained, engaged and using time wisely to make it go faster when you’re in that long wait time. And that’s why we love bringing you useful self-care tips. Now about that Yoga.
One of the least practiced Yoga poses is the “Standing Mountain Pose.” Its purpose is simply to align your entire spine including your neck. Simply stand with feet together, knees relaxed, shoulders allowed to slightly rotate forward, arms relaxed at your sides, and neck and head held with chin perpendicular to the floor. Allow the pelvis to relax and tilt very slightly forward so that your tailbone is also slightly tucked in. Relax your stomach. Now just breathe comfortably through the nostrils and hold for a moment. Do this if you have to sit all day. Just being aligned is wonderful.
When you’re sitting, on a Quick-Seat or another chair, it is a good idea to practice a modified “Seated Cobra” by sliding your hips forward so that you can let your spine slouch. This relieves compaction of the lower discs caused by sitting with your spine straight and it allows your spine to return to it’s natural “S” curve. Depending on where you are, you can safely perform this on a Quick-Seat Chair because Quick-seat is very stable! Hold the position for a minute or so and repeat if your wait time is particularly long. Learn more seated postures here and for seniors here.
Now try to perform a few “Neck Turns” by slowly looking to the left and slowly looking to the right for 2-3 times. To finish, merely let your breath find its own rhythm by breathing through your nostrils, both in and out and fixing your eyes on something appealing, such as a plant or a tree outside the window. These techniques may seem as simple as opening up a Quick-Seat Chair with the light touch of a finger or the light tap of a toe, but don’t let that fool you in the “feel better department.”
Stay tuned for more tips for self-care, but remember Quick- Seat can support your business as well.
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Quick-Seat Chair. Temporary Seating That Closes Itself.