Practising yoga since the tender age of 9, Madhusatta Chaudhury has over 20 years of experience in teaching yoga. After learning the ropes of therapeutic yoga, she was hooked. And once the asthma was under control, she chose not to walk away from the discipline. Instead, she graduated to participate in full-fledged competitive yoga. Madhusatta has won three district, state, and national level titles in sub-junior and junior girls’ categories in various competitions organised by the Federation of Yoga Training and Research Association of India.
Madhusatta is a versatile yoga practitioner proficient in Ashtanga Vinyasa, Hatha, and restorative yoga. Her 250-hour teacher training certificate from Mysore, under the guidance of Yogacharya Bharat Shetty in the tradition of Krishnamacharya, is a testament to her diverse expertise. She is a Yoga Alliance USA certified teacher, a Certified Yoga Wellness instructor by the Ministry of AYUSH (YCB level 2), and a Certified Yoga Teacher & Evaluator by the Ministry of AYUSH (YCB level 3).
Madhusatta’s educational background is a testament to her comprehensive understanding of yoga. She majored in physiology, gaining a deep understanding of human anatomy and its complexities. Her pursuit of an MBA in Human Resource Development further equipped her with the knowledge to understand human psychology better and help clients with counselling and stress management.
Madhusatta’s commitment to yoga extends beyond personal practice. As a multiple award-winning yoga practitioner, she has conducted numerous Ashtanga and Hatha yoga workshops in various settings, including studios, clubs, and corporate organisations across Kolkata, reaching even those from underprivileged backgrounds. Her dedication to sharing the benefits of yoga is truly inspiring.
We spoke with her to learn more about Chair Yoga, a modified yoga practice incorporating a chair for support, balance, and alignment. “This type of yoga is especially helpful for people with mobility issues, seniors, or those who spend extended periods sitting. One can perform different yoga poses while seated, standing, or using the chair as a prop, all while reaping the same benefits as traditional yoga,” she explains.
Edited excerpts:
- What is Chair Yoga, and how does it differ from traditional yoga practices?
Chair yoga is a modified version of traditional Hatha yoga, where several poses (asanas) are performed from the comfort of a chair. The chair is crucial as it provides support and stability and facilitates flexibility and balance. It is a gentle form of yoga suitable for people of all ages, genders, and body types. Traditional yoga is mostly done sitting on a mat and is sometimes absolutely inaccessible to people with mobility issues, knee problems, hip problems, and obesity.
- What are the benefits of Chair Yoga, especially for those with mobility issues or chronic pain?
Chair Yoga can benefit people with mobility issues or chronic pain because it’s designed to be accessible and supportive. It helps alleviate chronic pain and reduce stress by allowing gentle movement and better blood circulation. The poses are designed to improve flexibility and joint and spine mobility. Chair Yoga can help improve posture and flexibility, help increase energy levels, and improve performance for adults and students in schools or at their jobs. It slows down ageing and improves sleeping habits.
- How can Chair Yoga improve flexibility, balance, and strength?
It can help people improve flexibility, strength, and balance even if they’re not used to exercising, as it involves mostly bending and twisting in a seated position. The benefits of yoga can be obtained without getting exhausted. It reduces the intensity of activities to ease the stress on joints and muscles. The support helps the individual gain a greater range of motion easily and without fear.
- What are some common Chair Yoga poses and sequences, and how are they adapted for seated or chair-supported practice?
Like traditional mat yoga, Chair Yoga moves include twists, hip stretches, forward bends, and mild backbends. Some of the common poses are:
- Cat cow stretch.
- Raised hand pose
- Forward bend
- Extended side angle and triangle pose
- Pigeon pose
- Eagle pose
- Spinal twist
- Warrior 1, 2 and reverse warrior.
- Chair variation of sun salutation
- Breathing and relaxation.
- Can Chair Yoga help with stress reduction and mental well-being?
Chair Yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety by focusing on your breathing and movements, which can create a movement meditation. It helps improve mood and confidence and relieves anxiety and depression. It enhances mental clarity and can help sharpen concentration and cognitive function. It helps practitioners to go through life’s ups and downs with greater ease and stability.
- How is Chair Yoga modified for different age groups, fitness levels, or abilities?
Chair Yoga is a modified form that can be adapted to suit the needs of different age groups, fitness levels, and abilities. It is a safe, low-impact exercise that can help older adults age get healthy. It can also help reduce the fear of falling and improve strength and balance. People with chronic health conditions have been hugely benefitted from Chair Yoga, especially arthritis, diabetes, thyroiditis, high blood pressure, dementia and anxiety disorders. Chair Yoga is a wonderful way for people with limited mobility to regain daily movement due to injury or surgery. The gentle bends, twists, and turns energise the body and help it open safely. For people with larger body types or obesity, the assistance of a chair helps a lot when they first begin practising. Instructors can also add props like straps, blocks, and blankets to the Chair Yoga practice to suit individual needs, empowering everyone to practice yoga in a way that suits them best.
- What are the advantages of practising Chair Yoga in a group setting versus individually?
While solo practice is always a disciplined approach and helps you mindfully develop and progress in your practice, the benefits of practising in a group setting can also be overruled. The biggest one is that it lifts energy in the room. If you practise with the right group and are led by a good teacher, the students in the surrounding group can energise your practice and take it to a higher level. It pushes you to do poses you might not do on your own and ensures that you show up to practice because you also form a bond with other practitioners in the class.
- How can Chair Yoga be incorporated into a workplace wellness program or office setting?
Chair Yoga can be incorporated into a workplace wellness program in several ways. Schedule short breaks throughout the day to practice Chair Yoga. Even five to ten minutes can be beneficial. It can be practised in a group or solo. Choosing simple poses that can be done wearing office clothes is important. Practice breathing: Add deep breathing exercises to your routine. It’s important to keep work stress at bay for some time, be present and stay focused. If practised in a group, it can be made fun and enjoyable by incorporating a bit of partner stretches and twists that allow employees to bond in a relaxed setting.
- What are some tips for finding a qualified Chair Yoga instructor or class?
An ideal candidate for leading a Chair Yoga class would be an instructor certified by Yoga Alliance or the Ministry of Ayush in classical or Iyengar yoga.
- How can readers adapt Chair Yoga principles to their daily lives, even outside formal practice?
Chair Yoga can be easily integrated into daily routines without a formal class. By setting aside a few minutes each day to practice simple poses and stretches, one can experience the physical and mental benefits of this accessible form of yoga. For instance, you can do a few stretches while sitting at your desk or practice deep breathing exercises during your daily commute.
- Can Chair Yoga be a rehabilitative tool for injuries or surgeries?
A chair provides the support that allows you to begin introducing exercise/activity back into your life. Sitting while engaging in an activity can reduce any discomfort you might feel while standing if you are recovering from an injury. Chair Yoga is valuable for rehabilitation because it exercises and strengthens the entire body and mind, rather than simply working only one specific body region. Keeping the whole body in good physical condition is one of the most difficult challenges facing individuals who are recovering from injuries. By utilising therapeutic Yoga methods for rehabilitation, muscle atrophy is prevented, and most muscle tone is preserved.
- How does Chair Yoga impact overall health and wellness, and what are the long-term benefits?
Focusing on your movement, breathing, and how your body reacts to the exercise creates a kind of moving meditation that promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and improves mental clarity. Like other forms of exercise, seated yoga may also help improve mood and confidence and relieve anxiety and depression.