Chair Yoga in the Online Classroom 

Minimize stress and increase body-mind energy
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In this chapter, we share a simple chair yoga routine that can be used during online classes in Adobe Connect.

Teaching and Learning Goal

The benefits of using chair yoga during class include:

  • Improving student concentration and focusing throughout the class session;
  • Reducing student stress;
  • Providing a tangible mind-body activity that students can take with them following the semester; and
  • Increasing instructor presence during the class session

Activity and results

All of us go through happy days and not-so-happy days. It is common to feel that we have too much to do in too little time. But, the inclination to buckle down, and work harder and longer is not the answer. It is easy to get caught up in the “activity trap”, where our time is filled with busy work that is focused on generating quantity over quality and where taking breaks, regenerating, and returning to the task refreshed are not valued.

A little stress can be helpful. For example, some of us have felt slightly motivated to complete a task when we have a deadline. However, too much stress and chronic stress can easily shift that sense of motivation into overwhelm. Where a little stress can actually help heighten our senses and improve our ability to learn new information, overwhelm can block our ability to focus, store new information, and engage in logic, reason, and creativity.

Therefore it is absolutely essential to learn and practice skills that help us reduce, release, and feel respite from stress, especially prolonged and intense stress. Given all of the stressful aspects our students live through daily - and bring with them into the classroom - it is important to engage in stress reducing activities during class.

Chair yoga is one of the techniques we have used in our online classes to improve student concentration, reduce student stress, and improve student mind-body connection. Chair yoga is easily led during online classes, as most of our students are already in quiet areas and sitting in chairs facing the computer screen. Therefore, no other equipment or space is needed to complete the practice. Chair yoga, and the steps described below, is also generally more accessible compared to other physical/asana based yoga practices. Having the support of the chair along with the gentle prompts addresses the needs of many who otherwise would not be able to engage in a standing or more strenuous yoga flow. That said, some students may still be unable to follow the described practice, so we like to include the prompt “if there are any movements that you are unable to perform for any reason, we invite you to imagine yourself following the prompts”. Remember, the goal of yoga is not speed or flexibility. We encourage everyone to go at their own pace and remain within their range of motion.

Technical Details and Steps

Let us practice a few chair yoga poses. We recommend the instructor, or a designated student, lead the practice by providing verbal prompts and if possible, also engage in the activity on camera.

Get into position

Breathing

Arm movements

Chair Hamstring Stretch

Chair Leg Lift

Oblique stretch

Head roll

Back extension

Keep in mind that it may be difficult to do all of these poses in one sitting. Experiment and try to do it on an incremental basis.

What this looked like in Adobe Connect

Image 1: Adobe Connect classroom with a picture demonstrating the hand position for the breathing practice. Adobe product screenshot(s) reprinted with permission from Adobe.

Image 1 Alt-Text: This is a screengrab of an Adobe Connect classroom. The Attendees pod is on the far left side of the screen and stretches from top to bottom. To the right of the Attendees pod, the screen is split between a Video pod taking up the top half of the viewing area and a Chat pod below that taking up the bottom half of the viewing area. The video pod shows chapter author, Murali Nair, demonstrating the hand position for the breathing practice.

Image 2: Adobe Connect classroom with a picture demonstrating sitting with arms raised. Adobe product screenshot(s) reprinted with permission from Adobe.

Image 2 Alt-Text: This is a screengrab of an Adobe Connect classroom. The Attendees pod is on the far left side of the screen and stretches from top to bottom. To the right of the Attendees pod, the screen is split between a Video pod taking up the top half of the viewing area and a Chat pod below that taking up the bottom half of the viewing area. The video pod shows chapter author, Murali Nair, demonstrating the position sitting with arms raised.

Image 3: Adobe Connect classroom with a picture demonstrating bringing hands together at the heart. Adobe product screenshot(s) reprinted with permission from Adobe.

Image 3 Alt-Text: This is a screengrab of an Adobe Connect classroom. The Attendees pod is on the far left side of the screen and stretches from top to bottom. To the right of the Attendees pod, the screen is split between a Video pod taking up the top half of the viewing area and a Chat pod below that taking up the bottom half of the viewing area. The video pod shows chapter author, Murali Nair, demonstrating the position of sitting with hands, palms together, pressed against the chest at approximately heart level.

Image 4: Adobe Connect classroom with a picture demonstrating the position of sitting with one arm raised and leaning toward the opposite side. Adobe product screenshot(s) reprinted with permission from Adobe.

Image 4 Alt-Text: This is a screengrab of an Adobe Connect classroom. The Attendees pod is on the far left side of the screen and stretches from top to bottom. To the right of the Attendees pod, the screen is split between a Video pod taking up the top half of the viewing area and a Chat pod below that taking up the bottom half of the viewing area. The video pod shows chapter author, Murali Nair, demonstrating the position of sitting with one arm raised and leaning toward the opposite side.

Acknowledgments

Matthea Marquart, for her continued support and encouragement in bringing our passion for yoga and self-care to our students.

Resources

The chapter authors, Katherine Segal and Murali Nair, along with their colleague, Elise Marie Collins, are currently writing a book to make this and other yogic practices an accessible addition to healthy living.

Murali Nair

Columbia University School of Social Work

Murali D. Nair is an Adjunct Professor, School of Social Work, Columbia University. Nair teaches on line courses on “Corporate Social Responsibility”, “Social Welfare Policy” and “Mindfulness”. Also on a weekly basis, provides students and alumni “mentoring” and “self-care” sessions. As an authority on engaged learning, Murali Nair combines traditional cross national value systems with evidence based knowledge in the classroom setting. Over his 45-year academic career, Murali Nair has served as a BSW, MSW, and DSW professor and administrator at five universities in the United States and as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at three overseas universities. In his last positions, Nair was the Clinical Professor of Social Change and Innovation at University of Southern California (2012-2020) and a Professor and the Director of the School of Social Work at Cleveland State University (1992-2012). His areas of teaching expertise include macro practice, social enterprise, social responsibility, wellbeing innovation, harnessing technology for social good, advancing long and productive lives, and social responses to changing environments. Nair has published extensively in the area of social development, including 13 books, nine short documentaries, and over 100 journal articles and peer reviewed paper presentations at national and international conferences. His latest books include Engaged Learning, Leading and Managing Human Service Organizations (4tth edition), and Evidence Based Macro Social Work Practice (2nd edition). He is a CSWE member of the Special Commission to Advance Macro Practice and an Associate Editor of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Macro Social Work. Some of Nair’s recent teaching-service awards include: - Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, Service to the University, the School and the Community, University of Southern California (2019, 2015, 2014) - The Frances Feldman Excellence in Education Award, The California Social Welfare Archives (2017) - National Policy Fellow Lead Mentor Award: National Network for Social Work Management (2017) - Distinguished Mentoring Award: CSWE-APM conference in Denver (2018) - President’s (White House) Volunteer Action Award (2012) - Columbia University School of Social Work Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee (2011) - Distinguished Faculty Award for Service, Multi-culturalism and Teaching, Cleveland State University (2011, 2006, 2002) - Senior Fulbright Scholar Award (2010) - Certificate of Special United States Congressional Recognition for Outstanding Services to Community (2009) He holds an MSW from Loyola College of Social Sciences, an MS in Computer Science from the New York Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. from the Columbia University School of Social Work.
Katherine A. Segal

Columbia University School of Social Work and Saybrook University

Katherine A. Segal, Ph.D., LCSW is an integrative social worker, graduate-level educator, qualitative researcher, and wellness coach. Dr. Segal earned an MSW from Columbia University and a Ph.D. specializing in Integrative Mental Health along with the Integrative Wellness Coaching certificate from Saybrook University. Dr. Segal has practiced social work in a variety of settings including school, medical, forensic, residential, and community mental health. Dr. Segal has utilized their knowledge and skills in the delivery of direct practice, clinical supervision, providing professional trainings, and teaching. They have taught at Columbia University, Saybrook University, and the University of New Hampshire.

Throughout clinical and academic work Dr. Segal has cultivated an integrative theoretical perspective that guides their assessment and treatment of clients as well as the education of colleagues, aspiring social workers, and integrative practitioners. In addition to teaching, Dr. Segal operates a remote coaching private practice specializing in provider burnout prevention, Integrative Mental Health, holistic wellness, life goal attainment, and dissertation completion.

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