Seated Mountain Pose

The chair yoga starting position: sit tall, feet flat, shoulders soft. Hold for 30 seconds.

02 / 14Seated figure sitting tall with hands on thighs and feet flat
The dark figure shows the position; orange dotted arrows show which way to move. Front-view pictures work like a mirror: copy them as if they were your reflection.

How to do it

  1. Scoot to the front half of the seat.
  2. Feet flat, hip-width apart, knees over ankles.
  3. Stack your shoulders over your hips and let them soften down.
  4. Imagine a string gently lifting the top of your head.

How many Hold for 30 seconds

Gentler version

Sit back against the chair if you need support.

Who should skip this or take care

Move only in a comfortable range, and stop if anything hurts.

Read the safety check if you have a heart, bone or joint condition.

Common mistake

Leaning back into the chair. Scoot forward so your spine holds itself up.

In the Steady Seat printable plans this move is called Seated Mountain.

The chair yoga chart

  1. 01Belly Breathing5 slow breaths
  2. 02Seated Mountain PoseHold for 30 seconds
  3. 03Seated Neck Stretch3 times each side
  4. 04Shoulder Rolls5 circles each way
  5. 05Seated Cat–Cow6 rounds
  6. 06Seated Side Stretch3 times each side, hold 2 breaths
  7. 07Seated Spinal Twist2 times each side, hold 3 breaths
  8. 08Self-Hug StretchHold 3 breaths, twice
  9. 09Wrist and Finger Exercises5 circles each way, 5 open-and-close
  10. 10Seated March30–60 seconds
  11. 11Seated Ankle Exercises10 rocks
  12. 12Seated Leg Lifts8 times each leg
  13. 13Seated Figure-4 StretchHold 3 breaths each side
  14. 14Seated Hamstring StretchHold 3 breaths each side

More for breathing and posture

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