Category: Seated Tai Chi

Beginners Chair Tai Chi Class

Chair Tai Chi Exercise Library

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What is Chair Tai Chi?

  • What makes Chair Tai Chi different from Chair Yoga
  • Why movements are slow and mindful
  • Breathing with movement
  • Listening to your body
  • Improving mobility, balance, circulation, and relaxation
  • Frequently asked questions

Foundations

Belly (Danjeon) Breathing

Purpose

Everything begins with the breath.

Benefits

  • Encourages diaphragmatic breathing
  • Promotes relaxation
  • Helps coordinate movement with breath
  • Creates body awareness

Appears in:

  • Warm-up
  • Mid-class recovery
  • Closing relaxation

Finishing Breath

Your signature reset.

Purpose

Gather attention back to the body before moving to the next exercise.

Often used:

  • Between exercise groups
  • Before changing focus
  • At the end of class

Opening Bow (Sun & Moon)

Purpose

  • Begin practice with intention
  • Develop mindfulness
  • Traditional opening

Neck & Shoulder Mobility

Atlas Point Rotation

Purpose

Gentle neck mobility.

Benefits

  • Improve range of motion
  • Reduce neck stiffness
  • Increase body awareness

Often revisited at the end of class to compare how the neck feels after practice.

Swimming Dragon

Probably your signature movement.

Benefits

  • Neck mobility
  • Thoracic spine mobility
  • Shoulder mobility
  • Coordination
  • Relaxation

Common cue:

Notice what you notice.

Swimming with the Koi

Purpose

Adds

  • coordination
  • spinal rotation
  • shoulder mobility
  • cognitive challenge

Excellent for

  • active aging
  • brain-body coordination

Upper Body

12 O’Clock Posture

Purpose

Opening through the shoulders and upper back.

Benefits

  • posture
  • shoulder mobility
  • chest opening

Eagle Claw Series

Sequence includes

  • Sky Reach
  • Forward Push
  • Side Reach
  • Finger Opening and Closing

Benefits

  • shoulder mobility
  • circulation
  • grip strength
  • coordination

Perry (Wax On / Wax Off)

One of your fun teaching names.

Students remember it immediately.

Purpose

Circular shoulder mobility.

Benefits

  • thoracic mobility
  • shoulder movement
  • weight shifting
  • breathing coordination

Wild Goose Flutter

Purpose

Gentle shoulder relaxation.

Often used as a transition.

Flappy Arms

Purpose

Relax shoulders.

Improve circulation.

Lower Body

Jitterbug Footwork

Purpose

Improve foot coordination.

Benefits

  • ankle mobility
  • circulation
  • rhythm
  • coordination

Foot Patterning

Forward

Side

Return

Drag-ins

Benefits

  • hip mobility
  • knee mobility
  • brain-body coordination

Heel Drops

Benefits

  • circulation
  • calf activation
  • ankle mobility

Toe Lifts

Benefits

  • shin strength
  • ankle mobility
  • balance

Calf Pumps

Benefits

  • lower leg circulation
  • ankle flexibility

Joint Mobility

Hip Circles

Purpose

Gentle hip mobility.

Knee Circles

Purpose

Lubricate the knees.

Point & Flex

Benefits

  • ankles
  • calves
  • circulation

Self-Massage

This deserves its own section because it reflects a unique part of your teaching style.

Hip Massage

Leg Massage

Foot Massage

Ankle Massage

Knee Tapping

QiGong Detox (Upper Body)

Includes

  • arm tapping
  • armpit
  • side body
  • thymus tapping
  • shoulder release

Purpose

Promote circulation and body awareness through rhythmic tapping.

Energy Practices

Blood Pressure Equalizer

Purpose

A breathing and arm movement sequence that you teach as an equalizing practice.

Sequence

  • Heart center
  • Elbows back
  • Chest opening
  • Arms out

Energy Egg Smoothing

Purpose

Gentle flowing movement with the arms.

Benefits

  • relaxation
  • body awareness
  • breathing coordination

Hand Health Series

Maintaining hand function. This is especially valuable for older adults and people with arthritis.

Exercises include:

  • Thumb Mobility
  • Round Fingers
  • Finger Flicks
  • Finger Joint Stretch
  • Finger Valley Massage
  • Interlaced Finger Rub
  • Pulse Point Massage
  • Hand Tapping
  • Wrist Tapping
  • Palm Punches

Relaxation

Guided Healing Visualization

Topics

  • Belly breathing
  • Governor Vessel 20 (Baihui)
  • Healing light imagery
  • Releasing tension
  • Quiet rest

Closing

Sun & Moon Bow

Purpose

Traditional ending.

Represents completing the practice with gratitude and respect.

🪑 Find Your Flow: The Gentle Power of Chair Tai Chi with Gail P-B

🪑 Find Your Flow: The Gentle Power of Chair Tai Chi with Gail P-B

In today’s busy world, wellness doesn’t have to be intense to be effective. With Chair Tai Chi with Gail P-B, you’re invited into a gentle, healing practice that meets you right where you are, seated, supported, and fully present.

Whether you’re easing back into movement, managing pain, or simply seeking calm, Chair Tai Chi offers a graceful way to reconnect with your body, breath, and inner balance.

🌿 What is Chair Tai Chi?

Chair Tai Chi brings the calming, flowing movements of traditional Tai Chi into a fully seated format. It’s ideal for anyone who wants the benefits of mindful movement without the need to stand or balance.

Perfect for:

  • Seniors
  • Veterans
  • People with limited mobility, balance challenges, or chronic pain
  • Beginners seeking a supportive and accessible practice

💚 Benefits You Can Feel

Chair Tai Chi gently supports your wellness journey:

  • Boosts circulation and flexibility
  • Improves posture and joint mobility
  • Reduces stress and anxiety through breathwork
  • Builds core stability to support fall prevention
  • Promotes a sense of calm, clarity, and inner peace

🎥 Practice with Me: Chair Tai Chi with Gail P-B

🌟
In this session, I’ll guide you through simple, flowing movements designed to help release tension, improve balance, and support your well-being—no standing required.

All you need is a comfortable, sturdy chair and a few moments to reconnect with your breath and body.

🌸 A Wellness Practice You Can Stick With

I believe movement should feel empowering, joyful, and accessible. Chair Tai Chi offers that and more, bringing relaxation, strength, and self-awareness into your daily life without strain.

Whether you’re just beginning or returning to movement after time away, this practice is here for you.

🧘‍♀️ Join me for Chair Tai Chi in person or online!
I teach this calming and accessible class in person every Wednesday at 11:00 AM Central Time at the Lakeside Center in Beaumont, Texas. Come early for your first time to register at the front desk.

Prefer online practice? I also offer Chair Tai Chi every other Wednesday through Veterans Yoga Project’s Wellness Living platform.
👉 https://veteransyogaproject.org/vyp-classes

Come move with me and discover how Chair Tai Chi can gently uplift your day—one breath, one movement at a time.

Stay tuned for more videos and sessions designed especially for you.

Top Five Seated Chair Tai Chi Practices with teacher Gail Pickens-Barger

Top Five Seated Chair Tai Chi Practices with teacher Gail Pickens-Barger

🪑 Ease Aches & Pains Through Chair Tai Chi – 44-Minute Seated Class

In this 44-minute seated Tai Chi session, instructor Gail Pickens-Barger leads participants through a series of gentle movements designed to alleviate common aches and pains. The routine focuses on slow, deliberate motions that promote joint mobility, reduce stiffness, and enhance overall well-being.

🌿 Key Highlights:
Gentle Movements: Emphasis on slow, controlled motions to enhance joint mobility and reduce stiffness.

Breathing Techniques: Incorporates deep breathing exercises to promote relaxation and oxygenate the body.

Seated Practice: Designed to be performed while seated, making it accessible for individuals with limited mobility.

Pain Relief: Targets common areas of discomfort, such as the back, shoulders, and hips, offering relief through mindful movement.

This session is ideal for seniors or anyone seeking a gentle introduction to Tai Chi, offering a supportive environment to improve physical well-being and reduce discomfort.

🪑 Ease Tension, Stress, and Pain Through Simple Chair Tai Chi – New Year’s Day Practice (47 Minutes)

Start the year with a calming and rejuvenating 47-minute seated Tai Chi session led by Gail Pickens-Barger. This gentle practice is designed to alleviate tension, reduce stress, and ease discomfort, making it ideal for seniors or anyone seeking a mindful movement routine.

🌿 Key Highlights:
Gentle Movements: Emphasis on slow, deliberate motions to promote relaxation and flexibility.

Breathing Techniques: Incorporates deep breathing exercises to enhance oxygen flow and calm the mind.

Seated Practice: Performed while seated, ensuring accessibility for individuals with limited mobility.

Mindfulness: Encourages present-moment awareness, fostering a sense of inner peace and well-being.

This session is a perfect way to begin the year with a focus on self-care and holistic health. Whether you’re new to Tai Chi or looking to deepen your practice, this routine offers a gentle introduction to the benefits of mindful movement.

🖐️ Chair Tai Chi Exercises for Hands and Fingers to Ease Aches – 6-Minute Seated Class

In this brief yet effective session, instructor Gail Pickens-Barger leads a 6-minute seated Tai Chi routine specifically designed to alleviate hand and finger discomfort. The exercises focus on gentle movements that promote joint mobility, reduce stiffness, and enhance overall hand function.

🌿 Key Highlights:
Gentle Finger Movements: Incorporates slow, deliberate motions to improve dexterity and reduce tension.

Joint Mobilization: Targets key areas such as the wrists and fingers to enhance flexibility.

Breathing Techniques: Emphasizes deep breathing to promote relaxation and increase oxygen flow to the muscles.

Seated Practice: Designed to be performed while seated, making it accessible for individuals with limited mobility.

This session is ideal for seniors or anyone experiencing hand and finger discomfort, offering a quick and effective way to improve hand health and reduce pain.

🪑 Gentle Chair Tai Chi: Boost Mobility & Relieve Aches & Pains – 47-Minute Seated Class

In this 47-minute seated Tai Chi session, instructor Gail Pickens-Barger guides participants through a series of gentle movements designed to enhance mobility and alleviate common aches and pains. The routine emphasizes slow, deliberate motions that promote joint flexibility, improve circulation, and reduce muscle tension.

🌿 Key Highlights:
Gentle Movements: Focuses on slow, controlled motions to enhance joint mobility and reduce stiffness.

Breathing Techniques: Incorporates deep breathing exercises to promote relaxation and oxygenate the body.

Seated Practice: Designed to be performed while seated, making it accessible for individuals with limited mobility.

Pain Relief: Targets common areas of discomfort, such as the back, shoulders, and hips, offering relief through mindful movement.

This session is ideal for seniors or anyone seeking a gentle introduction to Tai Chi, offering a supportive environment to improve physical well-being and reduce discomfort.

🪑 Seated Chair Tai Chi & Qigong for Beginners: Gentle Healing Flow with Gail PB
Duration: 50 minutes

In this gentle and accessible session, Gail Pickens-Barger leads a seated Tai Chi and Qigong practice designed specifically for beginners. The routine focuses on slow, mindful movements that promote relaxation, improve flexibility, and enhance overall well-being.

Plus to see the full Seated Chair Tai Chi Playlist, I have the following.

Which one is your favorite?

Chair Tai Chi & Gentle Beginners Yoga for Back Care Classes – 2025

Chair Tai Chi & Gentle Beginners Yoga for Back Care Classes

February 2025. For Veterans Yoga Project Online Studio, Gail Pickens-Barger, Yoga Instructor/Chair Tai Chi Instructor. New schedule update.

Wednesdays Gentle Yoga for Back Care/ Chair Tai Chi. 11:00am PST(60 min) | Wednesdays | 1:00pm CST(60 min)

Fridays Chair Yoga for Fall Prevention. 11:00 am PST (60 min) | Fridays | 1:00 pm CST (60 mins)

Gail Pickens-Barger

Yoga Teacher, Chair Tai Chi & Yoga Nidra Meditation Teacher

Class Description: Chair Tai Chi / Gentle Yoga for Back Care for Beginners. One week will be chair tai chi, the next week will be gentle yoga for back care for beginners.

Chair Tai Chi Class Description:
 
Chair Tai Chi is a 45 minute class, consisting of a blend of Yang Style Tai Chi forms (singled out for adaptability in a seated position), Shaolin muscle and sinew exercises, qigong (“chee-kung”) detoxing techniques, hand/finger/eye exercises, acupressure point stimulation, and guided rest & relaxation & gratitude practice.

Benefits: Chronic pain reduction, improved strength and flexibility, range of motion, posture, blood pressure, sleep, digestion, and immunity. Relieves stress, anxiety, and aids in overall well-being. Chair Tai Chi is a unique therapeutic modality being offered in the online Veterans Yoga Project studio.
 
*Special instructions for Chair Tai Chi:
Please have a sturdy chair available.

*******

Gentle Yoga for Back Care Beginners Class Description:

This 60 minute class is formatted for those of all ages and levels who experience low back pain, whether chronic or due to injury. The use of gear is encouraged to help support you through class which is presented every other week with our resident VYP expert, Gail Pickens-Barger. Class can be done on a yoga mat, or seated on a chair.

Special Instructions
Please have on hand:
* a strap
* a block
* access to a non-stick surface (a.k.a. yoga mat) or be seated on a chair

Optional items to have on hand are:
* a blanket/cover
* access to a wall or chair/table.  

You don’t have to bend like a pretzel to do yoga!

Example of Back Yoga for Beginners. Ease your back challenges with simple, effective movements.

Check out my latest “Live” video. I was testing the video quality and sound at a remote location. Sound is not as crisp as I would like, but is tolerable. Movement sequences for hands and fingers for easing pain and arthritis.

Chair Yoga for Fall Prevention with Gail P-B.

Chair Yoga for Fall Prevention with Gail P-B.

Teaching a new time slot and a new style of class. Starts on Friday, January 17, 2025. Will reside on the online studio platform for Veterans Yoga Project. Chair Yoga for Fall Prevention.

Chair Yoga for Fall Prevention. Fridays at 1 PM CDT on Veterans Yoga Project Online Studio.

Recently Veterans Affairs, announced its partnership with Veterans Yoga Project to have VYP provide yoga, meditation, Yoga Nidra Meditation practices. The full story can be found here.

Here’s a little snippet from the article.

VA offers free online and in-person yoga classes and mindfulness training to Veterans across the nation. VA hosts these classes through a partnership with Veterans Yoga Project, Inc., which is maintained by the National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP).

The classes provide a no-cost opportunity to Veterans seeking to improve their mental, physical and emotional health through yoga and mindfulness practices.

VA and Veterans Yoga Project are working together to make more Veterans aware of the benefits of yoga while offering more classes. This partnership also provides local VA medical centers with opportunities to connect with Veterans Yoga Project instructors to provide yoga classes and mindful resilience training to Veterans, either in-person or virtually through VA-approved telehealth platforms.

“Through this partnership with Veterans Yoga Project, we are addressing top VA priorities, expanding Veteran access to care and enhancing the overall health of Veterans,” said Kimberly Pugh, health system specialist within VHA National Center for Healthcare Advancement & Partnerships. “Including yoga and mindfulness into their health care routine provides Veterans with additional tools to manage stress, improve physical health and build resilience.”

72% of Veterans saw a reduction in pain

The Veterans Yoga Project is a nonprofit organization that helps Veterans, their families and communities recover and build resilience through yoga and mindfulness training. In 2023, Veterans Yoga Project reported that 75% of Veterans who took part in their programs felt less distress and 72% saw a reduction in pain.

The partnership between VA and Veterans Yoga Project focuses on several key goals:

  • Teaching Veterans about the benefits of yoga and mindfulness for their mental, physical and emotional health.
  • Making access to yoga classes and mindful resilience training easier for Veterans.
  • Encouraging local partnerships between VA medical centers and Veterans Yoga Project instructors.
  • Offering free yoga and meditation classes to Veterans in their communities.

Classes reduce pain and stress

“Veterans Yoga Project is proud to partner with VA and deliver yoga and mindful resilience practices as a primary service to America’s Veterans,” said Brianna Renner, CEO of Veterans Yoga Project. “As an integral part of VA’s Whole Health initiative, together we have the ability to empower more Veterans to live, thrive and actively belong. With a robust teacher network and over a hundred free yoga classes weekly, we are dedicated to growing the impact of our classes to reduce pain and stress and support as many Veterans as possible.”

This partnership shows VA’s commitment to changing the way health care is delivered to Veterans, focusing on personalized, whole-person care. Yoga is part of VA Whole Health System of Care, which gives Veterans supportive health options.

I teach the Gentle Yoga for Back Care, and alternate that time slot with Chair Tai Chi. Both have been popular with some of the older Veterans.

Now we are hosting a new class, Chair Yoga for Fall Prevention. It is Fridays at 1 PM CDT (think Texas time). Some gear is needed for this class. Two Chairs, a Yoga Strap, a Yoga Block. Optional, if you have a yoga strap with a buckle, or a TheraBand (stretchy strap).

Here’s the registration link, then you “Book” the class! https://veteransyogaproject.org/vyp-classes/

Here’s the online description of the class.

Class Description

Discover the benefits of yoga without the need to get down on the floor in our Chair Yoga for Fall Prevention class. This gentle and accessible yoga practice is designed to improve balance, flexibility, and strength while keeping you comfortably seated or standing with support.

Our chair yoga practice includes:

Seated Balance Poses: Enhance stability and coordination through modified yoga poses performed while seated.

Gentle Stretching: Increase flexibility and joint mobility with easy-to-follow stretches that reduce stiffness and improve range of motion.

Strength Exercises: Build muscle strength in the core, legs, and upper body to support daily activities and reduce the risk of falls.

Mindful Movements: Boost body awareness and confidence with slow, deliberate movements and guided breathing techniques, all performed with the aid of a chair for safety and comfort.

Perfect for seniors, those with limited mobility, or anyone seeking a low-impact exercise routine. Our skilled instructors will guide you through each pose, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience. Embrace a healthier, more stable lifestyle with Chair Yoga for Fall Prevention!

Chair Yoga for Fall Prevention. Beginners yoga class to strengthen the body, and build better balance. With teacher, Gail Pickens-Barger