Published June 24, 2026 10:59AM
Many of us move through life carrying an invisible pressure to be or do more. To become stronger, better, more productive, more resilient. Even within yoga spaces, it can sometimes feel as though we are expected to constantly improve ourselves, as if healing is just another achievement to unlock.
But yoga has taught me something very different.
True healing often begins when we stop treating ourselves like a problem that needs to be fixed.
There was a time in my life when I had to completely rebuild my relationship with my body. After becoming paralyzed from the chest down, I could no longer force my way through discomfort or disconnect from what I was feeling. I had no choice but to slow down enough to listen. In that listening, I discovered self-compassion—not as a concept, but as an everyday practice.
Compassion for myself arrived quietly. Through breath. Through stillness. Through learning that some days my practice would look strong and dynamic, while other days it would look like resting and allowing myself to be supported. I have come to understand that each of these approaches is equally valuable.
A gentle movement, a supported posture, a mindful breath, even the willingness to pause and notice sensations can become acts of self-compassion. Yoga reminds us that the practice is about relationships—the relationships we build with ourselves, with our bodies, and with the present moment.
Yoga is not about fixing what appears to be broken. It’s about establishing a secure environment in which we can not only accept but embrace our imperfections and support a relationship with all aspects of ourselves.
Self-compassion is not weakness—it is courage. It is choosing softness in a world that often teaches hardness. It is learning how to hold ourselves with care through change, uncertainty, and healing. Perhaps learning to meeti ourselves gently is where yoga truly begins.
20-Minute Chair Yoga Stretches for Self-Compassion
I’m going to guide you into a gentle and short practice based on self-compassion and kindness.
Centering
I invite you to return softly to your beautiful body. You can place your hands on your legs, palms facing down, or wherever feels comfortable for you. Soften your shoulders. If it’s comfortable for you, close your eyes, or otherwise you can have a soft gaze. Pause here.
Take some time here to offer yourself a bit of kindness and compassion. Maybe you place your hands on your heart center. Listen to how you feel. Maybe ask yourself, what do I need right now? Listen for the answer. Maybe you don’t need anything. Maybe you can accept the moment exactly as it is. Notice it.
Self-Massage
Imagine that you have a brush in your hands and you’re going to paint yourself with your favorite color. My favorite color is blue, so I’m going to paint myself blue, starting with the left hand massaging the right hand and turning it blue. You can use any movement you would like. The only thing I ask is for you to do it consciously.
Work on your biceps and shoulder, behind the neck in the trapezius, shoulder blades, wherever you can reach. Then you can do the same thing with your other hand, painting yourself with a favorite color.
If it’s available to you, go ahead and cross one leg over the other and do the same with your shins and circle your ankles. Maybe you interlace your fingers among your toes and massage the sole of your foot, painting it blue and noticing how you feel. Release your leg and bring up the other leg to do the same thing.
Notice how you feel, always approaching yourself with compassion, love, and kindness. Bring your hands close to each other now in Angali mudra, maybe start rubbing one palm against the other, creating a little bit of warmth that you can place on your face, on your eyes. Maybe you give yourself a little face massage, painting your face, your ears, your neck with your favorite color. As you finish massaging yourself, invite some more mindful movement in your shoulders and body.
Seated Cat-Cow
This is a variation of Cat and Cow. I like to place my hands on my knees or hold my hands on my wheelchair frame. You can choose whatever feels comfortable for you.
Okay, send your consciousness all the way to the back of your sternum as you bring your shoulder blades toward each other and arch your back as you inhale in Cow Pose. Pay attention to your shoulder blades. You want to move them toward each other when you arch your back in Cow.
Then bring your shoulder blades away from each other as you round your back and inhale in Cat Pose. Let your breath out be long and soft through your mouth.
Then inhale through your nose and continue as you inhale Cow, exhale Cat, inhale Cow, exhale Cat. Take it a few more times. Beautiful. And release.
Mountain Pose
Sit straight and tall. Place your hands, palms facing down, on your legs and find a soft gaze here. Bring your body back to the grounding pose of Mountain Pose (Tadasana). Notice how you feel.
Shoulder Circles
Ground into your sitting bones and very gently rotate your shoulders and synchronize your breath. So inhale as you raise your shoulders and bring them back on the exhale.
Or you can do one shoulder at a time, whatever feels comfortable for you. So we rotate them backward a few times, and rotate them forward as well.
Arm Raises
Come back to center and find a comfortable and safe position where you can raise your arms. You can close your hands or leave them open. Start to rotate your wrists inward and simultaneously raise your arms overhead. You want to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Keep rotating your wrists. Then circle your wrists in the opposite direction as you gently bring your arms down.
Give your arms a little shake as you release.
Side Bend Flow
You’re going to get into a little flow for lateral flexion, and we are going to do three times each direction. I would love it if you can synchronize your movement with your breath. If raising your arm is not available, you can anchor your hands on your hip and do a gentle, softer version of the side bends. Whatever is available to you right now, that’s your practice. You can also visualize the practice.
I like to hold my chair frame with both hands when I am raising the opposite arm upward. You can do whatever feels comfortable for you. Sit up straight and tall as you ground yourself through the sitting bones. Hold your chair frame with your right hand, inhale, and raise your left arm and hold it here. Exhale long and soft as you bring it down, using your long exhalation by pressing your lips together and blowing very gently through the mouth when you bring your arm down.
Let’s do it on the other side with the breath. Continue on each side a few times. Then give your arms a little shake and release.
Triangle Pose
Our next asana variation is going to be a variation of Triangle Pose (Trikonasana) that’s actually a little twist. Place your left arm between your thighs, reaching as far toward your feet as is comfortable for you. Inhale as you raise your right arm up and gaze toward the palm of your hand. Hold it here. Let’s take a collective breath here, shall we? Inhale and exhale. Then come back to center. Notice how you feel.
Reposition yourself in the chair and do the same thing with the opposite arm.
Centering
Notice how you feel now, folks. Let’s go back to that place where there’s nothing missing, that place of self-compassion, love, and kindness. Let’s go back to ourselves.
I would love for you to place one hand on your heart center, the other one on your belly, maybe raise the corners of your mouth, close your eyes if it’s comfortable or you can have a soft gaze. Hold it here.
You can repeat the following to yourself.
May I be kind to myself in this moment.
May I accept myself just the way I am.
May I hold whatever is present, even if it’s pain, with tenderness.
May I give myself the compassion I need.
I am worthy of loving and care.
Release and open your arms wide, open your eyes, palms facing forward.
As you inhale, hug yourself like you’re hugging someone you really love, maybe rocking from side to side inside the hug.
Exhale and give yourself another compassionate hug.
Exhale and open your arms wide again. Inhale as you raise your arms any amount. Exhale as you bring your prayer hands to your heart center. Thank you so much for taking the time today for practicing this chair yoga routine with me. I hope you felt a little grace, a little compassion, toward yourself. I will meet you again next time.
