10 Best Chair Yoga Courses and Certifications Online

Chair Yoga is a gentle form of yoga that has become increasingly popular for its accessibility and health benefits. It involves practicing yoga poses and breathing exercises while seated on a chair or using the chair for support. The practice is suitable for individuals of all ages and fitness levels, including those with physical limitations or injuries. With the rise of online learning platforms, there are now various Chair Yoga courses available online, offering learners the flexibility to practice from the comfort of their own homes. This article will explore some of the best Chair Yoga courses available online, highlighting their key features and benefits.

Here’s a look at the Best Chair Yoga Courses and Certifications Online and what they have to offer for you!

10 Best Chair Yoga Courses and Certifications Online

1. Chair Yoga for Seniors & Beginners by Kassandra Reinhardt (Udemy) (Our Best Pick)

The Chair Yoga for Seniors & Beginners course, taught by Kassandra Reinhardt, is designed for individuals seeking a safe and gentle yoga practice that does not require complex poses. This course is especially beneficial for seniors or persons with limited mobility due to illness, injury, or disease. The course includes three full-length chair yoga practices, as well as tutorials on 30 yoga poses.

The course is also useful for yoga instructors who want to offer safe and fun modifications to traditional poses. However, it is not a certification course and is solely intended to educate yoga teachers who want to expand their clientele.

People with limited mobility often believe that yoga is not accessible to them, but Chair Yoga can help improve balance, stability, strength, and flexibility through slow and mindful movements. The course includes three classes (Slow Flow – Level 1, Balance & Stability – Level 2, and Quick Energizer – All Levels), which are designed to help individuals gradually regain their strength and mobility.

Each video lesson is downloadable and can be watched on a tablet or smartphone, and individuals also receive a free bonus e-book titled “Yoga at Home – 100 Yoga Poses” that includes illustrated pictures and instructions of Kassandra’s favorite 100 yoga poses. The course includes a Money-Back Satisfaction Guarantee and participants must consult a physician before beginning any exercise program.

The course is ideal for individuals who want to safely practice yoga in the comfort of their own home without missing out on anything. The course is already impacting many people, and as long as individuals are willing to practice consistently, they can receive the benefits of Chair Yoga regardless of their flexibility or strength.

2. Gentle Seated Chair Yoga by Tamara Ulisko (Udemy)

The Gentle Seated Chair Yoga course, instructed by Tamara Ulisko, is a program designed for beginners, seniors, and those with mobility limitations. The program consists of movement, massage, and meditation, and is intended to enhance mobility and ease.

The program is made up of seven classes, with one class focused on massage, each between 35 and 40 minutes in length. The classes start simple and progressively increase in complexity and coordination, but each class can be practiced independently.

Each session begins and ends with a brief guided meditation to promote relaxation and self-regulation, which can result in less stress and anxiety.

This program is suitable for beginners who want to try yoga for the first time, seniors looking for low-impact exercise, those with mobility limitations who want to avoid standing and floor poses, and anyone who wants to offset the negative effects of prolonged sitting. Yoga teachers seeking new moves to enhance their chair yoga repertoire can also benefit from this program.

All classes are downloadable for offline use, and participants have access to a Facebook community group for support and guidance.

The course is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee and includes an introduction, chair yoga classes, and a wrap-up section.

3. Authentic Chair Yoga from famous Indian Yoga Master by Manoranjan Chand (Udemy)

The course titled ‘Authentic Chair Yoga’ is designed by Indian yoga master Manoranjan Chand to teach individuals the practice of yoga with a chair only. The course is suitable for beginners, seniors, office workers, yoga teachers, and those with knee problems. The course is divided into 6 sections, consisting of 11 videos, with each video having a given description.

Participants will require only one or two chairs and 30 minutes per day to practice. The course is helpful for those who sit for a long time or work in front of a computer for an extended period. It is also beneficial for individuals who have experienced knee surgeries or have knee problems, smokers, and seniors.

One can complete the course in a week and expect to get rid of knee pain, low back pain, neck, and shoulder pain, stress, and anxiety. The course aims to help participants develop concentration, succeed in business, work, and personal life, and achieve a deep relaxation and calm peaceful mind.

The course consists of six sections, which are introduction, from neck till hips, from upper spine till low back + joints, spine, low back, hips, shoulders + ears, from the chair to the floor, and pranayama. The course is designed to be user-friendly and easily accessible to participants.

4. Professional Accredited Chair Yoga Teacher Training Diploma by Dr Karen E Wells, Lisbeth Skovmand (Udemy)

This is a fully accredited course that extends teaching techniques of chair yoga for students of all abilities. It is aimed at those who are already qualified in yoga as a teacher or for those who have an in-depth knowledge of yoga for themselves and wish to extend their knowledge by incorporating techniques to use within chair yoga. The course is fully accredited by the CTAA – Complementary Therapists Accredited Association. It is assumed that by taking the course, the student has the full technical and theory-based knowledge of yoga, therefore, the course is videos modules only.

The course is instructed by Dr. Karen E Wells, a bestselling instructor with over 71,000 Udemy students in 177 countries, and Lisbeth Skovmand. The course is easy to learn and includes modules such as an introduction to the professional accredited chair yoga teacher training diploma course, what is chair yoga, the benefits of chair yoga, when not to do chair yoga with students, teaching in offices, teaching students with less mobility, leg techniques, hip techniques, shoulders & arms, back arch techniques, twists & resting, a 20 minute workout incorporating legs, hips, twists and making your own technique, final summary & bringing it all together, accreditation, FAQ, and more.

The techniques could be used for building your business as a yoga teacher by offering yoga chair sessions within offices or helping those with less mobility like elderly students. The course does not have a training manual as it is assumed that by taking the course, the student has the full technical and theory based knowledge of yoga.

5. 20hr Intensive Chair Yoga Teacher Training by Emily Carter (Udemy)

Lilac Lotus Yoga & Wellness offers a 20-hour intensive Chair Yoga Teacher Training Course instructed by full-time Chair Yoga Teacher, Emily Carter. The course is designed for yoga teachers and Chair Yoga practitioners looking to deepen their knowledge and techniques. Emily has over 3,000 hours of teaching experience and provides 24-hour mentoring support throughout the course.

Participants can benefit from the course whether they want to supplement their existing yoga teacher certification or deepen their personal practice. Upon course completion, participants receive a Lilac Lotus Yoga & Wellness certificate that adds 20 hours to their yoga teacher hours. The curriculum includes written and video content in addition to other resources. Furthermore, participants have lifetime access to all course content.

The course is 100% self-paced and has no homework. It begins with the basics of Yoga philosophy and its application to the broad audience of a chair yoga class. The course then progresses from basic to advanced seated postures, and teaches how to modify classic standing asanas with chair support for all levels of practitioners. The course also teaches how to incorporate props like bands, straps and weights into the seated portion of a class. The course ends with an introduction to restorative chair yoga and general relaxation techniques.

The course concludes with a short quiz to reinforce all the content learned throughout the course. Emily is available for any future questions and mentoring support.

6. Chair Yoga: yoga for everyone! by Stacie Dooreck (Udemy)

The Chair Yoga course offered by Stacie Dooreck is designed for individuals looking to practice yoga at home, work, or while traveling. The course utilizes the support of a chair for both seated and standing poses, offering short and longer Chair Yoga classes, guided relaxation techniques, and more tools for individuals of all ages and stages of life. The course comprises over 5.5 hours of videos and content, including three 30-minute Chair Yoga practices, shorter Chair Yoga practices, guided relaxations, meditation, and more.

The Chair Yoga classes with Stacie include centering, warm-ups, yoga postures, concentration, and breathing exercises, guided relaxation, and meditation. The benefits include improving flexibility and strength, increasing energy and clarity, promoting overall well-being, and finding inner peace. The course is open to everyone, including those with chronic illnesses, pre and post-surgery or injuries, and those in wheelchairs or with disabilities. Participants can wear anything they feel comfortable in and can practice with shoes, socks, or bare feet.

Stacie Dooreck, the course instructor, is a certified Sivananda Yoga instructor since 1995, a certified Kundalini Yoga and Gentle Integral Yoga instructor, and a Stress Management Specialist for Ornish Heart Disease Reversal Program. She is also an author of SunLight Chair Yoga and Yoga for Everyone! books and a Bay Area Office Yoga Instructor. The course content and sections include Intention Setting Meditation & Wellness Goals, Chair Yoga Practices, Wall Support Sun Salutations, Stress Reduction Tools such as Relaxation, Breathing & Meditation, Hatha & Gentle Yoga, Floor & Standing Practice, Restorative Yoga for Healing, Yogic Diet, Compassionate Eating and Living, and Office Yoga (useful at home!)

For more information, individuals can visit the website sunlightyoga.com to learn more about the course and its offerings.

7. Chair Yoga for Beginners by Melissa Leger (Udemy)

The Chair Yoga for Beginners course, led by instructor Melissa Leger, is designed to help individuals who may have limited mobility, arthritis, or are recovering from surgery, among other things, to be able to practice yoga. This course can also benefit seniors and yoga teachers looking to learn chair yoga. The chair serves as a constant source of support, allowing participants to reap the benefits of yoga.

The course is divided into five modules, starting with an introduction that covers safety and general information. The Seated Chair Yoga Classes take place entirely in the chair, while the Standing Chair Yoga Classes utilize the chair for support during standing postures. The Hybrid Chair Yoga Classes are longer and mix seated and standing postures, while the How-To section offers variations and modifications for common postures and transitions.

Participants will have access to a Chair Yoga Planner and Journal to help schedule and reflect on their practice, as well as a recommended product list. By gradually building upon each class, Chair Yoga for Beginners offers a comprehensive introduction to this form of yoga that can benefit a wide range of individuals.

8. Active Chair Yoga for Seniors by Tamara Ulisko (Udemy)

The Active Chair Yoga for Seniors course, led by Tamara Ulisko, offers a program of seated and standing poses designed for beginners, seniors, and individuals with limited mobility. The course consists of seven classes, six of which use a chair for support and one that utilizes a wall. Each class is between 40-50 minutes long and begins and ends with a brief check-in/meditation. Poses are presented with possible modifications, and each class is a complete session in itself. The program builds flexibility, mobility, strength, balance, coordination, and confidence. A halfway “active recovery” class provides an opportunity to release tension.

This program is ideal for beginners looking for a low-risk, low-stakes introduction to yoga, seniors seeking exercise that reduces aches and pains, and individuals who want to avoid standing or floor poses due to mobility limitations. It is also appropriate for those who are sedentary and need a convenient and affordable chair yoga program. Additionally, yoga teachers can benefit from the creative moves and sequences to add to their repertoire. Purchasers have lifetime access to the program and can practice at their own pace. The Facebook community group provides support and a space to share experiences. The course is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

The course includes an introduction, chair yoga classes, and a wrap-up section. The focus is on actual class time, with seven classes that use a chair for support and one that uses a wall. Classes build upon each other, providing a gentle progression towards increased movement capacity. The program is designed to improve flexibility, mobility, strength, balance, coordination, and confidence. Modifications are offered to accommodate individual needs and abilities. Each class is a complete session in itself, with brief check-in/meditations at the beginning and end. A halfway “active recovery” class provides an opportunity to release tension.

9. Chair Yoga Progressive Series with Joanna Griffin by Joanna Griffin (Udemy)

The Chair Yoga Progressive Series with Joanna Griffin is a course designed for beginners, seniors, and yoga teachers seeking inspiration and modifications for their classes. The program is focused on providing the body with increased mobility, flexibility, strength, and space, all while being in a seated position. Research has shown that movement is the most effective way to reduce pain and increase longevity.

The course consists of classes that focus on specific areas of the body to improve fine motor skills, increase function, and enhance body awareness. The program culminates in bringing together the exercises learned throughout the series in full body classes. Additionally, a guided self-care massage is included.

All classes are taught at a meditative and mindful pace, with clear instruction and various modifications and variations throughout. The Chair Yoga Progressive Series aims to empower students to feel confident in making choices in their practice that serve their bodies.

The course includes music credits for an intro/outro and savasana. The intro/outro is Amaranthus by Chad Crouch, and savasana is The Sun Is Scheduled To Come Out Tomorrow by Chris Zabriskie. The sections of the course include an introduction, specific areas of the body, and a full body approach.

10. Dance Chair Yoga for Seniors ‘Chopra Certified Instructor’ by Marie Atkinson (Udemy)

Course Title: Dance Chair Yoga for Seniors ‘Chopra Certified Instructor’

Course Instructors: Marie Atkinson

Course Short Description:

The Dance Chair Yoga for Seniors course offers a fun way to strengthen, tone, and regain fluid movement of muscles and joints while providing the support of a chair.

Course Long Description:

Dance Chair Yoga is designed for individuals of all ages who require the support of a chair while moving their bodies to a range of music. As individuals age, they may become more sedentary, resulting in shallow breaths and a decrease in fluidity in muscles and joints. Over time, this can lead to a decrease in mobility and motivation. However, regularly participating in safe, supported exercise can help to maintain a love for life, a healthy body, and a clear mind.

The course is suitable for individuals aged 53 to 95 and offers an awesome way to reinstate a love for life, feel great from the inside out, and regain clarity, focus, and gratitude for everything you have.

Course Content and Sections:

The course includes an introduction and three sections:

1. Dance Chair Yoga
2. Chair Yoga for strength, flexibility, and fluidity
3.