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The bent legs and upstretched trunk and arms form a dynamic zigzag. The heels and arms extend in opposite directions while the hips move down as if to sit.
This pose is one of the first pose in the Sun Salutation B series. It needs strength with the quadriceps muscles to help your hips get the right support and give the knees a comfort to hold the pose for long. Working on the alignment of the hips along with the knees and the pelvic region is very essential to get comfortable in this pose.
Chair Pose –
Utkatasana
Benefits
Strengthening of the hips
Deep stretch to the upper body
Joints of the knees and the ankles get toned and strong
The entire leg gets the stretch making it strong
Massages the abdominal muscles
Chakras
Third Eye Chakra (Ajna)
Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)
Heart Chakra (Anahata)
Sacral Chakra (Swadisthana)
Steps
1. Begin standing in mountain pose.
2. Bend your knees, sink your hips back like you are sitting down in a chair, and reach your arms overhead further challenges your core strength and engages your shoulder muscles, framing your face.
3. Look in front of your knees. Make sure you can see your toes. if you can’t, sit your hips back until you can. The knees should not go beyond your toes, if so, take the hips slightly back and lean forward.
4. Make sure you are comfortable, ensuring the shoulders are not raised beyond the ears. Alternatively, you can put your hands on your hips to lighten the load of your back.
Alignment – Knees and Feet
To relieve pressure on your knees, bring your weight back toward your heels. Lifting your arms adds to the load on your lower back and core by increasing the lever arm, to give you more of a challenge.
If bringing the knees together is hard on the thighs, keeping the feet at a distance and the knees aligned with the toes should be a great way to begin with.
VariationS
VARIATION ONE
Due to the block between the legs, the pressure is maximized on the lower glutes, and hence, it is strengthened and toned.
Chair Pose Block –
Utkatasana Block
Steps
1. From Tadasana, using a yoga block, place it between your upper thighs (not at the knees), while adjusting the distance between your feet. 2. Inhale and bend the knees, while trying to maintain the position of the yoga block. The thighs should be almost parallel to the each other and parallel to the floor. 3. Inhale again and while raising the arms above your head, arms wider than shoulder or cactus arms, in Chair Pose Block or Utkatasana Block. 4. This pose helps to bring focus towards the pelvic floor while trying to hold the block in place, without putting too much pressure to the sacrum and the tail bone. |
5. Being aware of block will indirectly activate the use of the bladder muscles and the pelvic floor muscles, thus helping to reduce the condition of urinary incontinence. Stay for about 5 breaths.
VARIATION TWO
This pose stimulates the heart and abdominal organs, increases balance and focus, and improves joint range of motion.
Steps
1. From Chair Pose bringing the palms in Namaste, twisting the chest and the shoulders towards the right and place the outside of the left elbow on the outside of the right knee. 2. Here in Revolved Chair, the twist of the hips gives a gentle massage to the middle back giving the lower back support. As the spine is not only towards the lower back, but also middle and upper, maintaining the entire spine becomes essential. Hence in this pose, the twist of the neck, the upper back and the middle back will help to contract the muscles close to the lower back acting as a great support to the nerves. |
3. Remain here bending the knees and gazing upwards while still maintaining the balance of the body for about 5 breaths.
Steps
1. From Revolved Chair Pose, come to place one hand on your opposite thigh and the other on your lower back, focusing on keeping your knees together or knees aligned with your second toes and your hips back. |
Revolved Wings Opened
Steps
1. While bringing the right foot close to the left foot (or feet hip distance apart with block between your thighs), twisting in Revolved Chair Pose. Now open your arms and place the lower hand on the floor next to the foot or place top of your hand toward the ankle with fingertips pointing the floor in Revolved Chair Pose Variation (Parivrtta Utkatasana Variation).
VARIATION THREE
Half chair pose primarily builds lower body strength and power.
Half Chair Pose
Ardha Utkatasana
Steps
1. From Chair Pose Hands in Namaste, flexion at the hip and knee then foot at the opposite thigh. 2. Stay here and bending the standing leg while keeping the hips aligned and the trunk lifted. Feeling the stretch around the bum and thigh for about 3 breaths. 3. Release and repeat with the other leg and stay for 3-5S breaths. |
VARIATION FOUR
Also named Namaste
Chair Pose
Prayer
Steps
1. From Chair Pose Hands in Namaste, flexion at the hip, gaze up. 2. Stay here and bending and reaching up with your hands in the same time while keeping the hips aligned and the trunk lifted. Feeling the stretch around the trunk for about 3 breaths. |
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Master Trainer
Nancy M.Sc, ERYT-500
I love connecting with great yogis. Being inspired by the teachings of renowned yogis, my passion for sharing the teachings of ancient science within modern practice is absolutely stunning.
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