Boat Pose – Paripurna Navasana: Step-by-Step Guide
March 15, 2025Bound Angle Pose / Butterfly Pose – Baddha Konasana: Step-by-Step Guide
March 19, 2025
Chair Pose, or Utkatasana, is a powerful yoga posture that strengthens and stabilizes the legs, ankles, and feet while engaging the core and improving posture. This dynamic pose also helps open the chest and shoulders and builds mental focus and confidence. Here’s a detailed guide to performing Utkatasana properly.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Starting Position: Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) with your feet hip-width apart and your arms by your sides. Stand tall with a straight posture.
Bend Your Knees: Exhale as you bend your knees and push your hips back as if you’re about to sit in an imaginary chair. Keep your lower abdomen drawn in and up to support your lower back.
Hip Alignment: Ensure your hips move back instead of your knees going forward. Your knees should not extend past your toes, so make sure you can still see your toes when looking down.
Raise Your Arms: Inhale and raise your arms upwards around your ears. Soften your shoulders and reach higher while continuing to sit lower into the pose.
Hold the Pose: Hold Chair Pose for 5 to 10 breaths, maintaining the engagement in your legs and core while reaching upwards.
Coming Out of the Pose: To exit the pose, exhale as you press through your feet to straighten your legs. Lower your arms back down to your sides and return to Tadasana.
Beginner’s Tips:
Leg Engagement: Imagine squeezing your legs together as if they were one. This helps create strength in the thighs and improves stability. You can use a block or a rolled-up towel between your thighs and practice squeezing it while internally rotating your thighs.
Stabilize Your Base: If you need more stability, bring your feet slightly wider apart, but make sure your weight is evenly distributed between the heels and balls of your feet.
Leg Work First: Practice the action in your legs first with your hands on your hips or by using the back of a stable chair for support. This will help you focus on the proper alignment before adding arm movement.
Benefits of Chair Pose:
- Strengthens Legs, Ankles, and Feet: This pose works to build strength and stability in the legs, ankles, and feet.
- Strengthens Core and Lower Back: Chair Pose engages the abdominal muscles and strengthens the lower back, supporting overall posture.
- Opens the Chest and Shoulders: This pose also stretches the chest and shoulders, which can improve flexibility and open up the upper body.
- Improves Confidence and Focus: Chair Pose can be a mentally challenging pose that helps improve focus and boost self-confidence.
- Core Engagement: Utkatasana is a great pose to practice Mula Bandha and Uddiyana Bandha, which engage the pelvic floor muscles and strengthen the lower abdomen, creating a sense of lightness and balance.
Things to Watch Out For:
- Knee and Ankle Safety: If you have knee or ankle injuries, you may prefer to substitute Child’s Pose with a resting pose like Savasana or Corpse Pose to reduce strain.
- Hip Discomfort: If you feel compression or discomfort in your hips or constriction in the pose, try a wider-legged variation or substitute with a more restorative pose, such as Reclined Butterfly Pose.
- Lower Back Protection: Ensure that your lower belly is drawn back to your spine to protect your lower back and avoid over-arching the lumbar spine. Focus on engaging your core to stabilize your body.
Variations to Try:
Knee Alignment: Double-check that your knees do not extend beyond the line of your toes. You should be able to see your toes when looking down to avoid excess pressure on the knees.
Shoulder and Neck Comfort: If you experience discomfort in your shoulders or neck, bring your arms wider apart or lower them. You can also point your arms straight out in front of you, or even lower them to the floor. Alternatively, bend your elbows and point your fingertips upward.
Core and Back Protection: Always keep your lower belly drawn in to the spine and avoid over-arching your lower back. This will protect your lumbar spine and ensure a safe and effective pose.
Chair Pose (Utkatasana) is a powerful posture that strengthens your lower body, engages your core, and opens your chest and shoulders. It’s a great way to build stamina and improve posture. If you’re interested in exploring yoga classes in North York, Serenev Studio offers three distinctive practices: Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, and Kundalini Yoga. Register today for a class or contact Serenev North York Yoga for more details.
