The Chair Pose, or Utkatasana in Sanskrit, embodies strength, stability, and grounding. It requires engagement of the leg muscles, core, and glutes to maintain a sense of balance and stability. The yoga practitioner should feel as if they’re sitting in an imaginary chair, keeping the spine tall and the arms either extended overhead or pressed together at the heart center. It’s a physically demanding pose, encouraging mental focus and resilience.
How do you do Chair Pose?
Step 1.
Begin standing at the top of the mat, arms by your sides.
Step 2.
Sweep your arms overhead in line with ears as you bend your ankles, knees, and hips, lengthening the tailbone down.
Step 3.
Shift the majority of your weight back into your heels as you sit down as if you were taking a seat in a chair, knees in line, squeezing the thighs together.
Step 4.
Keep your sternum lifted in this pose, maintaining a long, neutral spine. Avoid a big arch in the low back by engaging your core and knitting your low ribs in. Lift taller out of your waist.
Step 5.
Energize the arms, reach through the fingertips; elevate the shoulders up then play with relaxing your shoulders down your back while reaching arms higher up.
Benefits of Chair Pose
Strengthens your legs and glutes
Builds heat in the body
Elongates the back body, while improving core strength
Gain more power and flexibility in the arms and shoulders
Variations of Chair Pose
Hands at heart center or in prayer over head
Chair twists; flying the arms apart
Feet can be together or hips’ width distance apart
Other Yoga Poses to Try
- 18Jan
Downward Facing Dog
The Downward Facing Dog yoga pose, known as Adho Mukha Svanasana in Sanskrit, is considered one of the most fundamental yoga poses. This pose can be used throughout the practice, whether in a Sun Salutation sequence or as a transition
- 22Jan
4-Limbed Staff Pose
Chaturanga Dandasana, or Four-Limbed Staff Pose, is a 2,000-year-old foundational yoga posture in which the body is held parallel to the ground, supported by hands and feet with elbows bent at right angles.
- 22Mar
Forward Fold
Forward Fold, also known as Uttanasana in Sanskrit, is a fundamental posture for the practice. With feet hip-width apart and the upper body surrendering to the ground, this yoga pose offers a deep stretch and release in the hamstrings, calves,