Chair Pose
Chair Pose, or Utkatasana, is a powerful standing yoga posture that builds strength in the legs, core, and upper body. It resembles sitting in an imaginary chair, requiring balance, stability, and focus.
Key Points
- Alignment:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart or together for a more intense challenge.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips as if you’re sitting back into a chair.
- Keep your weight in your heels and ensure your knees track over (not past) your toes.
- Extend your arms overhead, keeping them parallel with palms facing inward, or bring the hands together at the heart center for a modification.
- Engagement:
- Engage the core by drawing the navel toward the spine to protect the lower back.
- Lift your chest to avoid collapsing the torso forward.
- Squeeze the thighs together and activate the glutes to stabilize the lower body.
- Focus:
- Keep your spine long and shoulders relaxed.
- Gaze softly forward or slightly upward to maintain balance.
- Imagine sitting deeper with each breath while staying grounded through the heels.
- Breath:
- Inhale to lengthen the spine and lift the arms.
- Exhale as you deepen into the posture, sitting the hips lower.