Introduction
The chair pose is a basic beginner to intermediate-level standing yoga pose. It is a forward-bend standing stretching pose that offers many benefits to each. The other names of this yoga pose are Fierce Pose and Awkward Pose. “UTKATASANA” is the Sanskrit language-derived name for this pose which means
UTKATA – Intense or Severe
ASANA – Pose or Posture
An intense powerful pose where a person sitting like he is sitting on a chair and doing their work. But in real a person sitting in a chair position but on an imaginary chair hold this position. This needs strength and stamina with a focus on the breath and mind.
In this article, we explore the amazing benefits, contraindications, and different chair pose variations. As well as we learn how to perform this pose without any difficulty.
Basic Of The Chair Pose
- Level- Beginner To Intermediate
- Position- Standing Balancing
- Type- Forward Bend
- Target Muscles- Lower Body
Amazing Benefits Of The Chair Pose (Utakatasana)
The chair pose offers many health and mental benefits and regular practice has many advantages. it is a core-strengthening standing asana that strengthens the entire body beautifully. Anatomically it affects the heart, lungs, knees, back, and lower body. Here are some amazing benefits of this pose given below the following your ham
Strengthen Legs
It helps strengthen your full leg muscles including the legs, thighs, knees, and claves. When you practice this pose and hold the posture your hamstring, quadriceps, and calves muscles are engaged. This engaging of muscles helps to build strength and stability.
Improve Posture
Utkatasana improves your body’s posture by strengthening your spine and lower back. This pose helps to stretch your lower body and opens up the chest. Regular practice of this pose helps you to improve your body posture. Standing and forward bending positions improve spine mobility and release muscle tension.
Improve Digestion
This pose stimulates your abdominal and digestive organs and improves the digestion system. It puts pressure on your abdominal cavity which massages internal and digestion organs. It also improves the functioning of the digestive system and prevents constipation problems.
Relieve Joint pain
This pose helps you relieve joint and knee pain also called a therapeutic pose for joint and knee health. Regular practice of this pose strengthens knees, lubricants your joints, and prevents stiffness. It energizes and reduces the inflammation of knee pain and strengthens the muscles. Knee bending during the posture strengthens muscles and ligaments and also prevents future injury.
Heart Health
This pose opens up your chest improves the lung’s capacity and is also good for heart health. Deep breathing and frequent inhales and exhales of breaths improve the capacity. Improves oxygen intake capacity and enhances the respiratory system of your body. This pose prevents chronic heart and lung disease and makes your heart and lungs healthy.
Weight Loss
Utkatasana is the best yoga pose for weight loss and management to reduce your weight. This pose can help you in your weight loss journey by burning calories. This pose also improves your metabolic rate important in weight management. Regular practice of this pose will help your body lose weight and extra fat and also tone and shape your body.
How To Do The Chair Pose (Utkatasana) A Step-By-Step Instructions
It is a strengthening standing pose, it requires a lot of strength and stamina of the entire body. Here we learn how to do it easily without facing any problems or instructions for doing this pose
- Standing tall in a mountain pose with your feet together or hip-width apart and arms parallel to the body.
- Divide your entire body weight evenly across both feet and press your feet down.
- Inhale raise your hand up arms straight and shoulder width apart and palms facing each other.
- Ensure your fingers are toward the ceiling and lengthen your spine.
- Back should be straight and your torso slightly down forward.
- Exhale bend your knees drop your hips and feel like you are sitting on a chair(Imagine).
- Keep your hands parallel to the ground and your tailbone drawing down toward the ground.
- Hold this pose for 4-5 breaths and keep breathing throughout the pose.
- To release, stand straight lower the hands aside your body and relax for 10 seconds.
- Repeat this pose 4-5 times or according to your stamina and ability. Gradually increase the holding time and repetitions of this pose.
Tips For Beginners For Chair Pose
If you started your yoga journey, when you are a newcomer or a beginner to yoga. Then you will be facing some stability and balancing issues at starting. But don’t worry here we suggest some amazing tips that can help you to perform it without difficulty.
- You can use a block or towel between the thighs that can help you squeeze your legs together. Yoga blocks also provide strength and engagement of core and thigh muscles.
- Feet should be a little apart it helps you to maintain stability and balance on the ground.
- At staring you can use a wall or chair support to maintain balance and stability at this pose. After that, you can perform this pose more effectively.
- Press your feet firmly on the ground and the toes of the feet press down the ground for more stability.
Other Variations of The Chair Pose
To Improve balance, and flexibility and challenge your daily yoga routine. If you want to add more difficulty or to perform easy versions of the chair pose add some interesting variations of this pose. Here are some interesting and amazing variations of this pose given below
- Half Chair Pose
- Eagle Chair Pose
- Revolve Chair Pose
Contraindications Of The Chair Pose
Utakatasana is a beginner to intermediate levels yoga pose that requires stamina and balance. It is quite challenging yoga poses at starting and some people hold the posture like a chair. Here are some risks and contraindications involved in this pose. Please read it carefully before performing this pose These include
- A person with chronic pain in the knee, joint, ankles, and shoulder should avoid this pose. It can worsen your pain and conditions.
- In case of an injury at the knees, shoulder, joints, and spine avoid this pose. It can worsen your injury and make it more chronic.
- A person with high or low blood pressure should avoid doing this pose. It can trigger or reduce your blood pressure.
- In case of migraine, vertigo, and severe balance issues do not perform this pose. It can include the risk of falling while performing this pose.
- Pregnant women and senior citizens should avoid this pose. It requires core and abdominal muscle strength.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.1 Who Should Not Do Chair Pose?
Ans.1. A person with injury in the ankle, knees, and shoulders.
2. Recent surgery on the ankle, knees, and shoulders.
3. A person with high or low blood pressure problems.
4. Chronic and severe spinal injury they should avoid this pose.
Q.2 What Chakra Is The Chair Pose?
Ans. The Chair pose is a standing balancing pose. An excellent pose for balance and flexibility. The three chakra actives in this pose are
1. The Root Chakra (Muladhara)
2. Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana)
3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)
Q.3 Can Chair Pose Help Reduce Belly Fat?
Ans. Yes, chair pose is good, and low impact poses to weight loss and management. This pose helps to reduce belly fat easily it stimulates the abdominal and digestive organs. It can also puts pressure on the abdominal muscles that can massage the organs and help reduce the fat and burn calories.
Conclusion
The chair pose also named Utkatasana is the best standing balancing pose. It offers many benefits for beginners and a yogi for heart and lung health. It adds more challenges to your yoga routine and improves your posture and spine. As is clear from the name of this pose, it is a like chair sitting position. Regular performing this pose gives you many physical and mental health benefits.
Honey is a certified yoga teacher from Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar. Through the learning process, she realized, that yoga can be helpful in the wellness of one’s life.
