Taking a seat in a chair is an efficient approach to give your self a break and relaxation; that’s, until you’re practising Utkatasana! This standing yoga posture is a incredible pose that targets your complete physique, from the bottoms of your toes to the highest of your head.
You’ll additionally discover that Chair Pose generally is a little bit of a psychological exercise as effectively, because it takes focus and willpower to carry this difficult posture.
In English, the title Chair Pose describes the form of the physique because it resembles sitting again into an imaginary chair. In Ashtanga yoga, it’s recognized totally as Awkward Chair Pose.
The normal Sanskrit title, Utkatasana describes the expertise of the pose. Utkat interprets to highly effective or robust, whereas asana means pose. So, chances are you’ll hear a yoga trainer name this posture Highly effective Pose, or Fierce Pose.
As a standing yoga posture, Chair Pose could be very versatile and simple to make use of as a transition pose in lots of yoga flows, together with the Solar Salutation B yoga sequence. Whereas undoubtedly difficult, Utkatasana is suitable even for inexperienced persons to follow.
Chair Pose is kind of frequent in lots of types of yoga courses, and is a superb pose for constructing warmth and energy within the physique. Let’s take a better have a look at simply how helpful Chair Pose could be!
Advantages of Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
Taking on a yoga follow is a incredible approach to construct bodily energy and tone your physique. Sometimes, Chair Pose focuses on working the muscle tissue of the decrease physique, together with the thigh muscle tissue (quadriceps), glutes, and hip flexors.

Nevertheless, many different muscle tissue are put to work as a way to convey your physique into the Awkward Chair Pose form! Whenever you prolong your arms overhead and lengthen your torso, you tone the shoulders and higher again muscle tissue. You have to have interaction your core muscle tissue to carry your higher physique erect, which may also help enhance posture and relieve again ache over time. Lastly, you construct energy and stability within the ankles with Chair Pose as effectively, which is extremely essential for sustaining mobility as you age.
The bodily advantages of Chair Pose (Utkatasana) don’t cease there. This yoga posture is a strong pose that really advantages your complete physique. It warms your physique and will increase circulation. With correct alignment, your chest opens and torso lengthens, which improves respiratory. Training Chair Pose repeatedly builds endurance and stamina as you rise to the problem of this bodily demanding posture.
To that finish, Chair Pose gives many secondary psychological advantages. You would possibly discover your legs shaking and changing into fatigued, however by focusing in your breath and holding your Fierce Pose a second longer, you notice simply how robust you’re! On this method, Chair Pose can improve your self-confidence, willpower, and perseverance.
Methods to Observe Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

To develop a powerful yoga follow, you undoubtedly ought to attempt including Chair Pose to your subsequent yoga sequence! Comply with these step-by-step directions with particular alignment cues, and see simply how robust your physique is!
- Start standing in Mountain Pose together with your massive toes collectively and your arms at your sides.
- Stand straight and tall as you attain your arms overhead. Rotate your arms in order that your palms face one another.
- Maintain your backbone lengthy as you bend your knees and attain your hips again, as if you’re sitting into an imaginary chair behind you.
- Take your weight into your heels and maintain bending your knees to roughly a proper angle, together with your thighs parallel to the ground.
- Lean ahead barely together with your torso to counterbalance the load of your hips reaching behind you. Maintain your chest lifted and attain the crown of your head ahead and as much as keep size within the backbone.
- Unfold your shoulder blades down and throughout your higher again so your higher physique stays open.
- Study the lean of your pelvis and shine your sitting bones straight in direction of the ground. Attempt keep the pure curve of your lumbar backbone.
- Pull your navel in and up and shut your rib cage to activate your core muscle tissue. Squeeze your internal thighs collectively as you’re feeling your legs hearth up.
- Maintain your Chair Pose for a number of breaths. Maintain your gaze targeted as you breathe deeply and steadily.
- To exit chair pose, you’ll be able to get up into Mountain Pose, or launch all the way down to a Standing Ahead Fold.
For a quick visible demonstration of Chair Pose, watch this video:
Contraindications
Chair Pose, whereas difficult, is an effective way to construct energy even if you’re simply starting a yoga follow. It’s usually protected for most individuals to follow, though there are just a few cases whenever you would possibly need to modify or skip Utkatasana altogether.
When you’ve had a current shoulder harm or surgical procedure, you’ll be able to follow Chair Pose with a modified arm place as detailed beneath.
It’s protected to follow Chair Pose throughout being pregnant. Nevertheless, later into being pregnant (particularly throughout the third trimester), you have to to maintain toes separated not less than a hip width distance or perhaps a little wider in Chair Pose, because the stomach requires more room.
When you presently are experiencing low blood stress, headache, discomfort within the hips, or continual knee ache, it’s greatest to keep away from Chair Pose in the interim.
Chair Pose Modifications
Chair Pose is a exercise for the entire physique and might really feel intense if you’re simply beginning out. When constructing energy, easy modifications in physique place will make this pose accessible regardless of your stage of yoga expertise!
Arm Variations
Historically, Chair Pose is practiced with the arms raised, reaching ahead and up. In sure circumstances, particularly when you have tight or injured shoulders, this would possibly add a stage of issue you’re not fairly prepared for. When you’d prefer to focus extra in your legs and decrease physique in your Chair Pose, you’ll be able to attempt a pair completely different arm variations.

Attain your arms straight out in entrance of you at about shoulder peak, together with your palms going through one another. Prolong your fingers and unfold them vast, holding all of the muscle tissue of your arms lively. This may assist tone your arms with out placing pressure in your shoulders.
Another choice is to convey your palms collectively at your coronary heart middle in a prayer place. Press your palms collectively firmly together with your elbows mentioning to the perimeters.

In opposition to A Wall
Chair pose requires not simply robust legs and glutes, however appreciable core energy as effectively. Supporting your self with a wall is an ideal approach to develop energy in your decrease physique whereas sustaining optimum posture in your higher physique.
Stand a pair toes in entrance of a wall together with your toes positioned hip distance aside. Bend your knees and attain your hips behind you, bringing your again in opposition to the wall. You may let your palms relaxation gently on the tops of your thighs or attain your arms straight out in entrance of you.
Yoga Props
You would possibly use numerous yoga props to both improve or diminish the problem of Chair Pose.
In case your ankles or the muscle tissue of your decrease legs are significantly stiff and tight stop you from inserting your toes flat in your mat, place a folded blanket below your heels.
Up for an additional problem? Place a yoga block between your thighs and squeeze as you bend your knees and sit again into your Chair. This may actually have interaction your internal thigh muscle tissue to tone and strengthen your legs much more!
Variations of Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
As soon as you’re feeling strong in your Chair Pose, attempt including a problem with these variations. Be certain you have got enough decrease physique energy and are in a position to maintain common Chair Pose with correct alignment for a number of breaths earlier than you are taking your Utkatasana to the subsequent stage.
Revolved Chair Pose
This variation of Chair Pose provides an additional problem of steadiness in addition to core energy. Plus, twisting poses like Revolved Chair are additionally nice for exciting your digestive organs.

- Start in Mountain Pose together with your massive toes touching and heels barely separated.
- Bend your knees and take your weight again into your heels as you attain your hips again, sitting again into your imaginary chair.
- Lean your torso ahead barely, holding size in your backbone and your chest open. Carry your palms collectively in a prayer place in entrance of your chest. Have interaction your core by pulling your navel in and up.
- Utilizing your stomach muscle tissue, flip your torso to your proper. Bend ahead a bit of extra, bringing your left elbow to the skin of your proper thigh. Together with your palms nonetheless collectively in prayer, press firmly and open your chest to your proper.
- Maintain your knees aligned — test to make sure your left knee has not moved ahead. When you discover your left knee has moved a pair inches forward of your proper, sq. off your hips to regulate your alignment.
- Maintain your Revolved Chair Pose for a number of breaths, then return to your middle in common Chair.
- Repeat Revolved Chair Pose to the opposite facet, turning to the left and inserting your proper elbow to your left thigh.
One-Legged Chair Pose
Often known as Determine-4 Stretch or Standing Pigeon, this Chair Pose variation stretches your glutes, opens your hips, and strengthens your standing leg.

- Carry your self into conventional chair pose together with your knees bent and thighs parallel to the ground. Press your palms collectively in a prayer place at your coronary heart middle.
- Shift your weight barely into your left foot. Elevate your proper leg and cross your proper ankle over your left thigh. Let your proper knee fall open to the facet.
- Elevate by the internal arch of your left foot to maintain your ankle robust and steady. To assist with steadiness, repair your gaze on a spot on the ground a number of toes in entrance of you.
- Maintain your one-legged chair for 5 or so breaths, then launch your proper leg again all the way down to Chair.
- Repeat One-Legged Chair in your different facet, shifting your weight into your proper foot and crossing your left foot over your proper thigh.
Preparatory Poses
Utkatasana is a powerful posture that requires engagement from the entire physique in addition to the thoughts. These preparatory poses will enable you to convey consciousness to your alignment particularly.
Mountain Pose

As a foundational yoga pose, Tadasana or Mountain Pose connects you with posture and develops stability for all standing yoga postures.
- Stand tall together with your toes collectively. Carry your arms to your sides together with your palms going through ahead.
- Attain the crown of your head up in direction of the sky to elongate your complete backbone. Unfold your shoulder blades vast throughout your higher again, and widen your collar bones so your chest and higher again are open.
- Floor down by the soles of your toes, lifting by your internal arches.
- Shut your eyes and faucet into your internal energy as you breathe deeply, feeling tall and highly effective identical to a Mountain.
Cobra Pose

When practising Utkatasana, the main target is usually on strengthening the decrease physique. Nevertheless, it is very important take note of the shoulders, again, and backbone as effectively. Cobra Pose will open your shoulders and higher again to be sure to keep size and openness in your higher physique.
You may try our Cobra Pose information for step-by-step directions and alignment cues.
Comply with-Up Poses
Chair Pose is a fairly frequent and versatile standing yoga posture, so there are lots of instructions chances are you’ll transfer to following Utkatasana. Listed below are a few of our solutions.
Ahead Fold

Comply with up Chair Pose with a standing Ahead Fold to launch your shoulders, stretch your again muscle tissue, and provides your thigh muscle tissue a relaxation.
- From chair pose together with your arms prolonged overhead, exhale and bend at your waist, bringing your palms to the ground as you straighten your legs.
- Let the highest of your head cling and loosen up the again of your neck.
- To really feel extra launch in your again, backbone, and shoulders, attempt the Rag Doll variation of Ahead Fold: separate your toes to a hip width distance and seize your elbows with reverse palms.
Thunderbolt Pose

Chair Pose is certainly a exercise in your legs, significantly the thighs. Thunderbolt pose will give your quad muscle tissue a delicate stretch after practising Utkatasana.
- Start in a kneeling place, together with your knees bent and tops of your toes urgent into the ground.
- Sit again in your heels and place your palms on the tops of your thighs.
- Sit tall and attain the crown of your head up in direction of the sky to elongate your backbone.
- Sit in Thunderbolt Pose for just a few breaths, then launch by sitting all the way in which down and swinging your legs out in entrance of you.
Bridge Pose

In Chair Pose, the hip flexors are in flexion as you lean your higher physique ahead barely. So, Bridge is the proper counter pose to elongate your hip flexors after Utkatasana.
For step-by-step directions and correct alignment, go to our Bridge Pose information!
Widespread Questions About Chair Pose
Ought to my toes be collectively or separated in Chair Pose?
In sure types of yoga, Chair Pose is taught with the toes collectively, massive toes touching and heels barely separated. Nevertheless, you would possibly discover it extra snug to separate your toes a bit, aligning them below your hips. If you’re pregnant or have a much bigger stomach, you’ll be able to widen your stance much more. Nevertheless, regardless of the gap between your toes, make sure your toes are going through ahead.
How a lot ought to I bend my knees in Chair Pose?
Historically, the purpose in Chair Pose is to bend your knees to roughly a proper angle. Nevertheless, how far you’ll be able to squat down in Chair Pose is dependent upon your decrease physique energy in addition to vary of movement in your higher physique. If this can be a new yoga posture for you, bend your knees solely as a lot as is snug so that you can maintain the pose for a number of breaths whereas holding your backbone elongated and chest lifted.
How lengthy ought to I maintain Chair Pose?
To extend energy in your legs and glutes, attempt to maintain your Chair Pose for 3-5 breaths to start. As you turn out to be stronger, you’ll be able to maintain your Utkatasana even longer. You legs would possibly start to shake and really feel fatigued, however this can be a pure results of your muscle tissue working laborious!
Ought to I tuck my tailbone in Chair Pose?
You might have heard a yoga trainer instruct you to barely tuck your tailbone in Chair Pose. This cue is supposed to forestall a sway again place within the lumbar backbone, which might trigger low again ache. Nevertheless, tucking the tailbone an excessive amount of will pull on the muscle tissue of the low again.
As an alternative, take into consideration pointing your sitting bones straight all the way down to the ground, which is able to enable you to keep the pure curves of your lumbar backbone.